Posted by Mark (leave feedback to contact me) on June 22, 2013 at 20:09:44:
In Reply to: Antique Shot Glasses? posted by Dan on April 24, 2013 at 19:15:31:
: If you have pictures, please post them (or links to them)
: I have been researching the origin of the shotglass for over twenty years. This research included looking into glass making, alcohol sales, and alcohol consumption.
: There are a number of problems with identifying a glass from before the pre-prohibition sample glasses.
: First, the word "shotglass" (or phrase "shot glass")
does not appear in print before prohibition, so can a glass from the time before the phrase was invented really be called a shotglass? I think it can, but some people have a problem with this. The word "shot" is a
ssociated with drinking alcohol in the 1830s, so in my opinion it is possible...
: At the time of the US Civil War there are many mentions about "jiggers" being used to dispense rations of rum to workers, but these jiggers are described as metal cups. The man in charge of dispensing these rations were called a "jigger boss." The "jigger boss" also appears in descriptions of the building of the Erie Canal.
: Second, older glasses are rarely marked, so without a makers-mark, they are hard to date. The "old" techniques that would have been used in the time around the US Civil War can still be used today (or any time be tween then and now), and may still be in use in countries around the world that have less technology. So just because the glass was made with "old" techniques, contains bubbles or is made out of low quality glass, does not mean they are old. I have run into a number of "modern" tequila advertising glasses that were "hand made" in Mexico, tha
t were made with lower quality glass and have bubbles in the glass, but from the brand name on them, we know they are modern. Another example of "old" techniques being used today is the Jamestown settlement in Virginia, where glasses are made by the reenactors.
: A phenomenon related to dating that I encounter quite often is when someone is cleaning out their grandparents house and they find some glasses. Since their grandparents are/were old, the glasses must be old. Unfortunately the grandparents had a lifetime to acquire things, and may have purchased them last week or last year.
: As far as rarity, since they are hard to identify, the rarity is unknown.
: As far as value, the number one cause for a glass to be worth more than average is the interest of non-shotglass collectors. Unmarked, "utilitarian" glasses do not inspire passion among shotglass collectors. They also do not appeal to other types of collectors.
: Hello, I would like to learn more about the earliest shot glasses and I'm wondering if anyone can help me find some pictures and/or information about them. I've been able to find a few very thin ones from the late 1800's or early 1900's and pre-pro.com has been very helpful for the advertising glasses but not so much for the unmarked ones. Some just have gold rims, etched decorations, and/or cut decorations and one may even date back to the mid 1800's during or before the Civil War...it's thick, cobalt blue, and has a rough 6-sided bottom. Recently got a hand blown one with lots of tiny bubbles in it but not sure of the age. Just want to find out more about their rarity, value, and origins if it's possible. I have some pictures of them if anyone's interested. Thanks for any help you can give me!
: Dan