The Shaving Mug Review

Occupational Shaving Mug: The John Bull No. 1 Steam Engine with two open coaches

2017-04-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

John Bull Steam Engine No. 1

This rare occupational shaving mug shows a clear image of a unique and historical train engine: The Robert L. Stevens or John Bull Steam Engine.

Fig. 7 shows the celebrated John Bull, which is now in the National Museum, Washington, D. C. It was the first engine for the Camden and Amboy Railroad, now a part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was designed and built by Stephenson & Company, of Newcastle upon Tyne. This engine represents another step in locomotive construction, for while it somewhat resembles the De Witt Clinton, the cylinders are placed at the smoke box end of the engine, and the smoke box is of the same pattern as used to-day; both these improvements were embodied in the before mentioned Planet engine designed by Stephenson early in the year 1830.

- From The Evolution of the American Locomotive

Close-up of the John Bull No 1 engine

Close-up of the two open coaches

The John Bull and train as it looked in 1831; drawn by Isaac Dripps in 1887.

Only a year after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&0) tested Peter Cooper’s American built engine in 1830, New Jersey’s fledgling Camden and Amboy Railroad ordered a locomotive for its service from Robert Stephenson and Company (C&A) in Newcastle, England, builders of the most modern and sophisticated engines in the world. Upon completion and testing the engine was disassembled and crated up and dispatched to the States on a Trans-Atlantic Packet.

The crates were disembarked on September 1. The parts arrived without plans, drawings, or assembly instructions of any kind. It was left to C&A engineer Isaac Dripps to figure out how the hell to put the damn thing together and get it to run. He must have been pretty good because the company was able to run their tests in just two weeks. The test proved two things—that the engine did move very well, at least over short distances, on rails, and that the boiler did not blow up.

The company was scrambling to lay track and operating limited passenger and freight operations with horse drawn cars. As a marketing and public relations ploy it was decided to run an excursion over the test track with the new engine on November 12. State legislators, local dignitaries, and Napoleon’s nephew Prince Achille Murat and his American born wife, Catherine Willis Gray were among the guest passengers. Mme. Murat was so eager to be remembered as the first woman to ride a steam-powered train in America that she jostled ahead of other ladies to step into one of the open coaches first. And it must have worked, because here we are remembering her.

A few weeks later, the engine finally entered revenue service. The company designated it as No. 1 and named it Robert L. Stevens after the president of the C&A. Railroad employees, however, were soon calling the engine Old John Bull in honor of its English origins. That was soon shortened to John Bull. Over time the nick name supplanted the official name.

- From John Bull Pulls his Weight

Soon after the engine arrived, the Camden and Amboy mechanics made the following changes and additions: As the railroad curves were very sharp, the coupling rods and cranks were removed and a lateral play of 1-½ in. given to the leading axle, to which a cowcatcher was connected. The wooden wheels were replaced by cast iron wheels. The dome was moved forward to the former man hole and the boiler lagged with wood. A bell was placed on the boiler and a headlight on the smoke box. A new tender was subsequently built, having a small cab on the rear for the accommodation of a brakeman, who, if anything went wrong with the cars, could signal the engine driver to stop. The engine then presented the appearance shown in Fig. 8. From a cut in the Railroad Gazette of March 9, 1877. it appears that a cab and a large wood-burning chimney were subsequently added, but both these were removed some time before the engine was placed in the United States National Museum.

As far as the writer can discover, this was the first engine equipped with a bell, headlight and cowcatcher, although bells were used on English locomotives as far back as 1827.

- From The Evolution of the American Locomotive

The John Bull in 1877

On September 15, 1831 it ran for the first time—a test run—on this side of the Atlantic in New Jersey. Exactly 150 years later it became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution fired it up and ran it out on September 15, 1981.

- From John Bull Pulls his Weight

The John Bull today in the National Museum, Washington, D. C

More information:

John Bull Pulls his Weight
The Evolution of the American Locomotive
The National Museum of American History
Wikipedia: John Bull Locomotive

Outstanding Occupational Shaving Mug: Handcar with Two Workmen - Tom Close

2015-01-29T05:01:00.000-08:00

Occupational Shaving Mug: Handcar with Two Workmen - Tom Close

Outstanding occupational shaving mug showing two men on a handcar. This mug is in excellent condition. The gilt is remarkably fine and distinct. Note the detailed work on the decorative framing. The scene itself is bright and clear showing the two men in typical dress standing on the handcar in a rich green landscape.

Source

I attempted to figure out what type of handcar it was. Using the extensive research from Dr Lary Shaffer's Rebuilding a Sheffield No 1 Railroad Handcar, the handcar on the mug seems closest to The "Buda" pictured above. Of course, the artist may have simplified the image and omitted many details. It could just as easily be a Sheffield, as far as I can tell.

For a more complete history of the Railroad Handcar, check out Railroad Handcar History by Mason Clark.

From Wikipedia: Handcars:

Handcars were critical to the operation of railroads during a time when railroads were essential forms of transportation in America, from about 1850 to 1910. There may have been handcars as early as the late 1840s but they were quite common during the American Civil War. They were a very important tool in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. There were many thousands of them built. They were commonly assigned to a "section" of track, the section being between about 6 to 10 miles long, depending upon the traffic and speed experienced on the section. Each section would have a section crew that would maintain that piece of track. Each section usually had a section house which was used to store tools and the section's handcar. Roughly 130,000 miles of track had been constructed in America by 1900. Thus, considering there was a handcar assigned to every ten miles of that track, there would have been a minimum of 13,000 handcars operating in the United States. Motor section cars began to appear in the very early 1900s, or a few years earlier. They quickly replaced handcars. Those handcars that were not scrapped as part of the World War One, were probably scrapped for World War Two. It is not clear how many handcars survived. They can be found in railroad museums and some are in private hands.

Occupational Shaving Mug: Handcar with Two Workmen - Tom Close

Source

This is from an interesting account by Dr Lary Shaffer, who rebuilt a railroad handcar. He milled his own wood to replace the wheel inserts and planking, re-straightened bent axels and lovingly restored every minute aspect of his handcar. It was clearly a labor of love. Check out his site for a lot of information and photographs of railroad handcars.

When I was a kid in upstate New York, maybe 12 years-old, childhood buddies John Hine and Tom Loveday and I used to hike along the rails of our local short line railroad, the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville RR Co. It was a friendly little railroad, where the train personel would wave and blow the horn, rather than call the cops. One day while we were taking a rest next to the collapsing Broadablin section house, I noticed some rusty metal in the grass. It was the remains of an old railroad handcar with the wood mostly rotted away and the metal spread out like a dinosaur skeleton.

I went to the railroad offices and they sold me the pile of scrap iron for $2. I wish that I had been smart enough to take pictures of it before I moved anything, but, after all, I was a jerky 12 year-old kid. My dad kindly drove to Broadalbin in the station wagon and helped me load the metal into the car. I scrounged some pieces of track from a local leather mill and rebult the handcar with lumber yard 2 X 4s as best I could with hand tools and my 12 year-old skills. It worked. Friends and I played on it in the yard. I grew up and left home. The handcar sat outdoors for about 25 years until I had a home of my own with a cellar where I could store the parts. By then the lumber yard wood had rotted and I was almost back to where I had started in Broadalbin.

Source

Occupational Shaving Mug: Horse Drawn Steam Fire Engine for the New York Fire Department for George P. McKenna

2015-01-27T08:44:00.006-08:00

Occupational Shaving Mug:
George P. McKenna N.Y.F.D.

The scene is intense and dramatic: three horses pulling a steam fire engine, a driver leaning forward holding the reins, two helmeted fireman on the back. Smoke and a hint of flame rise out of the boiler. There is a sense of dynamic action. They are on their way to a fire. The name on the mug is George P. McKenna. Beside the name are the initials, N.Y. F. D. - the New York Fire Department.

The New York Fire Department is one of the oldest in the country, tracing its beginnings as far back as 1648. From a brief mention in the Fire Protection Service, Volume 79, 1920 , George P. McKenna worked as a Battalion Chief for the Fire Department in the 1920s. And seeing as The New York City Fire Museum states that "the last horse-drawn engine was put out of service in December of 1922," this dates the mug accurately.

It is one of the finest mugs in the collection, not only for the quality of its craftsmanship, but for its prestigious history.

Occupational Shaving Mug:
George P. McKenna N.Y.F.D.

Engine No. 8
Horse-drawn Steam Fire Engine
for the New York Fire Department

"Until the mid-19th century, most fire engines were maneuvered by men, but the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines considerably improved the response time to incidents. The first self-propelled steam-driven fire engine was built in New York in 1841. It was the target of sabotage by firefighters and its use was discontinued, and motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the early 20th century."

- Wikipedia: Fire Engine

source

"The 20th century saw a change in how the FDNY fought fire. When New York City was consolidated in 1898, the Department went from being led by three commissioners, to one, John J. Scannell, and the incumbent Chief of Department, Hugh Bonner. These two men took command of 989 paid firefighters from Brooklyn and Long Island City, 3,687 volunteers from Queens and Staten Island, and controlled 121 engines, forty-six trucks, a hose wagon, and a water tower.

"With a greater number of people and square mileage to protect, the FDNY had to adapt new firefighting strategies. The Croton Aqueduct had provided New Yorkers with plenty of water for drinking and bathing, but there wasn’t enough pressure for the demands of high-rise firefighting. During the first decades of the 1900s, the city built four high-pressure pumping stations. As technology improved, these stations were replaced, during the 1950s, by apparatus that could pump 1000 gpm of water.

"After the tragic Triangle and Equitable building fires in 1911 and 1912, the Department aggressively inspected buildings, enforced fire codes, and investigated arson through the Bureaus of Fire Prevention and Fire Investigation. This also marked the time when the FDNY recognized the equal importance of fire prevention and suppression.

"Just as the volunteers were slow to give up their hand-drawn pumpers, the paid department was slow to make the transition from horses to the internal combustion engine. Motorization of the department began in 1911 and the last horse-drawn engine was put out of service in December of 1922. This, like many other department changes, was necessary to keep up with the demands of the growing city."

- The New York City Fire Museum

Source: Public Domain Review

Fire Protection Service, Volume 79, 1920

"RANK OF ACTING CHIEFS

Proposed Alteration in Organization of New York Fire Department
A committee of battalion chiefs and captains of the New York Fire Department called on Commissioner Drennan recently to place before him the proposition of abolishing the Acting Chiefs Battalion, in the interests of uniformity and permanent rand and also to show Mr. Drennan how it can be done economically.

The committee consisted of the following: Battalion Chiefs James W Hefferman, Patrick Walsh, Richard Marshall, Luke Flanagan and George McKenna, and Captains John J. T. Waldron, Edward Flaherty, Ferdinand Buetenerhorn and James Purdy. The committee was told the matter “would receive due consideration at the proper time.”

- Fire Protection Service, Volume 79, 1920

Occupational Shaving Mug:
George P. McKenna N.Y.F.D.

I also discovered this for a younger McKenna, perhaps a son?

"First Grade Fireman George McKenna receives the William H. Todd memorial medial of valor from James Herbert Todd, Jr., grandson of the founder of the Todd Shipyards Corporation, for his heroism in attempting to frustrate the suicide leap of John Warde from the Hotel Gotham, Manhattan, last July. Fireman McKenna was lowered by ropes from the 18th floor in an effort to catch Warde. The presentation was one of many made at the World's Fair to members of the Police and Fire Department who performed conspicuous acts of bravery during 1938."

- Brooklyn Eagle, June 2, 1939

Occupational Shaving Mug: John Hutchison and the Corliss Steam Engine

2014-11-17T22:54:00.002-08:00

John Hutchison - Steam Engine

This beautiful occupational shaving mug shows an early stationary steam engine and has the name John Hutchison in gold above it. There is a warm sepia tone to the image and a craftsman's pride in the quality of the work.

The stationary steam engine is depicted in precise detail. It is a variation of the Corliss Steam Engine, which was invented and named after William Henry Corliss in 1849. Corliss Steam Engines were much more efficient than the other steam engines of the time and were instrumental in moving industry away from Mill Ponds and direct-water powered engines.

"This was the most efficient steam engine design until the invention of the Uniflow design,
followed by the steam turbine. There are still a few of these in operation today!" - source

source

John Hutchison - Steam Engine

Who was John Hutchison and how was he connected to this stationary steam engine? In my research, I discovered a beautiful story about Robert Burns, the Scottish Poet, and the invention of one of the first steam engines built for a steam boat. John Hutchison was the name of the blacksmith who actually constructed it. He also made shoes for Robert Burns' horse and had a poem written about him. (See below.) However, as interesting as this is, the dates are unfortunately wrong by almost one hundred years.

James Watt invented the first steam engine that could provide continuous rotative motion in 1781, although there were earlier versions of steam engines going back a couple of hundred years. William Symington was the first to put a steam engine into a pleasure boat in 1785. And the blacksmith John Hutchison worked on a variation of this "steam boat" in 1788.

Shaving mugs range from the 1870s to the 1920s. And the Corliss Steam Engine is from 1849. It is tempting to consider a relation between the blacksmith John Hutchison and the one named on the shaving mug but a cursory look into the rich and complex Hutchison genealogy provides nothing obvious. (Curiously, there are quite a few Hutchisons in the Fulton family tree. Robert Fulton, of course, is credited with inventing the first "commercially viable" steam boat. However, there is no direct family connection that I can find.)

The Operative Miller, Volume 14 from 1909 has another tantalizing potential reference:

In the first column is a notice offering a Corliss Engine for sale. And in the middle column is an advertisement for John Hutchison Manufacturing Company - which was based in Jackson, Michigan.

Than, there is also this mention in The Northwestern Miller, Volume 43 from January 22, 1897:

"Resolved, that we extend a vote of thanks to the Knickerboker company and the John Hutchison Mfg, Co. for the interesting exhibit of special machinery made by them, and to George T. Smith for his interesting paper on "Milling Methods".

Could John Hutchison's special machinery have been a variation of a Corliss Steam Engine that would revolutionize current milling methods? Was his Corliss Steam Engine so significant to him that he choose to memorialize it on his shaving mug as a way of representing his profession?

Following this lead, I found in Michigan Reports: Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of Michigan, Volume 107 (1895) a case, John Hutchison Mfg v. Pinch, with this interesting exchange:

Defendants testimony upon this subject was that, upon January 11, 1890, Mr. Hutchison and Mr. Crandall, a millwright employed by plaintiff, were, in company with Mr. Horn, defendants miller, examining the mill for the purpose of seeing what machinery was required. During the examination, Mr. Horn said to Mr. Hutchison nod Mr. Crandall:

It seems to me you are going to put in a good deal of machinery here. We have got all the machinery our power will carry, and, if you are going to add any machinery that will take more power, we have got to make some other arrangements.

Mr. Hutchison then said that the machinery they were going to put in would run a great deal lighter than the old machinery, and that it would run with less power than was then required.

There is an order for equipment related to milling but no mention of a steam engine. However, there is a compelling argument to made that what Hutchison is talking about is a more efficient engine that for the millwork. The Corliss Steam Engine is precisely that sort of engine.

In The Operative Miller, Volume 16 (1911), there is this notice regarding the Corliss Steam Engine and Mills:

Murray Corliss Engines. A miniature catalog, the press work and illustrations of which are a work of art, has been issued by the Murray Iron Works Company, of Burlington, Iowa. It contains brief descriptions of the Murray Corliss engine as a while and the various detailed parts. The engine, which has for many years been very popular with the millers, is built in a variety of styles and sizes to suit every possible requirement. The catalog also contains illustrations and descriptions of various types of Murray boilers and air compressors, which are largely being used in mills in every part of the country. A copy of the catalog will be sent on application to the Murray Iron Works Company.

1896 Ad-Murray Iron Works Co., Corliss Steam Engine

Another interesting element of the Hutchison shaving mug is that it shows a belt. Bruce Petty in his discussion of Corliss Steam Engines states:

The engine was usually housed in its own room of a factory in order to keep it free of dust and dirt.[...] With a large leather Flat Belt around the flywheel would then furnish power to a drive shaft inside the factory. This belt may be several hundred feet long and up to six feet wide. There were a number of companies that made these belts like the one shown below.

Corliss Steam Engines

This photograph taken in 1913, is the Press Room where Flat Belts are made up from hundreds of cow hides. This 72 inch wide Flat Belt is four layers thick with a driving capacity of 2000 horse power.

Many Corliss Steam Engines, many over 100 years old, are still working today. Although most are just fascinating museum pieces:

After extensive research and evaluation, here is what can be said about the Hutchison shaving mug: John Hutchison owned a manufacturing and supply company for mills. Around this time the Corliss Steam Engine was instrumental in revolutionizing the way mills worked, supplanting direct water as a source of power and operating with far greater efficiency. Additionally, the Corliss Steam Engine was a thing of awesome mechanical beauty. For an owner of a manufacturing company, it was a perfect emblem of power, innovation and success to have depicted on your shaving mug. Much more interesting than a building or a collection of supply parts.

There also may be a genealogical connection between him and his Scottish ancestor of the same name. It is pleasing to believe so, that after his blacksmith ancestor worked to construct the first steam engine for a boat, this later day John would have a successful business based upon a beautiful elaboration of that earlier machine.

John Hutchison - Steam Engine

The first reference to a John Hutchison, blacksmith, who constructed a steam engine to power a boat. From The First Steamboat and Robert Burns

In "Families of Wanlockhead", note is taken of the Miller steamboat and the connexion of two natives of Leadhills who were educated in Wanlockhead. James Taylor, whose father was an overseer of the mines in Wanlockhead, after graduating from Edinburgh University, secured a position as tutor in the family of Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, near Dumfries. While thus engaged, he persuaded Miller of the feasibility of using a steam engine to power a boat. With Miller¹s backing he engaged William Symington, another Leadhills native educated in Wanlockhead and an inventive engineer who had constructed a steam propelled carriage in 1786, to design the engine, and John Hutchison, blacksmith at the mines, to build it. The first trial of the experimental steam boat in October 1788 witnessed by Burns, then a tenant of Miller's, among others was considered a great success. Nothing more came of this venture, mainly because Symington's later model, developed for commercial use, was tested in a narrow waterway where its side wheels damaged the banks. Queen Victoria recognized Taylor's part in this achievement with a pension of £100 for his widow. This later led to
controversy over who deserves credit for the invention of steam navigation. While the ingenuity and success of the design undoubtedly belong to Symington, Miller, Taylor and Hutchison also deserve recognition for the parts they played.

James Taylor's older brother, John, who had succeeded their father as an overseer, was himself involved, if indirectly, with Burns. During John Taylor's tenure as overseer, Robert Burns, on one of his journeys over his ten parishes as an exciseman, had arrived at Wanlockhead on a winter day, when the roads were slippery with ice and his mare, Jenny Geddes, kept her feet with difficulty. The blacksmith, John Hutchison referred to above could not accede to Burns's request to frost the mare's shoes without the approval of the overseer. Taylor gave his permission, whereupon Burns, staying at the inn, called for pen and ink and wrote the verses to John Taylor titled, "Pegasus at Wanlockhead".

With Pegasus upon a day.
Apollo weary flying
(Through frosty hills the journey lay),
On foot the way was plying.

Poor slipshod giddy Pegasus
Was but a sorry walker;
To Vulcan then Apollo goes
To get a frosty caulker.

Obliging Vulcan fell to work,
Threw by his coat and bonnet,
And did Sol's business in a crack;
Sol paid him with a sonnet.

Ye Vulcan's sons of Wanlockhead,
Pity my sad disaster!
My Pegasus is poorly shod,
I'll pay you like my master.

Upon receiving the overseer's instructions, Hutchison "at once flew to his tools, sharpened the horse's shoes, and, it is recorded, lived thirty years to say he had never been 'saed weel' paid for his labour as by Burns, 'who paid him in siller, paid him in drink, and paid him in a sang.'" (The quotation is from J Moir Porteous in "God's Treasure-house in Scotland".) A footnote to these references to Robert Taylor and his two sons is that he was a son of the John Taylor who lies buried in the Leadhills Cemetery with the gravestone inscription that refers to him as having lived to the age of 137. This claim is open to question but there is substantial evidence to support it.

Another tantalizing reference to the mysterious blacksmith, John Hutchison from 'God's treasure-house in Scotland'; a history of times, mines, and lands in the Southern Highlands by the Rev. James Moir Porteous (1876):

One proof of superior intelligence and energy is furnished in the fact that the first trial of steamboat navigation on Dalswinton Loch, about 1786, was the work of three men drawn from thence. James Taylor, grandson of the very aged man referred to, and graduate of Edinburgh University in 1785, became tutor in the family of Mr Patrick Miller of Dalswinton. Being conversant with the steam engines of this district, he contended with Mr Miller that steam-engines alone were powerful enough to propel vessels through the water, who at length sent for William Symington, engineer, and John Hutchison, blacksmith, from Wanlockhead, to make the machinery, which was fitted to a small vessel. Mr William Symington was a schoolfellow of James Tay1or, who introduced him as an ingenious young man. In 1787 Mr Miller published a description of a triple vessel propelled with paddle wheels moved by cranks, originally intended to be worked by men. ln 1789 Mr Symington was employed to construct one on the Forth and Clyde Canal, which, destroying the banks, was removed. It has been said that the family of Mr Miller, Lord Brougham, and the poet Burns were present at the first trial on Dalswinton Loch.

Fraternal Shaving Mugs: Independent Order of Odd Fellows

2014-11-14T19:51:00.001-08:00

NOTE: ALL OF THESE MUGS ARE FOR SALE ON EBAY

CLICK ON EBAY LINK BENEATH EACH IMAGE

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is one of the oldest and largest fraternal organizations in the world. It is one of the most common types of fraternal shaving mugs. There are a great variety of Odd Fellows mugs representing the many different walks of life that make up their membership. The common characteristic of all of them are the Three Links logo, usually (but not always) with the letters F., L. and T., standing for Friendship, Love and Truth, in the center. Other common design elements are taken from the more esoteric aspects of the Odd Fellows: the all-seeing eye, the ceremonial tent and crossed swords or staves.

In Fraternally Yours by Bernie Lucko, he speculates that "the origin of the name Odd Fellows dates to 55 A.D. Soldiers of the Jewish legion of the Roman Army, during the reign of Nero, were known for their singular camaraderie and an uncanny ability to recognize each other by signs after night. Titus Caesar called them Odd Fellows." However, official Odd Fellow sources claim that "the altruistic and friendly society came to be known as "Odd Fellows" because it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind." Personally, I like Bernie's origin better. There is a certain mysteriousness to it. The official version sounds a bit apocryphal, however nobel its intentions.

Above is a short video about the Odd Fellows, produced by the Odd Fellows. I found it informative and entertaining for the most part. There are several instances that I would take with a grain of salt. But there is no denying that the Odd Fellows have done good things for a great number of people and communities.

Rare Double Fraternal - IOOF and IORM

From the Sovereign Grand Lodge Independent Order of Odd Fellows:

"In 17th Century England, people were facing a lot of challenges. Life was tough, often lawless and desperate. Medicine was still crude and in a primitive stage. Life expectancy was about 45 to 50. There were lots of sickness, orphaned kids, widowed mothers and many people cannot afford to pay a decent burial for the dead.

So, ordinary people from different trades and walks of life found it necessary to group together as brothers and sisters and contribute some of their hard-earned wages to a common fund which they could use for unfortunate times such as sickness, losing a job and even death. They would work together to help each other and the unfortunate families back on their feet, whether it was rebuilding a barn that had burned or putting in a new crop after a devastating season.

Such altruistic and friendly society came to be known as "Odd Fellows" because it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. It was believed that they were "an odd bunch of fellows" who would behave in such a selfless and seemingly impractical fashion. Odd Fellows are also known as "The Three Link Fraternity" which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England. At that time, the city was suffering both a yellow fever epidemic and mass unemployment so they dedicated the organization to "Visit the sick, relieve the distress, bury the dead and educate the orphans."

Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.

Today, Odd Fellows and Rebekahs continue to exist with nearly 10,000 lodges in approximately 26 countries consisting of men and women who united together for mutual aid and conviviality, providing social and practical support for each other and their communities in every way possible. Even though we have come a long way now, there are still more needs to be done. Working together to achieve these goals and help our fellow men creates a bond that cannot be described – a brotherhood and sisterhood of benevolence that can only be felt as an active participant. Working together, we can really help make a difference!"

From Fraternally Yours by Bernie Lucko:

"In 1745, less than three decades after the founding of the Masonic Order in England, the Ancient and Honorable, Loyal Odd Fellows Was organized in Oakly Arms, Great Britain. It was not until April 26, 1819 in Baltimore, Md., that the society was established in the United States as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).

They met in Seven Star Tavern until their boisterousness forced them to meet in another place. The IOOF has three initiatory degrees: Friendship, Brotherly Love and Truth. The letters F-L-T are frequently found on IOOF mugs. In 1915 the Odd Fellow Review claimed 3,418,833 members, gathered largely, though not wholly, from the wage-earning class.

The official story of the origin of the name Odd Fellows dates to 55 A.D. Soldiers of the Jewish legion of the Roman Army, during the reign of Nero, were known for their singular camaraderie and an uncanny ability to recognize each other by signs after night. Titus Caesar called them Odd Fellows. It is further reported that Agricola, one of Titus Caesars generals, invaded Wales, spreading these Odd Fellows from Rome to Great Britain.

Since Freemasons could go on to higher degrees, this pressure lead to the founding of the Encampment Lodge within the IOOF. So, beginning in 1885, there were three additional degrees added: Patriarchal, Golden Rule and Royal Purple. The lodge also bestows a higher honorary degree, the Grand Decoration of Chivalry, which corresponds to the Masonic 33rd degree. In the past, the IOOF placed considerable emphasis on sickness and death benefits although the lodge has never provided insurance for its members.

Throughout the rituals of many fraternal organizations there was a theme of light and darkness. One of the variations of this symbolic allusion is used by the IOOF as each candidate is received as a man in darkness and in chains. The three-link chain has been adopted as a symbol of unity, brotherhood and good Will. The all-seeing eye is also a symbol associated with several fraternal orders. It has religious significance, symbolizing in all instances a watchfulness over our actions.

IOOF shaving mugs come in great variations depending on the degrees and rank of members. Every mug, however, has, at a minimum, the three link chain."

Regarding the name the origin of the name, Odd Fellows, there is this on Wikipedia:

Several theories aim to explain the meaning of the name "Odd Fellows".

One says that they were called "odd" because in the beginning of Odd Fellowship in the 18th century, at the time of industrialization, it was rather odd to find people who followed noble values such as benevolence, charity and fraternalism.

A variation on that theory states: "The Odd Fellows, at least according to one story, got its curious name from the fact that it was a lodge that opened its doors to the working class who at that time did not ordinarily belong to fraternal orders—and were thus 'odd'. This may or may not be true as the Odd Fellows have been around for a long time and a good many things get lost in the fog of history."

Another theory states that Odd Fellows were people who engaged in miscellaneous or "odd" trades. In the 18th century, major trades were organized in guilds or other forms of syndicate, but smaller trades did not have any social or financial security. For that reason, people who exercised unusual trades joined together to form a larger group of "odd" fellows.

A slightly different version of this second theory states: "By the 13th century, the tradesmen's Guilds had become established and prosperous. During the 14th Century, with the growth of trade, the guild 'Masters' moved to protect their power (and wealth) by restricting access to the Guilds. In response, the less experienced (and less wealthy) 'Fellows' set up their own rival Guilds. In smaller towns and villages, there weren't enough Fellows from the same trade to set up a local Guild, so Fellows from a number of trades banded together to form a local Guild of Fellows from an odd assortment of trades. Hence, Guilds of Odd Fellows."

History of the Odd Fellowship in The Three Link Fraternity - Odd Fellowship in California by Don R. Smith and Wayne Roberts:

"Although some books claim to trace Odd Fellowship back to Roman times when members of the Roman Legions in England were called "Fellow Citizens", what is said to be the earliest printed record of an Odd Fellows Lodge appears in a reference to a lodge meeting at a Globe Tavern in England, in 1748. This lodge was numbered nine, so apparently there were at least nine associated Odd Fellows lodges at that time.

Other evidence suggests that our origins were in an organization known as the Ancient Order of Bucks which thrived in England in the 18th Century, and had as its emblem three bucks with their antlers intertwined. These men had as their leader a "Most Noble Grand" and met in club rooms and taverns. One of their principal emblems was "a bundle of sticks," familiar to modern Odd Fellows as signifying strength in union. They dropped "Bucks" from the name in 1802. Whatever the origin, solid evidence begins to be found in the late 18th Century. By 1796 Odd Fellow organizations were numerous in England, and each was independent from the others. Fraternal groups such as the Odd Fellows were suppressed in England for a time, but by 1803 the Odd Fellows were revived by an organization called "London Union Odd Fellows," which later became known as the "Grand Lodge of England" and assumed authority over all Odd Fellow lodges in that country.

Victory Lodge in Manchester declared itself independent of the Grand Lodge of England in 1809. In 1814, the six Odd Fellows lodges in the Manchester area met and formed The Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which elected officers and proceeded to standardize degree work of the lodges." [...]

"Among the first records of the Order in America is that of five Brothers of the English Order who met in New York City in 1806, and formed Shakespeare Lodge No. 1.
The founders were three boat builders, a comedian and a vocalist - a group befitting the name "Odd Fellows," indeed. The lodge was self instituted, a common practice in those times. Their first candidate was a retired actor who was the keeper of the tavern where they met. Accounts state that lodge meetings were accompanied by merry making and mirth, and that the wares of the tavern were freely indulged in. This lodge was dissolved in 1813 due to poor attendance brought on by controversy over the War of 1812.

Another lodge of which little is known existed briefly in New York in 1816. In 1818, Shakespeare Lodge in New York was re-instituted, in the Red Cow tavern, operated by a former member who had in his keeping the books and papers of the former lodge. They claimed to have received a charter from the Manchester Unity which gave them authority over all other Odd Fellows Lodges in the United States, but this authority was not accepted by other lodges. Several more lodges were founded in the New York City area, and one in Philadelphia, due to the efforts of the Brothers of Shakespeare Lodge.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows as we know it today began in Baltimore, Maryland, where five members of the Order from England founded Washington Lodge No. 1 on April 26,1819, by self-institution. One of these Brothers was Thomas Wildey, the first Noble Grand and the man revered as the founder of Odd Fellowship in North America. A charter was received from Duke of York Lodge in Preston, England, in 1820, a year and a half after its self-institution."

The Old Odd Fellows Building in Bellingham, WA

The Odd Fellows Building in Edison, WA

The Bundy Brothers Mug: Lost History and Wished-for Connections

2014-11-13T18:04:00.001-08:00

NOTE: THIS MUG IS CURRENTLY FOR SALE ON EBAY

This somewhat unassuming occupational shaving mug is interesting for several reasons. First, it is the only mug I have ever seen for brothers. Second, is the name: Bundy. And finally, the depiction of an engine, tender and two rail cars. What was the occupation of the Bundy Brothers in relation to railroads? Who were the Bundy Brothers? Why only one mug for the both? Were they any relation to some of the more famous Bundys? (I don't even consider Ted.)

I will tell you right now that I found no answers to these questions. And what follows is simply a record of my fruitless research into the history of this mug. It is a story of lost history and wished for connections. However, the process itself is revealing in that it shows how often an object refuses to surrender its history. This was one of those mugs that I sensed has a history to it. (I still do.) Unfortunately, I was unable to find it.

The Bundy bloodline in the United States has had many influential figures in politics and positions of power. There are those that believe the family has been allied with the Illuminati, an ancient secret society that supposedly works to control the affairs of the world powers. The following quote, from The Bundy Bloodline: Families in the world who are allied with the Illuminati, references several "Bundy Brothers":

Most Americans would not recognize the Bundy family as a powerful elite family. However, during recent history two Bundy brothers held the key positions that controlled most of the information that was fed to U.S. Presidents during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. When Johnson took over after J. F. Kennedy was assassinated McGeorge Bundy was in the key position as Nat. Sec. Advisor to determine what the President did and didn’t hear. His brother was in a key State Dept. position. Both Bundy brothers were also fraternal brothers of the Illuminati Order of the Skull and Bones. Interestingly, Jonas Mills Bundy (1835-1891) was a key advisor to President Grant, President Garfield, and President Chester A. Arthur. McGeorge Bundy and his brother William P. Bundy have held important C. F. R. and important Bilderberger positions.

As much as I would love to be possession of one of these Bundy Brothers' shaving mug, I can find no connection to the railroad. If, for example, it were a Skull and Bones on the mug, I would make an argument otherwise.

Next potential candidate is The Bundy Manufacturing Company, the earliest precursor to what would later be known as IBM. It was founded by two brothers, Willard and Harlow. Willard invented the first time clock. He and his brother were commonly known as "the Bundy Brothers". As tempting as it might be to say this was their shaving mug, the fact that there is the occupational image is a train and not some sort of time-keeping device or a simple clock, rules these famous Bundy Brothers out as past owners.

Looking for connections between a railroad and the name Bundy, I discovered there was a William "Black Bill" Bundy Jr. whose family operated a station on an "Underground Railroad" in the mid-1800s to help runaway slaves making their way to freedom in the North. Again, a fascinating bit of history, but there was no brother. And the railroad image on the mug, while clever, would have been too revealing.

Finally, there was a company in Cooperstown, New York in the late 1800s named Bundy Brothers & Cruttenden, which specialized in "dry goods, wallpaper, furniture and carpets." In the transcript proceeding from the Court of Appeals: New York: Vol.83 (1907), the State of New York is appealing a "certificate of convenience and necessity" that was previously granted to the Cooperstown and Northern Railway Company. Cruttenden is asked about his business with the Bundy Brothers and what impact the train will have on his companies freighting costs. And again, it would be wonderful to discover that Cruttenden and the Bundy Brothers later bought into this railroad and thus establishing a connection to the shaving mug with the train. But I can find no evidence to back this up.

Sadly, that is all I can find through my research. A series of exciting possibilities that do not connect. And so the history of the mug is lost. I had hoped that the "Bundy Brothers" would have left a small trace of their lives in the world, something to explain the train on their shaving mug. But, as is the case with so many shaving mugs, the mug is all we have. I wonder if the Bundy Bros would have ever imagined that many years after their death their curious shaving mug would be the source of unanswerable riddles on a webpage of the Internet.

Historical Occupational Shaving Mug: Steamboat "Granite State"

2014-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

John M. Cowin - Granite State Steamboat - Occupational Shaving Mug

NOTE: I AM CURRENTLY SELLING THIS SHAVING MUG ON EBAY.

This unique occupational shaving mug shows a steamboat with the name "Granite State" on the side. The name in gilt on the mug is "John M. Cowin". From the documented sources below, I date the mug no later than 1883. Please note the exceptional detail: there are nine minutely painted human figures on the various levels of the boat. Additionally, I found a postcard of the Granite State from the Library of Congress that reveals remarkable accuracy in the depiction on the mug: the stern paddle wheel, the pilot house and stacks. According the New Orleans Public Library and A History of the Connecticut River by Wick Griswold, the Granite State was constructed in 1879 and sank from a fire in 1883.

There is a rich and fascinating history connected with the steamboat on this shaving mug: not only did the Granite State tour the Connecticut, Hudson and Ohio Rivers, but it was attacked by an angry lynch mob; involved in the rescue of survivors of another steamboat's catching fire; and finally, caught fire herself and sank at Goodspeed's Landing in Connecticut.

The Granite State - source

John M. Cowin - Granite State Steamboat - Occupational Shaving Mug

The Granite State is, of course, the nickname for New Hampshire. The Connecticut River runs through New Hampshire and supported a bustling Steamboat Business in the mid to late 1800s. In the Rising Tide: Steamboat Workers on the Connecticut River by Steve Thornton, the Granite State is mentioned as "an excursion boat that toured points on the Hudson River":

"From the Mississippi River to the Connecticut River, steamboats played a major role in building 19th-century America. In Hartford, people would wait for the State of New York to pull up to the river landing stocked with goods from other parts of the nation and around the world. Others boarded the Granite State, an excursion boat that toured points on the Hudson River. But the men who made the steamboats of the Hartford Line run—the deck hands, stevedores, and firemen—found little glamour in the work which normally meant 18-hour days, dangerous conditions, and lousy food." [emphasis mine]

Ticket for the Steamer Granite State

John M. Cowin - Granite State Steamboat - Occupational Shaving Mug

Another reference to the Granite State is found on Georgetown Steamboats Page: Pitt and Cin Packet Line:

"In Nov 1878 the nation was beginning to recover from the Long Depression which started with the Panic of 1873. One of the causes of the severe nationwide economic decline was the extreme overbuilding of the nation’s railway system. The post Civil War period was one of unregulated growth with the government playing no role in curbing banking and manufacturing abuses. In addition to the ruined fortunes of many American families, it was also the origin of bitter animosity between workers and banking and business leaders. This financial depression marked the second term of Grant’s Presidency. It was in this unquiet atmosphere, that the Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Packet Line was organized. The packets comprising the first fleet follow:

Fleet in 1879
Packet Depart Pittsburgh Depart Cincinnati
Katie Stockdale Mon Thu
Emma Graham Wed Sat
Granite State Fri Sun

John M. Cowin - Granite State Steamboat - Occupational Shaving Mug

In a Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky for the years 1882-83, there are extensive mentions of the steamboat, Granite State. This is certainly the same boat depicted on the shaving mug. The report is a fascinating window into the times and worth quoting at length [emphasis mine]:

"Since my last official report, that is to say from January, 1882, to and including February of the present year, much service has been performed by the State Guard - three separate expeditions having been sent to Eastern Kentucky. A shocking crime, no less than the brutal murder of two young and innocent girls, and a harmless crippled little boy was committed in or near Ashland in Boyd county.

Other alleged beastly acts accompanied the murder, and the people, in the immediate vicinity and for that matter all over the State, were impatient for the summary execution of persons suspected and accused. Under these conditions the Presiding judge of the Sixteenth judicial District Hon. George N. Brown applied to the Chief Executive for a sufficient military force to maintain the peace, and insure a trial under the forms of law.

By special order dated January 6. 1882 the Third Battalion composed of three Companies of Infantry was ordered to proceed to Catlettsburg in Boyd county, and there to report to judge Brown; but from information dispatched by him it was feared the three persons in arrest would be summarily dealt with, and orders were therefore telegraphed on 4th January, 1882 to Captain A. C. Respess at Maysville to proceed immediately by steamer to the point indicated.

In compliance with the order he left Maysville that night with his Company - Mason County Guards - by the first passing steamboat, and near Portsmouth on the Ohio river met one steamer conveying the prisoners and their guard hotly pursued by another with an excited and enraged party of men alleged to be a mob. Captain Respess took charge of the prisoners, and conducted them to Maysville where the other Companies of the Battalion were assembled on the 10th of February and was moved thence, under command of Major John R. Allen, to Catlettsburg, reporting with the prisoners, Neal, Craft and Ellis to Judge Brown.

Again on the 26th October 1882, Major Allen, with his Battalion, then consisting of four Companies, together with Nuckols Guards - unattached - one Company of the First Regiment, and one section of the Louisville Light Artillery was ordered into active service and reported to Judge Brown at Catlettsburg on the 30th of that month. On the 2d day of November Major Allen having been directed by an order of the court to have the prisoners conveyed to Lexington for safekeeping was waited upon by a committee or pretended committee, claiming to represent a large armed force and demanding that the prisoners be turned over and delivered to them. Major Allen replied in terms characteristic of a good soldier, he of course, refused to comply with their request, and advised the people to refrain from any unlawful act or attempt to take the prisoners by force and violence, and that he would defend them and the law to the last extremity.

It appears that a large number of persons had assembled, who were highly excited and inflamed, and that they had determined to lynch the prisoners at all hazards. To avoid a conflict if possible, Major Allen prudently embarked his command and the persons in charge on board the steamer Granite State, an Ohio river packet, and started from Catlcttsburg down the Big Sandy and thence on the Ohio to Maysville.

Not to be foiled of their purpose, however, the mob, as it has been called, and I suppose properly, seized an engine and some flat-cars, running upon a railroad track parallel with the river to Ashland. It is said a sort of desultory fire was opened by those on the cars, but as the shots fell short of the boat, and were harmless it was not responded to. This however, was but a prelude to the fearful tragedy so soon to follow. On arriving at Ashland, the mob, elated with impunity, and led on by misguided men, seized a ferryboat lying at the wharf, and rushing aboard with hostile gestures and demonstrations, they directed its course against the Granite State. Major Allen disposed his force judiciously and awaited the attack. Himself and men were not kept long in suspense, as the assaulting party soon opened fire-at Erst harmless, but as they approached nearer their shots began to tell. Seeing a number of men wounded, the Major gave the command to commence firing. The conflict was brief and decisive. The ferryboat was disabled and became unmanageable from the effects of the State Guard musketry fire. Some men were killed and a much larger number wounded; and leaving them, the Granite State having never stopped for a moment, proceeded on down the river.

[...] The owners of the steamer Granite State claim that she was damaged very considerably by the fire of the mob, and I am well satisfied that the amount of damage and loss of business resulting from direct injury and ill will of her former patrons was not much exaggerated, if at all. Their claim on that account is $500, no part of which has been paid, as the Auditor decided and no doubt correctly, that he had no authority under the law for paying damages.

A map of East Haddam, CT and Goodspeed's Landing 1880 - source
There are three steamboats in the image.

In A History of the Connecticut River by Wick Griswold, there is a definitive remark upon the Granite State's demise:

"Goodspeed's Landing was the site of another steamboat tragedy in 1883. The Granite State caught fire after an engine room explosion. Its captain managed to get it close to the dock, and passengers on the starboard side were able to get ashore over some lumber hastily tossed to the flaming boat. Those on the port side were trapped by the flames. Many escaped by jumping into the water, and some were taken off by the East Haddam ferry. One particular rotund passenger had more than one escape that night. She was put into a rowboat that immediately sank beneath her considerable weight. She was then hoisted into another rescue craft, which sank twice before onlookers were able to heave her ashore. Legend has it that she lost most of her clothing in the struggle to get to land but was able to salvage all of her jewelry. The quick reaction of the captain in grounding the vessel, coupled with the coordinated efforts of the volunteers in ferries and small craft, kept the casualty list low. The Granite State's crew did an excellent job of rousing the passengers and leading them to safety. The proud old steamer was a total loss. It was towed out into the river and burned down to the waterline."

John M. Cowin - Granite State Steamboat - Occupational Shaving Mug

Just three years before, in June of 1880, the Granite State was involved in another steamboat burning, the Seawanhaka. Here is an account of the from GenDisasters: New York, NY Steamboat SEAWANHAKA Disaster, Jun 1880:

THE BURNING OF THE BOAT.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE FLAMES----TERRIBLE SCENES WHICH FOLLOWED----SAVING THE IMPERILED PASSENGERS.

Another shocking steam-boat disaster was added to the already long list yesterday afternoon. The steam-boat Seawanhaka, plying between this City, Sands Point, Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, and Roslyn, Long Island, took fire from an explosion forward, the origin of which nobody seems to know, at 4:55 o'clock on her afternoon trip outward. She was then between Hell Gate and Little Hell Gate. A puff of black smoke and a flash of flame out of the smokestack followed the dull thud of the explosion, and an instant afterward a huge volume of fire enveloped the forward part of the boat.

Capt. Smith, who was at the wheel, realized the danger at once, but was unable to turn either to the right or left for several minutes on account of the steamer Granite State which was running outside of her, and several schooners which were between her and the shore. Jets of flame darted up the chain-holes, cutting off communication with the engineer, and burning the helmsman's hands so that he was compelled to make quick snatches at the spokes of the wheel, being forced to drop them instantly again. With consummate bravery he held the burning vessel on her course between the obstructing vessels, while his hands and face slowly blistered, and when he had succeeded in passing them, turned her nose sharply about and headed her direct for the sunken meadow that lies between Ward's and Randall's Islands. [...]

Meantime the greatest consternation prevailed among the passengers, and long before she struck they began to drop overboard. Those who remained were quickly driven to follow their example, and eye-witnesses describe the appearance of the surrounding water as similar to that of Rockaway Beach on a warm Sunday, so thickly was it dotted with heads. A few lingered, burning their bodies and rendering them comparatively helpless, so that nearly all in this condition were drowned. There is only too much reason to believe that several were unable to make the attempt to save themselves, and perished miserably, the steamer's hull. The Granite State stopped her engines and lowered five boats to the rescue.

As a sort of speculative coda, there is a curious, perhaps coincidental, reference in "The Corwin genealogy : (Curwin, Curwen, Corwine) in the United States" found on Archive.org:

He removed to New- York City with his father in 1824 ; became ferry-master at the Canal street (Hoboken) ferry in 1826, which position he retained for twelve years; then became a contractor, especially of wharves and bridges, building some of the largest docks, and most of the ferries about New- York City, prior to 1850. He also engaged in the steamboat business, being one third owner of the steamboat Napoleon, plying between New-York and Albany, in 1839, and several years thereafter. In the spring of 1847, he removed to Jersey City, having contracted to build the Cunard Docks, in that place, for the British steamers.

However, this in reference to Edward Callwell, perhaps a distant relative: Callwell and Cowin having some genealogical relation.

The Rugby Player Mug: D Milam

2014-04-21T16:45:00.001-07:00

A unique historical occupational shaving mug depicting a rugby player kicking a ball. The player is dressed in a uniform typical for the turn of the century. Very nice detail of the player's hat, socks and distinctive ball.

The name "D. Milam" is in gilt below the painted scene. Gold gilt floral decoration frames the scene on both sides.

The mug is slightly over 3.5" in height, 3.5" width. "Bavaria" and "210" are on the bottom of the mug.

The Improved Order of Red Men Mug: Chas. F. Nolde

2014-04-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

This one-of-a-kind shaving mug is painted with a scene around the entirety of the mug. The name "Chas. F. Nolde" is in gilt on the base. The lovely scene, painted with exceptional detail, shows seven indians. In the center, above the name, are four in full headdress sitting around a fire. In the background on a hill, another indian is emerging from a tent, above which is a flag displaying the "TOTE" - Totem Of The Eagle. To the left and right of the central scene are tents, each with an indian in front. Around the handle are two beautiful trees: one coniferous, the other deciduous.

From the Improved Order of Red Men Site:

The fraternity traces its origins back to 1765 and is descended from the Sons of Liberty. These patriots concealed their identities and worked "underground" to help establish freedom and liberty in the early Colonies. They patterned themselves after the great Iroquois Confederacy and its democratic governing body. Their system, with elected representatives to govern tribal councils, had been in existence for several centuries.

After the War of 1812 the name was changed to the Society of Red Men and in 1834 to the Improved Order of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of Native Americans as a basic part of the fraternity. Some of the words and terms may sound strange, but they soon become a familiar part of the language for every member. The Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) is similar in many ways to other major fraternal organizations in the United States.

From http://www.joycetice.com/flaghold/flag004.htm

And what does the T.O.T.E. found on these mean? (Answer: "T.O.T.E. is a SECRET PASSWORD of the Improved Order of Red Men, known only to members." Yours truly, Regina Jarvis, Admin. Assistant Great Council of the United States, IORM) My published reference says this is "Totem of the Eagle."

Thompson Collection: Occupational Shaving Mug: John B. Brasser: Brewer and Bottler: Pabst Blue Ribbon Occupational Shaving Mug

2014-03-22T23:18:00.001-07:00

John B. Brasser - Brewer and Bottler - Pabst Blue Ribbon
Occupational Shaving Mug

An outstanding, exceptional porcelain antique occupational shaving mug of the well-known Newark, N.J. beer brewer and bottler, John B. Brasser, written in gilt on the top.

See additional photos of his bottles and horse-drawn wagons in front of his business in Newark.

There is a Pabst Blue Ribbon on the front of the mug with "Pabst Milwaukee" well-defined in the circle. There is also cursive writing on the blue ribbon that is slightly faded. And below that in tiny legible block lettering it says, "The Beer of Quality." The mug is banded in deep red. All of the gilt, excepting around the base is crisp and bright. This is one of the finest mugs in the collection with some nice local history attached to it.

The Thompson Collection: Occupational Shaving Mug: C. L Dow: Train Engineer

2014-03-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

C. L Dow - Train Engineer
Occupational Shaving Mug

The Thompson Collection: Occupational Shaving Mug: Train Engineman: J. E. Dougherty

2014-03-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

J. E. Dougherty - Train Engineer
Occupational Shaving Mug

Although I have no verifiable connection at this point, I did find an intriguing reference to an Engineman Dougherty in the Locomotive Engineers Journal, Volume 47

The Thompson Collection: Occupational Shaving Mug: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen: B.R.T. Frisco 112

2014-03-22T20:12:00.002-07:00

F. C. Murnan - Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
Occupational Shaving Mug

See also on this site: Railroad Brotherhoods History and Their Fraternal Shaving Mugs by Joseph Albanese

RAILROAD BROTHERHOODS

"Along with many other pioneering labor organizations in the nineteenth-century America, organizations of railroad workers took the name "brotherhoods" in token of their partly fraternal purposes. The most powerful of the railroad brotherhoods was those formed in the operating trades-those directly involved with moving trains. These included the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (founded in 1863), the Order of Railway Conductors (1868), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (1873), and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (founded in 1883 as the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen). Sometimes grouped with "the Big Four" was the Switchmen's Union (1894), "who were responsible for making up trains and for controlling the track switches within a yard. Numerous other unions were founded to represent non-operating railroad employees such as the trackmen (1887), railway clerks (1899), and sleeping car porters (1925). Though the operating brotherhoods represented less than one-fifth of all railroad employees, they dominated the history of organized labor in the railroad industry.

Although rail transportation has declined, the fraternal shaving mugs of these brotherhoods represent a period of our history when railroads were a central part of our daily lives."

Wikipedia: Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT) was a labor organization for railroad employees founded in 1883. It was originally called the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen. Its purpose was to negotiate contracts with railroad management and to provide insurance for members. The BRT grew to become the largest brotherhood of operating railroad employees. In 1969 it merged with three other unions to form the United Transportation Union.

The Thompson Collection: Occupational Shaving Mug: D. J. Dodd L&N Railroad Train Engineer

2014-03-22T20:04:00.004-07:00

D. J. Dodd - L&N Railroad
Occupational Shaving Mug

From Wikipedia: The Louisville and Nashville Railroad

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad (reporting mark LN) was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.

Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the great success stories of American business. Operating under one name continuously for 132 years, it survived civil war and economic depression and several waves of social and technological change. Under Milton H. Smith, president of the company for thirty years, the L&N grew from a road with less than three hundred miles of track to a 6,000-mile system serving thirteen states. As one of the premier Southern railroads, the L&N extended its reach far beyond its namesake cities, stretching to St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and New Orleans, Louisiana. The railroad was economically strong throughout its lifetime, operating both freight and passenger trains in a manner that earned it the nickname, "The Old Reliable."

The Thompson Collection (partial): Occupational Shaving Mugs

2013-11-12T20:44:00.001-08:00

Fred Hartman - Horse and Buggy -

Bottom - J. P. L. France

Crack on right side on letter "a"

Fred Hartman - Horse and Buggy - Front

Fred Hartman - Horse and Buggy - Left Side

Fred Hartman - Horse and Buggy - Right Side

Fred Hartman - Horse and Buggy - Detail

J. A. Pezr (?) - Fireman Hose Wagon

Slight written inscription on bottom

Cracking in the ename, Gold faded

J. A. Pezr - Fireman's Hose Wagon

Angelo - Horse and Carriage

Gold faded over first name

Angelo - Horse and Carriage

W. B. Boyer - Locomotive Engine

T&V Limoge France on bottom

W. B. Boyer - Locomotive Engine - Front

W. B. Boyer - Locomotive Engine - Detail

W. B. Boyer - Locomotive Engine - Right Side

Ned Long - Musician

Gold band at top faded

Ned Long - Musician - Front Left

Ned Long - Musician - Left

Ned Long - Musician - Right

Ned Long - Musician - Front

Fred Pepper - Horse
"141" on bottom

Fred Pepper - Horse - Front

Pomeroy Witten - Mortar and Pestle - Pharmacist

Aug. Kern Barber Supply Co., St. Louis, MO on bottom

Pomeroy Whitten - Mortar and Pestle - Pharmacist - Right

Pomeroy Whitten - Mortar and Pestle - Three Owls - Left

Wiliam Steinbauer - Steer and Butcher's Tools

William Steinbauer - Steer and Butcher's Tools - Front

William Steinbauer - Steer and Butcher's Tools - Left

William Steinbauer - Steer and Butcher's Tools - Right

A. T. Carr - Caboose

T&V France on bottom

A. T. Carr - Caboose - Front

A. T. Carr - Caboose - Left

A. T. Carr - Caboose - Right

Will Evans - Miner

Cracked interior

Koken, St. Louis on bottom

William Evans - Miner - Front

William Evans - Miner - Detail

Louis K. Haas - Train

Slight crack

Louis K. Haas - Train - Front

Louis K. Haas - Train - Right

Louis K. Haas - Train - Detail

A. L. Logan - Chimney
Cracked interior

A. L. Logan - Chimney - Front

Bundy Bros. - Train
"2682" on bottom

Bundy Bros. - Train - Front

J. T. Berry - Produce(?) Wagon
"C." on the bottom

J. T. Berry - Produce(?) Wagon - Detail

J. T. Berry - Produce(?) Wagon - Front

Christopher Mertz - Public Truckman

Sign reads: Chist Mertz Public Truckman 21-23 Jacob St Newark, N.J.

"Leonard Vienna" on bottom

Damage to base

Christ. Mertz - Public Truckman - Front

Christ. Mertz - Public Truckman - Detail

Christ. Mertz - Public Truckman - Right

Christ. Mertz - Public Truckman - Left

G. M. Mertz - Plowman with Horses
"2027" on bottom

G. M. Mertz - Plowman with Horses - Detail

G. M. Mertz - Plowman with Horses - Front

G. M. Mertz - Plowman with Horses - Right

G. M. Mertz - Plowman with Horses - Left

John B. Brosser - Pabst Blue Ribbon
T&V Limoge France on bottom

John B. Brosser - Pabst Blue Ribbon - Left

John B. Brosser - Pabst Blue Ribbon - Detail

John B. Brosser - Pabst Blue Ribbon - Front

John B. Brosser - Pabst Blue Ribbon - Right

M. R. McCann - Caboose

"WPM" on bottom

M. R. McCann - Caboose - Front

M. R. McCann - Caboose - Right

M. R. McCann - Caboose - Left

F. L. Chapman - Horse
T&V Limoge France "4505-L" on bottom

F. L. Chapman - Horse - Front

H. W. E. Corley - Horses

H.W.E. Corley - Horses - Front

J. H. Gardner - Steer

Aunt of JLT

Chip on base

J.H. Gardner - Steer - Right

J.H. Gardner - Steer - Left

J.H. Gardner - Steer - Front

J.H. Gardner - Steer - Detail

N. A. Nelson - Horse and Buggy
Chips on base

N.A. Nelson - Horse and Buggy - Right

N.A. Nelson - Horse and Buggy - Left

N.A. Nelson - Horse and Buggy - Front

Railroad Brotherhoods History and Their Fraternal Shaving Mugs by Joseph Albanese

2013-10-22T05:15:00.000-07:00

The following text and noted images are from the document, Railroad Brotherhoods History and Their Fraternal Shaving Mugs by Joseph Albanese (courtesy of the JLT Archive). It is presented here for educational purposes only in order to preserve a valuable document of Shaving Mug History. All other images are from the JLT Collection.

RAILROAD BROTHERHOODS

"Along with many other pioneering labor organizations in the nineteenth-century America, organizations of railroad workers took the name "brotherhoods" in token of their partly fraternal purposes. The most powerful of the railroad brotherhoods was those formed in the operating trades-those directly involved with moving trains. These included the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (founded in 1863), the Order of Railway Conductors (1868), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (1873), and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (founded in 1883 as the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen). Sometimes grouped with "the Big Four" was the Switchmen's Union (1894), "who were responsible for making up trains and for controlling the track switches within a yard. Numerous other unions were founded to represent non-operating railroad employees such as the trackmen (1887), railway clerks (1899), and sleeping car porters (1925). Though the operating brotherhoods represented less than one-fifth of all railroad employees, they dominated the history of organized labor in the railroad industry.

Although rail transportation has declined, the fraternal shaving mugs of these brotherhoods represent a period of our history when railroads were a central part of our daily lives."

Photo by J. Albanese

JLT Collection

BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE FIREMEN

"Lodge No. 1 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen was organized by Joshua Leach and 10 Erie firemen at Port Jarvis, N.Y., in 1873. The following year, delegates from 12 lodges met and formed the "BLF Insurance Association" to provide sickness and funeral benefits for locomotive firemen. In 1906, BLF changed its name to Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen and joined in bargaining with the three other major railway unions. In 1919, with 116,990 members the BLF&E led the fight for an eight-hour day for rail workers, and in 1923 pressed successfully for passage of the Railway Labor Act Historically, before a railroad worker would become a fireman, he would have to "pay his dues" by completing various jobs, including: Engine wiper, empties the clinker pit and perform other types of drudgery. If the railroad worker performed these tasks at a satisfactory level, he will eventually be promoted and placed on the "extra fireman" list, and eventually can move up to become a regular fireman. The fireman's primary job was to shovel coal into the firebox and ensure that the boiler maintained sufficient steam pressure. The locomotive Fireman also served as a "copilot to the engineer". He was responsible for knowing the signals, curves and grade changes to anticipate the amount of steam needed."

Photo by J. Albanese

BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY CLERKS

"Railway clerks organized into a union in 1899, and became the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks in 1904. The clerks were affiliated with the American Federation of Labor from 1900-1901, and then after 1908. The BRC was a weak railway union with a small (around 5,000 people) membership in its early years of existence. That situation changed during the First World War, when the federal government took control of the nation's railway system, and put it under the management of the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) which ran the nation's railroads from January 1918 through March 1920. The USRA recognized the rights of railway employees to join unions, and raised the clerks' salaries."

Photo by J. Albanese

JLT Collection

ORDER OF RAILWAY CONDUCTORS AND BRAKEMEN

"In The spring of 1868 TJ. "Tommie" Wright and a small band of conductors formed the first conductors' union, known as "Division Number 1 Conductors' Brotherhood" at Amboy, Illinois. Word spread quickly, and by November 1868, the union's first convention was held in Columbus, Ohio, where conductors from the U.S. and Canada adopted the name "Order of Railway Conductors of America".ln 1885, the ORC directed its leaders to aid in the negotiating agreements with carriers, a revolutionary idea for the time. In 1890, the ORC adopted a strike clause and began a militant policy of fighting for the welfare of the conductors. In 1942, the Order of Sleeping Car Conductors amalgamated with ORC, and in 1954 the organization was renamed the order of Railroad Conductors and Brakemen to reflect its diverse membership. Railroad conductors coordinate the efforts of all crew members involved in freight and passenger rail transport. They review schedules of arrivals and departures for passenger trains and freight shipments. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of each car and its passengers as well as collecting fares and tickets. Prior to departure they worked with the engineer to ensure the smoothest trip possible."

Photo by J. Albanese

source

SWITCHMEN'S UNION OF NORTH AMERICA

"In 1870, switchmen employed on railroads in the Chicago area worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for $50.00. Helpless in bargaining with their employers individually, they banded together in August of that year to form the Switchmen's Association. In 1886, switchmen met in Chicago and formed the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association, but a lockout on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad and a disastrous strike in 1888 on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ended the Association in July 1894. Later that year, however, a meeting in Kansas City, MO., led to the establishment of the Switchmen's Union of North America. A switchman is the railroad worker responsible for controlling the track switches within a yard."

Fraternal Shaving Mugs: Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees of America

2013-10-19T03:16:00.003-07:00

source

NSMCA

From Fraternally, Yours by Bernie Lucko:

"This was a relatively small but diverse labor organization. In 1944, there were 125,000 members in 435 locals of this union that was headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. By that time, the union included motormen, conductors, guards, brakemen, trolleymen, bus and coach operators, garage men and all men operating cars and trams, all gatemen, watchmen and Wardens, all employees of the car houses and pit department, all collectors, janitors, watchmen, yard crews, elevator men, porters, clerks, trackmen and laborers. One has to wonder why there are not more mugs depicting this trade with so many jobs included within the union. In addition, individuals who held minor position such as starter, dispatcher, inspector, timekeeper, streetmen or barn shop and track foremen, "working with their fellow workers and not having the power of discipline in the way of hiring, suspending or discharging employees," (that is, non-supervisors) could join the union.

The union was organized in 1892 in Indianapolis, Indiana and initially represented those working with horse drawn and electric trolley and interurban rail lines. These individuals primarily moved passengers, not freight, and were not directly connected with the interstate railroads that crossed the country during this period of industrial growth. The mug depicts an electric street car with the letters "AA of S & ERE of A" above it."

source

From The Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

The Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America (Amalgamated) formed in 1892. Arguing for increased benefits and compensation, Amalgamated organized successful, but occasionally violent, strikes of Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company workers in 1909 and 1910. The union continues today as the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

source

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

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

Fraternal Shaving Mug | BPOE

Fraternal Mugs | BPOE | F. B. Gillen

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