Collectible Glass Kitchen Shakers

Comment

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on October 12, 2014 at 8:17pm

Vicki ~ many kitchen collectibles came from freebies. Back in the late 1920s and early 1930s salesmen from the electric companies would travel farm to farm in rural America and attempt to talk the husband and wife into getting new electric appliances. If enough people committed to purchase them, wires were strung and electricity was provided. It's interesting to note that this was during the Great Depression and although unemployment levels were high and many, many businesses failed - 1/2 of all American glass factories closed - the sale of electric refrigerators boomed. People wanted to get rid of their old ice boxes. So yes, it may be that this interesting piece was free with an appliance. Throwing in premiums helped to sweeten the deal for the salesmen. As for the top, I assume you noticed that it is designed to pour out a specific amount. Wasn't that clever?

Comment by vicki hufstetler on October 12, 2014 at 7:10pm

Barbara - We had this one at an estate we did about a year or two ago. I no longer remember exactly what I learned. But, what I did find, I think was that this was given out as some type of Premium by various companies when one purchased another product(s).

I don't think I ever discovered if these were for retail, or only offered as wholesale? Seems like kitchen appliances or something were connected? I should have written it down, I guess. "Sometimers" :)

Tom - Among the first plastics invented and widely used for all sorts of purposes was Celluloid, in 1856! Invented by Alexander Parks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite plastic in 1907! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Baekeland

So Clearly many plastics were made and used long before the 1950's! Just an FYI!

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on October 12, 2014 at 6:43pm

I have handled thousands of shakers, but this is the first one of these I have ever seen! Jim and I picked it up today at an estate sale in Northern Maine. What do you think? 

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on August 7, 2014 at 10:11pm

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on August 7, 2014 at 10:10pm

Here's a great find; this is new to us. Found in Maine this is "The Food Dispenser Co. Hartford, Conn. It is 5.25" tall and the top and base are red Bakelite. The top unscrews and I will post another picture showing this.

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on February 14, 2013 at 2:40pm

Just noted the old post by Tom. I have advertisments for plastic lids that date to the Depression Era. Sorry to disagree. Meanwhile, Happy Valentine's Day!!! Share your love by posting a picture!

Comment by tomsantiquesetcetera on November 23, 2011 at 3:03am

FYI~ according to history books plastic lids, caps, etc. were introduced in the early 1950s.  This excludes Bakelite and Celluloid.

If you find PLASTIC caps/lids they are not authentic. Somebody has put them on old S&P shakers.

If you look at Craig's shaker (scroll back a few pages), the lid is a replacement. The original lid was a white metal subject to pitting.

Comment by Barbara E. Mauzy on November 14, 2011 at 9:16am

FYI~ plastic caps on shakers predate WWII. Bakelite caps are even earlier (although we are splitting hairs here as Bakelite is a plastic).

Comment by tomsantiquesetcetera on November 14, 2011 at 2:25am

Melissa, you say aluminum?  Prior to WW II aluminum was very expensive to make. Did you test it with a magnet? It could be tin or zinc (both are white metals).  Only steel (also a white metal) would be magnetic.

I think the design is much older, possibly late victorian, 1890s-1920.

Comment by tomsantiquesetcetera on November 14, 2011 at 2:19am

Correction, Craig's shaker is by Jeanette Glass but the cap is wrong. The original cap was chrome plated steel.  Craig's cap looks like plastic, maybe bakelite. Many of the small shakers have the same size threading and so caps are interchangeable.

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