The Shaving Mug Review

Fraternal Shaving Mugs: Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks | BPOE

2010-03-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

From Fraternally Yours by Bernie Lukco:

A New York State law that closed saloons and theaters on Sunday was directly responsible for the establishment of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks (BPOE) in 1866. A group of booze-loving actors in New York City found a way to sidestep the new Sabbath "blue" law by renting a room on the Bowery where they could enjoy Sunday drinking.

Charles Vivian [source]

They called themselves the Jolly Corks based on a "ritual" established by an actor Charles Vivian, who also became known as the Imperial Cork. A candidate would be brought in, and everyone was given a cork. The Imperial Cork would announce that the last one who placed a cork in front of his place would be required to buy drinks for everyone. The signal was given, and there was a mad scramble. The candidate picked up his hurriedly and found that he was the only one who had lifted his cork -- thus the last one. Such were the side-splitting pranks of the Jolly Corks. Members were required always to carry a cork under penalty of buying a drink.

[source]

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | Billy Jensen

In time, members decided that a permanent organization with a constitution was needed. A committee was formed to draft the constitution. A meeting was planned and members went into P.T. Barnum's Museum to see if a name might suggest itself. A fine moose head, which members mistook for that of an elk, and a description of the elk in Buffon's Natural History influenced the decision. The animal from which the Order took its name was chosen because a number of its attributes were deemed typical of those to be cultivated by members of the fraternity. The elk is distinctively an American animal. It habitually lives in herds. The largest of our native quadrupeds, it is yet fleet of foot and graceful in movement. It is quick and keen of perception; and while it is usually gentle, it is strong and valiant in defense of its own.

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | W. T. Benord

The BPOE considers Feb. 16, 1868, to be its date of founding. It states its own purposes as the practice of the four cardinal virtues of charity, justice, brotherly love, and fidelity; the promotion of the welfare and happiness of its members; the fostering of patriotism; and the cultivation of good fellowship. The BPOE is organized into a grand lodge and subordinate lodges. Lodges may be established only in United States cities that have not less than 5,000 inhabitants. By 1924, there were 839,422 members. Like many other organizations, the numbers diminished during the economic depression of the 1930's.

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | C. G. Houx

Shaving mugs with paintings of an elk are some of the most common yet attractive of the collectibles. The U.S. flag and a clock with the 11:00 hour are frequently included. Elks consider themselves patriotic and swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and at each meeting salute the flag. Whenever an Elk's lodge is in session at 11 PM the brothers participate in the "eleven o'clock toast" to absent brothers. Like other fraternal shaving mugs, the most desirable have the lodge number or name inscribed. The flower of the Elks is the forget-me-not. The colors purple and white signify "the love of truth and the highest degree of virtue."

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | G. S. Dillon

[source]

From Elks History: The Original Jolly Corks Toast:

Now is the hour when Elkdom's tower
Is darkened by the shroud of night
And father time on his silver chime
Tolls off each moment's flight.

In Cloistered halls each Elk recalls
His Brothers where'er they be,
And traces their faces to well-known places
In the annals of memory.

Whether they stand on a foreign land
Or lie in an earthen bed,
Whether they be on the boundless sea
With the breakers of death ahead.

Whate'er their plight on this eerie night
Whate'er their fate may be
Where ever they are be it near or far
They are thinking of you and me.

So drink from the fountain of fellowship
To the Brother who clasped your hand
And wrote your worth in the rock of earth
And your faults upon the sand.

TO OUR ABSENT BROTHERS

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | Alex B. Spence Jr.

BPOE Traditions

The BPOE adopted several fraternal traditions similar to the Masonic Fraternity. An altar, decorated with the Holy Bible, is found in the center of every Lodge throughout Elkdom. Old Glory served as the altar's drapery until 1956, when it was given its own distinct place of honor to the right of the altar. An "Exalted Ruler" governs each Elks Lodge as the "Worshipful Master" does in a Masonic Lodge.

Elk Officers wear formal evening dress (tuxedos) during the Initiation Ritual and other ceremonials of the Order. Since 1874, the Exalted Ruler and officers of every Elks Lodge began wearing the new Elks regalia, composed of a purple velvet collar with a small, fawn colored roll and a jewel with an Elk's head with a gilt edge on the collar.

A "Tiler" guards the entrance of every Elks Lodge, and this officer prevents all outsiders from entering a Lodge without proving themselves to be an Elk in good standing.

The BPOE originally utilized a two-degree ritual; the second degree was discontinued in 1890. In fact, the BPOE Grand Lodge has outlawed any side degrees. The solemn and dignified BPOE Initiation Ritual of today is vastly different from the Initiation performed within our Lodges in those early days, with the early minutes of several Lodges, describing the now-solemn ritual in a far different vein.

Early candidates found that a physician's certificate of examination was necessary as a part of the joining process, and the male prospect had to be in top condition to even be considered. Then, once the candidate had met that criteria and was in the Lodge room, he was blindfolded, and instead of dimmed lights and beautiful words, he was subjected to much horseplay. The minutes of the Ashland Lodge No. 384 describe in detail of their candidates wearing shoes with lead soles designed to make the wearer walk as though intoxicated.

The old Ritual Book spells out other trickery, with members agreeing with the Exalted Ruler's declaration that the candidates be "shaved." Once this decision was made, a "City Barber" appeared to the blindfolded candidates whereupon, with a dull file simulating a straight razor, he literally scraped the faces of the men to "shave" them. A few other jokes, all of which were contained in the Ritual Book, described each ordeal in great detail, such as "walking on broken glass," actually egg shells, and it even mentioned how to end the "horseplay" session with real guns, loaded with blanks, being fired off behind the now-weary and very confused new members.

In 1895, the Elks ceased the use of lambskin aprons in their initiatory work, the password was eliminated in 1899, in 1902 the use of a badge was eliminated, with the secret grip falling by the wayside in 1904 and the "Test Oath" was removed in 1911. In 1952, candidates were no longer blindfolded prior to the Initiation. 1995, women were admitted into the Order.

[source]

Links

The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks
ElksHistory.org A Wealth of Information and Links
A Biographical Sketch of the Life of Charles Algernon Sidney Vivian: Founder of the Order of the Elks By Imogen Holbrook Vivian

Fraternal Shaving Mugs: Woodmen of the World

2010-03-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Fraternal Mug | W.O.W | H, C. Gillen

From Fraternally Yours by Bernie Lukco:

Started as a result of a schism with the Modern Woodmen of America (MWA), the Woodmen of the World (WOW) was started by Joseph Cullen Root of Lyons, Iowa, who coincidentally was the founder of the MWA. Officially organized as a fraternal beneficiary society on June 3, 1890, at the Paxon Hotel, Omaha, Nebraska, Root remained as its Sovereign Commander until the time of his death in 1913 when he was succeeded by Morris Sheppard, U.S. Senator from Texas. It is interesting to note that the WOW continues to operate as a financially sound insurance company.

Fraternal Mug | W.O.W | C.J Wadsworth

The Woodmen had optional degrees of Morning, Noon and Night. The members met in Groves which were governed by the Supreme Nest, and boasted that it was the only order of its kind to place a monument at the grave of every deceased member. Woodmen of the World preserved in form and ceremony implements and teachings drawn from woodcraft. Originally, only white men were eligible for membership but there was no restriction as to religious creed or political conviction. During an elaborate initiation ceremony, hoods were placed over the heads of candidates and a human skull was used to add force to the obligations of the oaths taken. Although horseplay and pranks were a part of the initiation ceremony, the Woodmen took seriously their oaths to "banish poverty from the earth and unite honest men in democratic fellowship." That is probably the reason that their membership included such renowned Americans as William J. Bryan and Robert LaFollette. After three solemn oaths were administered, the ceremony was concluded with the conferring of the "secret word." After that, a song was sung and every participating member went to the altar and grasped the helve of the embedded ax, as a sign to keep silent about the transactions of the camp.

Fraternal Mug | W.O.W | Fay R, Ashby

The WOW were unique for a fraternal organization since they established their own radio station with the call letters, "WOAW" that operated from the roof of their WOW building in Omaha, NE. The first program was broadcast on the evening of April 2, 1923. At that time there were 542,000 active members throughout the United States. This rather large membership accounts for the fact that there are many WOW shaving mugs available. Two scenes are prevalent on WOW shaving mugs. One shows a'leaf and the other a tree stump- Usually the principal emblems are shown - the beetle, wedge, and ax - symbols of the woodmen's craft. A dove is frequently included as a symbol of peace and the Latin words, Dum Tacet Clamat, "While it is silent, it shouts."

Porcelain mug with six polychrome painted fraternal symbols: Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of the World, one IOOF Encampment and 3 different Masonic images, including a Knights Templar emblem, a Masonic Keystone, and the square and compass of a Master Mason. Gilt name is C.H. Johnson. The mug is imprinted Germany on its bottom. (Mug # 2417 in Blake Powell’s Occupational & Fraternal Shaving Mugs of the United States (1978) book.

[source]

From the Woodmen of the World Website:

When Joseph Cullen Root founded Woodmen of the World more than 100 years ago, one of his objectives was to provide a decent burial for all members.

Root made a special effort to honor deceased Woodmen. He created Woodmen Memorial Day, celebrated on June 6 each year, and included the following statement in the Objectives of Woodcraft: "... to give honorable burial to our sacred dead ..."

Early Woodmen certificates provided for a death and a monument benefit. Gravestones were originally furnished to members free of charge and later were offered only to those who purchased a $100 rider to their certificates.

However, during the 1920s the Society stopped providing stone markers to members when the cost of gravestones increased and cemeteries began prohibiting above-ground markers for maintenance reasons. The monument rider was discontinued and converted to an extra $100 of insurance protection, but for many years after that, members and lodges arranged for markers and monuments on their own.

Woodmen gravestones vary greatly in size and shape. Some resemble a tree stump, others a stack of cut wood. There are elaborate hand-carved monuments, simple stone markers and stake-type markers driven into the ground.

Woodmen Tower in Omaha, Nebraska

Record Breakers: The Aeronaut and The Ambulance Mugs

2010-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

[ source ]

The record for an occupational mug was broken twice when this aeronaut mug flew to $45,000.

From Antiques and the Arts:

W. Yoder Auction Sets World Record For Shaving Mug Collection - March 25th, 2008

Wautoma, Wisconsin - It was standing room only at the Deforest Comfort Inn Convention Center where Wayne Yoder conducted a sale on February 9. On the auction block were the complete occupational shaving mugs, stoneware and art pottery collections of Jeffery Skou. Many states were represented with attendees from Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, New York and Missouri, not to mention Wisconsin. Many out of state people were also bidding over the phone.

It did not take long for an ambulance occupational mug, which is one of only two known, to set a new world record price of $29,000, beating the previous auction record of $22,500. Then, just an hour and a half later, that new occupational mug record was broken when a one-of-a-kind aeronaut mug flew to $45,000, driven by some competitive bidding.

[ source ]

It did not take long for occupational mug records to fall when this ambulance mug came up. One of only two known, and in excellent condition, it sold for $29,000, setting a new record.

The Barber Shop at Shelburne Village, Vermont

2010-02-17T05:52:00.000-08:00

All of these images are from a Picasa Photoset by Emma.

Occupational Mug | Farmer?

Occupational Mug | Printer

Occupational Mug | Liveryman

Occupational Mug | Blacksmith

Occupational Mug | Railroad

Occupational Mug | Photographer

Occupational Mug | Mortician

Occupational Mug | Telephone Operator

Occupational Mug | Musician | T. N. Girjalva

All of these images are from a Picasa Photoset by Emma.

Photographic Mug & Female Barbers | Samson & Delilah

2010-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Photographic Mug | Female "Barber" | Magg E. Clifton

A lady barber's occupational shaving mug, porcelain with a slightly erotic photographic transfer of a scantily clad female barber preparing to shave a customer, teasingly leaning forward, much to the excitement of the man. Gilt name along foot Magg E. Clifton. The scene on mug was first used in a comic stereoview card. From Prices4antiques.com

Roseburg Lady Barber | 1911

Barbers in Seattle joined two gender-separate unions.
These women belonged to the Lady Barbers Union
University of Washington, Special Collections Library

Coloured Etching by R. Newton | 1791

Wellcome Library, London

Men being shaved and having their hair cut, styled and crimped by various male and female barbers.

Coloured Etching | 1787
Wellcome Library, London

A female barber shaving a man; a male assistant standing on the right holds a "puff lather" bowl. [ Note the Samson and Delilah in the background. ]

Copperplate Engraving by Matham | Samson and Delilah | c. 1613

Delilah was approached by the lords of the Philistines, to discover the secret of Samson's strength, "and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver". Three times she asked Samson for the secret of his strength, and three times he gave her a false answer. First he told her "If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.". Then he told her "If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.". A third time he told her "If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web". On the fourth occasion he gave her the true reason: that he did not cut his hair in fulfillment of a vow to God; and Delilah, when Samson was asleep on her knees, called up her man to shave off the seven locks from his head, then betrayed him to his enemies: "the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house".

Some consider one of the false secrets given by Samson, that his strength would leave him if his hair were woven into a cloth, to be reminiscent of arcane woman's magic of the art of weaving that is also inherent in the myths of Penelope, Circe, Arachne.

From Wikipedia: Delilah

The Female Barber | Mezzotint by J. Dixon

Wellcome Library, London

Occupational Shaving Mug: Arnold Rothstein: The Man Who Fixed the World Series

2010-02-14T01:32:00.000-08:00

Occupational Shaving Mug | Arnold Rothstein

Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein (January 17, 1882–November 4, 1928) was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of organized crime, the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. His notoriety inspired several fictional characters based on his life, including "Meyer Wolfsheim" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby; and "Nathan Detroit" in the Damon Runyon story The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, which was made into the renowned musical Guys and Dolls.

Arnold Rothstein | 1928

On November 5, 1928, Arnold Rothstein was shot and mortally wounded while conducting some business affairs at Manhattan's Park Central Hotel. He died the next day at the Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital in Manhattan. The shooting was allegedly linked to a gambling event that Rothstein had participated in the previous month with several associates and acquaintances. According to underworld folklore, it was a spectacular three-day, high-stakes poker game held somewhere in Manhattan. Rothstein apparently experienced a cold streak with the cards and ended up owing $320,000 at the end of the game. However, Rothstein refused to pay the debt, claiming the game was fixed. The hit was arranged to punish Rothstein for welshing on this debt. Gambler George "Hump" McManus was arrested for the murder, but later acquitted for lack of evidence. Rothstein, on his deathbed, refused to identify his killer, answering police inquiries with "You stick to your trade. I'll stick to mine" and "Me mudder did it". Rothstein was buried at Ridgewood's Union Field Cemetery in a Jewish Orthodox ceremony.

From Wikipedia: Arnold Rothstein

Some Unusual Shaving Mugs and Related From Flickr Photo Sets

2010-02-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

I found these images of shaving mugs while searching through the photography site, Flickr. There are a few unusual finds:

Photographic Shaving Mug | Mrs. L. Jolly | 1910

We are not sure how to explain this shaving mug in our collection of objects decorated with photographs. It carries the photograph of a woman with the inscription "Mrs. L. Jolly - 1910 -" in gold. Is it Mrs. Jolly's mug? That seems unlikely since a lady who needed to shave would not want to do so in a barber shop. Perhaps it was a gift to Mr. Jolly or even a presentation for some event unrelated to shaving. From photo_history

Occupational Shaving Mug | J. J. Little

During a time when men went into barber shops for a shave and a haircut, the sterility of the hand done shave, and the lathering cream from which it came was of some importance. This gave rise to a now old tradition of the shaving mug. If you were so inclined, you would have your own shaving mug at the shop, for you and ony you to use. This way, you were not using mugs that others were using. These mugs were further personalized, usually with one's occupation and name. In this case, Mr. Joseph J. Little's mug is shown, complete with hand painted O&W locomotive. Mr. Little's name appears in both of my 1904 & 1920 O&W Breed's Directories, and is listed as living in Middletown with the occupation of Fireman. From NYO&W Ry. Collector

Sal's Barber Shop | Pittsburgh

I was interested in the shelves that contained dozens of shaving cups. I said that I would like to take a shot of them and he was very obliging. He said that in the old, very old days, barbers would have shaving mugs for each of their customers on shelves like these behind the "bar."

It is his father's barbershop, in which his father was giving haircuts as recently as March. Now his son, shown above, is doing them (he closes at 3:30 on Saturday's, so get there early.) From EyeSpyPittsburgh

Barber Shop | Montoursville, Pennsylvania | ca. 1914

Bob Miller Picture in chair Bert Weaver. Barber with mustache Bruce Marshall, other barber Clarence Zimmerman. This is where First Nat Bank is now / about 1914. Bruce Marshall was my great-grandfather.

On the wall behind the men is an election poster: "For President / For Vice President" - Woodrow Wilson and running mate Thomas R. Marshall. From Flickr: Joe Holmes

Source: Jeremy Brooks

I thought this next piece was amusing: a Shaving Mug Rebus Puzzle.

Barber's Puzzle | 1883

From 19th century children's periodical "St. Nicholas Magazine." From Flickr: Al Q

Occupational Shaving Mug | Fireman(?)

Unusual theme for a barber shop shaving mug. Hand-painted with gilt lettering. Not personalized with name of shavee. From Flickr: firehousedawg

Source: Frank Petruzella

The caption for this photo indicates that most of the mugs are from the 1920s. Check out the Pool Player and the Light Bulb mug.

Source: bbum

Fraternal Shaving Mug: Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo

2010-02-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo Mug

Porcelain with polychrome painted Egyptian cat, whose tail is curled into the number 9, this being an all important number in the Order of the Hoo-Hoos, whose beliefs are grounded in the fighting of superstition and conventionalism. The Hoo-Hoos were founded in 1892 in Arkansas, and were a selective and small order, although nationally based. All of their functions, initiation fees and meeting dates were based around the number 9. This mug comes with a document on the order, and is marked Limoges, France. Minor gilt wear, otherwise excellent condition. Price Realized: $1,495.00. From Cowan's

❂

The International Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo, Incorporated is a fraternal and service organization whose members are involved in the forests products industry. Hoo-Hoo has members in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and South Africa. It was founded in 1892 in Gurdon, Arkansas, USA by five business travelers who were returning from a meeting of the Arkansas Yellow Pine Manufacturer's Association, and had to wait several hours for their connecting train. They were joined by a local businessman. The first name suggested for the new organization was Ancient Order of Camp Followers, but the name Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo was selected instead.

The founders wanted the organization to be unconventional and unregimented. Its one aim would be to foster the health, happiness, and long life of its members.[1] In a spirit of fun, names for some of the officers were inspired by Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark. The chief executive officer of Hoo-Hoo is the Snark of the Universe (formerly the Grand Snark of the Universe). The Board of Directors includes the Chairman, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, the Seer of the House of Ancients and the Supreme Nines. The Supreme Nines include the Supreme Hoo-Hoo, Senior Hoo-Hoo, Junior Hoo-Hoo, Scrivenoter, Bojum, Jabberwock, Custocatian, Arcanoper and Gurdon. The Hoo-Hoo emblem is a black cat with its tail curled into the shape of a figure nine. The order has a traditional chant that is called at the beginning and end of each meeting "Hoo-hoo, made a Poo-poo!" - Wikipedia: Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo

Logo of the Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo,

featuring the black cat with its tail curled in a figure nine.

Interesting Facts from the Hoo Hoo International Website

January 1892: It was decided to call the new order the "Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo", and not the "Ancient Order of Camp Followers" as one founding father suggested.

September 1892: The first Hoo-Hoo convention was held in St. Louis, Missouri. The total membership of the order was 167.

September 1906: The first membership card was issued. Membership fee was increased from 99 cents to $1.65 (99 cents for dues and 66 cents for subscription to the Bulletin).

January 1909: The first official Hoo-Hoo flag was exhibited during a special concatenation in New Orleans, Louisian

July 1921: The first establishment of an independent club when the Atlanta Hoo-Hoo Club No. 1 (now the Dick Wilson/Atlanta Hoo-Hoo Club No. 1) adopted a constitution and bylaws and voted to meet monthly.

March 1924: First club outside the United Stated was established in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Winnipeg Hoo-Hoo Club No. 24.

May 1924: Detroit Hoo-Hoo Club No. 28 conducted the largest concatenation in Hoo-Hoo's history with 260 kitten

1962: First club in Australia formed - Adelaide Hoo-Hoo Club No. 212.

Constitution and By-Laws of the Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo

and List of Officers and Members | 1901

In Hotel Hall in Gurdon, the men set up the basic tenets of the order. Hoo-Hoo was to be an organization comprising men with high ideals, and the order’s motto became “Health, Happiness, and Long Life.” The group (led by Johnson) decided that the board of directors would be called the “Supreme Nine.” The names of the directors were: Snark of the Universe (president), Bojum (chaplain), Scrivenoter (secretary), Gurdon (sergeant-at-arms), Senior Hoo-Hoo, Junior Hoo-Hoo, Custocacian, Arcanoper, and Bandersnatch (later changed to Jabberwock). Some of these names were derived from Lewis Carroll’s Hunting of the Snark, which one of the founders had recently read. The name “Hoo-Hoo” also had a unique origin. In Kansas City, about a month before the founding of the order, Johnson had used the term “hoo-hoo” to refer to an unusual tuft of hair on the head of Charles McCarer. McCarer became the first Snark of the Universe and was given membership number one.

Consistent with their unconventionality, the group chose as its mascot a black cat with its tail curved into the number nine. Originally, membership in Hoo-Hoo was to be limited to 9,999 members. As the order increased in popularity, this number was changed to 99,999. Meetings were held on the ninth day of the ninth month at nine minutes after the ninth hour. Annual dues were $9.99, and the initiation fee was $0.99.

After its humble beginnings in Gurdon, the Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo grew tremendously. The first club established outside the United States was founded in Canada in 1924, and other groups sprouted up in places as far away as Australia. Though the Hoo-Hoo experienced a slump from 1929 to 1938, when membership dropped to around 700, the order recovered, and membership began to rise again.

Two U.S. presidents have had membership in Hoo-Hoo. Theodore Roosevelt was given the reserved membership number 999 for his work promoting the importance of forests. Warren G. Harding, membership number 14,945, was “concatenated” in 1905.

- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History

Dance of the Hoo-Hoo (1898)

This delightful folk rag, which is available on the "Lester Levy" website, was written in honor of "The Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo" (the cover has a replica of their official symbol). According to its website TCOHH is, "the oldest industrial Fraternal Organization in existence in the USA" (being founded in Jan. 1892 as a "public relations department of the lumber industry"). From Silent Porn Star

The only other Hoo Hoo mug I have ever seen.

Source: Fraternally, Yours by Bernie Lucko

Occupational Shaving Mugs: Boxers

2010-02-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Double Shaving Mug | John L. Sullivan | 1909

This double shaving mug belonging to John L. Sullivan, Prizefighter, porcelain with gilt lettering and banding: John L. Sullivan World's Champion Heavyweight in Old English lettering; verso with the inscription Presented by Robt. J. Kideney Buffalo, NY in script (Kideney was the developer of Wildroot Hair Tonic). Underside of one cup bearing a hand-painted monogram (possibly the presenter's) with the year _9; other cup having a partially legible Buffalo NY maker's mark. - From Prices4Antiques

A cigarette trading card of Sullivan produced in late 1886

On July 8, 1889, an estimated 3000 spectators boarded special trains for the secret location, which turned out to be Richburg, a town just south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The fight began at 10:30 the following morning, and it looked as if Sullivan was going to lose, especially after he vomited during the 44th round. But the champion got his second wind after that, and Kilrain's manager finally threw in the towel after the 75th round. - From Wikipedia: John L.Sullivan

Boxer Shaving Mug | Charles Hitte | Early 1900s

A top entry is the boxing-themed personal shaving mug of Charles Hitte, a celebrated turn of the 20th century pugilist who died tragically and ironically of a non-boxing-related injury. In a New York Times report published Jan. 19, 1905, Hitte's throat was cut by one Joe Gosha, a knife-wielding oyster opener with whom he had quarreled outside a hotel in downtown Albany. The Hitte shaving mug is unquestionably authentic, said Morphy. “We have an old photo of the mug, which appeared on the cover of Ringside magazine in the 1950s,” he said. Sold for $7000.00. - From Antiques and the Arts

[ source ]

Boxer Shaving Mug | Sharkey | 1917

This mug belonged to Thomas Sharkey, a world famous boxer circa 1900. He fought in 2 world championship fights! Green wrap, Felda Germany mark on bottom. Sold for $4000. - From W. Yoder Auctions

"Sailor" Tom Sharkey (November 26, 1873 - April 17, 1953) was a boxer who fought two fights with heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries. Sharkey's recorded ring career spanned from 1893 to 1904. He is credited with having won 40 fights (with 37 KOs), 7 losses , and 5 draws. Sharkey was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. - From Wikipedia: Thomas Sharkey

Boxer / Wrestler Shaving Mug | Harry Israel

Champion Boxer/ Wrestler's Occupational Shaving Mug with Photographic Transfer, porcelain with polychrome floral surround and a photographic transfer of fighter and wrestler Harry Israel, whose name is represented in gilt. Written document with mug states that Israel was from Cincinnati and fought "all over the Midwest," encountering the likes of famous fighters as Sullivan and McCoy, though apparently not in an "official" match up. Israel's widow also had a medal "Israel vs Smith" for "mixed wrestling" and dated "July 4, 93" (not included). When he wasn't fighting, Israel reportedly owned a saloon on Vine & McMillan Streets in Cincinnati. Mug with maker's mark T & V Limoges, France and decorator's mark Fred Dolle. - From Live Auctioneers

Prizefighter Mug | Billy C. Duncan

New Jersey Prizefighter's Occupational Shaving Mug, porcelain with polychrome painted scene with two boxers engaged in a fight, and a donkey kicking its hind legs upward on the side of Billy C. Duncan, whose name is written in gilt. According to a document accompanying the mug, Duncan was a prizefighter and semi-professional baseball player from Mountain View, who died in 1974. Marked Felda China, Germany. - From Live Auctioneers

Boxer Shaving Mug | Shernoff | 1917

Antique Roadshow: Shaving Mug Collection

2010-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

[ source ]

Click Here to Watch the Appraisal Video

From Roadshow Archive | Shaving Mug Collection:

GUEST: I got them for the most part in New York and Pennsylvania in the middle '30s--in, uh, maybe '34, '35, '36. My dad was an oil man, and he became a technical writer for oil trade journals. And so, freelance, he could travel when he wanted to. And so every summer we would travel to a particular petroleum area, and twice we... maybe three times, we went back to New York and Pennsylvania, uh, where the birthplace of U.S. Oil was.

APPRAISER: I mean, in those days, the barbershops still had these, plenty of them on the shelves?

GUEST: Oh, yes, yes, in fact, in New York, went into a barbershop, and he must have had 200 of them on shelves in the back. Each man had his own personal barber mug, and he would go in daily to the barbershop. And then, they slowly, you know, died off and so forth. And so this one place, I said, "Uh, how much do you want for them?" Well, the standard going price was 25 cents, which is what I made when I worked for an hour, you know?

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST: So, I only got three or four of them from him.

APPRAISER: You made a great investment. It's a great collection of shaving mugs or barber's mugs.

GUEST: Thank you.

APPRAISER: You've even got one of the old shaving brushes, which I like. This one is more of a domestic shaving mug, the kind that you would have at home, which has the little area here to froth up the soap in. So this is not, strictly speaking, a barber's mug. But the rest of them are. They were made mostly in Germany or in France. I'd like to show you one of the few that has a maker's mark on it.

GUEST: Oh, thank you.

APPRAISER: Uh, this one here has just the initials "C.F.H." Charles Field Haviland.

GUEST: Oh, it's a Haviland.

APPRAISER: Who was a well-known porcelain maker in Limoges in France. And this one probably dates from the late 1880s or through the 1890s. And I like this one especially. And this really relates to your father's business. It's an oil derrick, and it's what we call an occupational mug.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: Now, some of the ones you've got are not occupational. This one, for instance, is a typical one. It has just the name of the gentleman on it, and that's pretty much it, with a little gold border. It's worth today perhaps $100, something like that. The occupational ones are where the value lies. And it depends on the rarity or the appeal of the occupation. This one-- which I think is perhaps the best one here... I talked to some of my colleagues about what we thought it could be worth. We've seen very few of these oil occupational ones. We think this one alone could be worth over $1,000, or perhaps over $1,500.

GUEST: Oh! So my two bits is a pretty good investment.

APPRAISER: Not a bad investment back then. The railway ones-- always very popular. Certainly in the high hundreds-- $600, $700, $800 apiece for the nice railway-related occupational mugs. This is not occupational. Quite common, but still worth $300, $400.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: I love this one. Do you know what this is?

GUEST: For a dentist, I presume.

APPRAISER: You see that? It's a dentist. I looked at that a couple of times before I could figure out that it's a set of teeth.

GUEST: Oh, it's a set... Oh!

APPRAISER: So this gentleman, Mr. Brooks, was a dentist. (laughing) Great occupational one, and again, worth perhaps as much as $1,000.

GUEST: Ooh. Ooh.

APPRAISER: This is a rare one. We think, um, if this all came at auction as a single group, you'd have a value here of at least $7,000, and maybe as much as $9,000.

GUEST: Ooh. Just these that are here?

APPRAISER: Just these that are here.

GUEST: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

APPRAISER: Oh, you're welcome.

How long before I can get a haircut?

2010-02-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

[ source ]

A guy sticks his head into a barber shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop and says, "About 2 hours."

The guy leaves.

A few days later the same guy sticks his head in the door and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around at the shop full of customers and says, "About 3 hours."

The guy leaves.

A week later the same guy sticks his head in the shop and asks, "How long before I can get a haircut?" The barber looks around the shop and says, "About an hour and a half."

The guy leaves.

The barber who is intrigued by this time, looks over at a friend in the shop and says, "Hey, Bill. Follow that guy and see where he goes."

A little while later, Bill comes back into the shop, laughing hysterically.

The barber asks, "Bill, where did he go when he left here?"

Bill looks up, tears in his eyes and says, "Your house!"