Topic: Early Whisky Jar?

[David E]

I'm posting this on behalf of someone else, who queried it on a Birmingham forum:

http://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20000

... worth referring to for earlier comments.

The best guess appears to be a whisky dispenser used in the brewery trade – any other suggestions?

[Lustrousstone]

I think we need to know the volume between the divisions.

[pinkpanther]

Hi it's my jar, I am a bit confused with this so bear with me please, It says Qts at top and then 1 2 3 4 down the centre

[David E]

This suggests quarts, so the total volume is one gallon/eight pints - rather large for spirits then?

[Lustrousstone]

OK, so it holds four quarts = 1 gallon, which means that each of the smaller divisions (each measure) is half a pint. This probably means it wasn't designed for spirits, or certainly not whisky, which has always been expensive. I would suggest something longer

[Ivo]

I remember similar jars being used for selling cologne in department stores and barber shops as late as the sixties. They had a little glass tap and you brought along your own cologne bottle and have it filled.

[David E]

Thanks Ivo. The size of the jar is misleading and a gallon (4.54 litres) tends to indicate larger dispensing, so cologne could certainly apply, as would the fancy engraving.

The only queries now are the reason for the large aperture at the top, and a possible country of manufacture. Any clues?

[Lustrousstone]

Large aperture for easy refilling with a jug or bottle and either a cork or a glass cover, presumably something that didn't evaporate too fast

[krsilber]

The owner's mother used to have a candy shop.  With such a large outlet and wide top, might it not have been used for some kind of candy?  Just an alternative idea. 

Isn't cologne kind of expensive and the bottles often pretty small?  Seems like with cologne you'd want smaller gradations. 

[Ivo]

please do not treat this as a guessing game.