Author Topic: Victorian era can openers (Read 3339 times)

'Monterrey' Jack Brass · « **on:** April 15, 2009, 06:23:51 PM »

All,

Can openers definitely rank high in the category of edged tools and were important everyday items of the era. As such they deserve some attention and this is a great place to post some info. Since we make efforts to represent history to some degree it’s helpful to know about them. The point of this post is to enable you to easily recognize a few types of can openers available during the era and procure one or more orginals for your living historical impression/s if you require such a device.

Before delving into can opening tools it might be good to start out with some primary documentation on the understood history of canned goods. Here is an extract of what Artemis Ward, author of the Grocer’s Hand-book and Directory for 1886, had to say in his book on pages 32 & 33: “During the Mexican war, it (hermetically sealing foodstuffs) received its first start as a business in the U.S., and during the rebellion it rapidly developed into a leading industry. Today the list of articles preserved by canning are almost countless, and includes fish, meats, poultry, chowders, plum puddings, sauces, etc. Custom has done away with most of the prejudice arising from the fear of poisoning but there is great care in the canning of acid fruits or vegetables. Some goods are now packed in tin cans coated with paraffine wax, and the custom of soldering on the outside only, is very general.”

Now comes the fun part – how were such cans opened? The earliest reference I have in my library for can openers, called "knives for opening preserved meat cases", is from the c1845 The Victorian Catalogue of Tools For Trades & Crafts reprinted by Studio Editions Books (1994). Two illustrations in this reprinted tool catalog resemble the R. Yeates 1855 patented can opener, see web link a bit farther down. On to some original can opener examples.

Below I’ve listed a photo of a few can openers and a reference from a period hardware catalog. Most of those pictured from my collection are of one patented type though it’s worth seeing the small variations between them. Also listed below are web links that will take you to select pictures of can openers with accompanying patent data. These web links are from the can opener collector’s website: http://www.the-canopener.com. This site seems to encompass just about every kind of can opener made since cans were invented. It’s worth a look even if it’s just to disqualify types that don’t fall into your impression/s timeframe. Though there is a lot of helpful info there not every question you might have will be answered. I’ve only taken examples fom the website with names/patent info/dates associated and I’m sure I missed a few appropriate to the old west era.

Pictured immediately below are a few of my can openers, the top four are the Sergent & Co. ‘Sprague’ can opener patent 153391, 1874 and the bottom is Seymour’s patent 85957, 1867

Details regarding can openers for sale on page 168 of the Vajen & New Hardware Company (1884)

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Author Topic: Victorian era can openers (Read 3339 times)

'Monterrey' Jack Brass

Victorian era can openers