Dublin Core
Title
O'Neil Shaving Mug
Description
This was the property of Robert S. O'Neil, and is inscribed with his name.
The usual equipment of a Victorian barber shop was a single green upholstered tonsorial throne, a row of chairs along the wall, perphaps an old leather couch, and cuspidors a-plenty for waiting patrons. Barber shop air was redolent of Bay Rum. On a shelf near the barber's hand stood slender bottles, perhaps adorned with roseate pictures of popular actresses: red bottles for bay rum, blue for witch hazel, and white for water. But the most enliving feature of the place was a black-walnut cabinet divided into small cubicles which held the customers' decorated mugs, each emblazoned in gold letters with the name of its owner. These mugs were tantamont to a business directory of the locality, for many of them, in addition to carrying the owner's name, bore some gaily painted and obvious symbol of his occupation, such as fireman, sportsman, flags of the fatherland, boats,etc... Most of these mugs were used by the individual owner,some by an entire family, and occasionally a single mug would be used by the members of some one society or club.
The usual equipment of a Victorian barber shop was a single green upholstered tonsorial throne, a row of chairs along the wall, perphaps an old leather couch, and cuspidors a-plenty for waiting patrons. Barber shop air was redolent of Bay Rum. On a shelf near the barber's hand stood slender bottles, perhaps adorned with roseate pictures of popular actresses: red bottles for bay rum, blue for witch hazel, and white for water. But the most enliving feature of the place was a black-walnut cabinet divided into small cubicles which held the customers' decorated mugs, each emblazoned in gold letters with the name of its owner. These mugs were tantamont to a business directory of the locality, for many of them, in addition to carrying the owner's name, bore some gaily painted and obvious symbol of his occupation, such as fireman, sportsman, flags of the fatherland, boats,etc... Most of these mugs were used by the individual owner,some by an entire family, and occasionally a single mug would be used by the members of some one society or club.
Date
1900ca
Contributor
Donated by Robert O'Neil
Identifier
1999.8
Source
Sheridan Card Catalog 1965
Artifact Item Type Metadata
Materials
Porcelain.
Condition
Fair.
Storage
AB97
SU5-2
SU5-2