The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects

Kentucky Whiskey Jug Collection

Title

Kentucky Whiskey Jug Collection

Subject

Stoneware bottles
Whiskey
Kentucky
Business

Description

Today food can be stored and transported in a wide variety of plastic and glass containers. In the 18th and 19th centuries, however, options were limited. The mason jar was invented in 1858, but early glass containers were expensive and too fragile to travel reliably without breaking. This made ceramic stoneware the essential houseware in Kentucky throughout the 19th century.

Stoneware was fired at the extremely high temperature of 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, making it hard and durable like stone. Consumers purchased stone jugs to take to distillers and other suppliers for refills (much like growlers that are popular today), and stoneware crocks were used to move goods by flat boat and then by steamboat down the Ohio River.

Several stoneware manufacturers were active in the Louisville area, starting with Conrad Valentine in 1803. Other early stoneware manufacturers included Jacob Lewis (1815-1840s), located at Main and Jackson Streets, and JB Taylor Company (established 1815), which is now known as Louisville Stoneware. Merchants began putting their names on jugs to advertise their business, as seen in many of the examples on display.

Stoneware remained the norm until the 1880s, when a machine was invented to drive down manufacturing costs of glass bottles. In addition to being more affordable, glass bottles also allowed distillers and distributors to better maintain product quality. George Garvin Brown was one of the first Americans to begin bottling whiskey as early as 1870. By 1890 the process of bottling whisky had become so affordable that others followed suit. Old Forrester was the first bourbon to be sold only by the bottle.

Source

Filson Historical Society Museum Collection

Rights

These images are issued by The Filson Historical Society. Property rights in the collection belong to The Filson Historical Society. The user is responsible for copyright issues. Permission for use of these images for ANY reason should be obtained by contacting Filson's Curator of Collections via research@filsonhistorical.org.

Type

Objects

Collection Items