GVI-7 Monument and “Baltimore” – Ear of Corn and “Corn for the World” Flask

GVI – 7

Monument And “Baltimore” – Ear Of Corn And “Corn For The World”

Historical Flask

Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, Maryland

Emerald Green Half Pint

Provenance: Sandor P. Fuss Collection

In Baltimore, glassmaking ranked as the third-largest industry in the 19th Century. An area of Federal Hill was once nicknamed “Glass House Row” or “Glass Hill” because of the glassworkers who lived there. The glass industry flourished since, at the time, glass, ceramics, and stoneware were the few materials that could be used for creating safe, watertight containers for liquids.

Baltimore Glass Works was established in 1779 when Frederick Amelung started a glass manufactory. For many years the works were run by William Baker & Sons and eventually the Baker Bro’s. & Co. In 1842, Charles J. and Henry J. Baker started a paint, oil and glass business. As a branch of their business, they carried on the manufacture of glass for years in The Baltimore Window Glass, Bottle & Vial Works. The firm changed its name to Baker & Bro., in 1848, and to Baker Bro’s & Co., in 1851. In 1865, Charles J. Baker bought the interest of his partners and made his sons the new partners. It is during the Baker Bro’s & Co. period that the GVI-7 flasks were blown.

Our emerald green GVI-7 Monument And “Baltimore” – Ear Of Corn And “Corn For The World” flask is extraordinary in this color and condition as it exudes character with a certain crudeness with air bubbles and shifts of color in the glass. The half-pint GVI-7 flask pairs nicely with the robust quart GVI-4 “Baltimore” and Monument – Ear of Corn “Corn for the World” historical flask on an adjacent display.

There are a number of charted historical flasks depicting the so-called “Baltimore Monument” such as the GI-20, GI-21, and GI-73 “Fells Point” portrait flasks, the GVI-2 “Fells Point” sloop flask,  and the GVI-4 “Baltimore” and Monument – Ear of Corn “Corn for the World” flask. There are also four other flasks with similar “monument-corn” motifs and embossed copy including the GVI-4a, GVI-5, GVI-6, and our subject GVI-7, all illustrated below.

As in all the Baltimore “Monument” flasks, this example features an embossed Washington Monument on what is considered the primary face of the flask. The monument was the first built to honor George Washington in America and commemorate his critical role during the Revolutionary War, Constitutional Convention, and his two terms as the first President of the United States.

The landmark is located at historic Mount Vernon Place, one of Baltimore City’s oldest neighborhoods, and originally home to the city’s wealthiest and most fashionable families. It was named after the home of George Washington and his wife, Martha.

On July 4, 1815, the cornerstone was laid for the 178 foot, 8-inch doric column monument designed by Robert Mills with the masonry work being completed by 1829. The 16-foot marble statue of George Washington was carved by the Italian sculptor Henrico Cancici. It was lifted with its pedestal into its present position with great ceremony on November 19, 1829, and widely publicized throughout newspapers in the United States. This helps date our flask as some embossed monument flasks were blown before the statue was installed and are missing the Washington statue.

The “Corn for the World” slogan that occurs with a partially husked ear of corn was a marketing boast for Baltimore’s harbor and commerce related to the export shipping of grain and corn.

When looking at the obverse side of the emerald green GVI-7 half-pint flask there is a pictorial representation of the Washington Monument set within an oval frame. Embossed copy reading ‘BALTIMORE’ is under the monument in a concave manner. The steps at the base of the pedestal are between the rails which is contrary to other ‘step-railing” representations on related flasks.

The reverse side of the flask displays an embossed partially shucked ear of corn in high relief with four leaves curved away from the ear. Embossed copy reading ‘CORN FOR THE WORLD’ is placed in a semicircular convex arch above the ear of corn. The ear of corn and typography are surrounded by an oval frame.

The GVI-7 flask has a tall neck and a sheared mouth. The base has a pontil scar. The edge is plain and smooth. The impression on this mold is typically weak and sometimes very weak.

Known colors are pale aqua and clear green which are considered rare; medium green, emerald, dark olive-yellow, dark olive amber, and olive green which is considered very rare; and dark wine which is extremely rare.

Primary Image: GVI-4 “Baltimore” and Monument – Ear of Corn “Corn for the World” historical flask imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support: Reference to American Bottles and Flasks and Their Ancestry by Helen McKearin and Kenneth M. Wilson, Crown Publishers Inc., New York, 1978.

Support: Reference to Corn for the World Historical Flasks at Peachridgeglass.com

Support: Reference to The Baker Brothers and the Baltimore Glass Works by Bill Lockhart, Beau Schriever, Bill Lindsey, and Carol Serr

Support: Reference to Charles Joseph Baker from America’s Successful Men of Affairs: The United States at large, Henry Hall, 1895.

Support Images: Auction Lot 62: Monument And “Baltimore” – “Corn For The World” And Ear Of Corn Historical Flask, Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, Maryland, 1840-1860. Brilliant medium blue-green, sheared mouth – pontil scar, half pint; (shallow 1/8 inch flake from side of mouth, 1/16 inch flake from inside edge of mouth). GVI-7 Beautiful color. A very appealing flask. Carl Sturm collection. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company, 2012

Support Images: Auction Lot 50: Monument And “Baltimore” – Ear Of Corn And “Corn For The World” Historical Flask, Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, Maryland, 1820-1840. Bright yellowish green, sheared mouth – pontil scar, half pint; (base and mouth edge have been finely ground, manufacturer’s imperfection on neck). GVI-7 A scarce flask in a fantastic color, also having a strong mold impression and eggshell thin glass. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company

Support Images: Auction Lot 159: GVI-7 BALTIMORE MONUMENT – EAR OF CORN PICTORIAL / HISTORICAL FLASK, half-pint, obverse embossed ‘BALTIMORE” below monument, reverse embossed “CORN FOR THE WORLD” above corn, sheared mouth, rough pontil mark, aquamarine, Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, MD. Circa: 1840-1860. Undamaged with just a hint of high-point wear. Size: 5 1/2″ H. Provenance: From the estate collection of Russell and Doris Evitt, Jackson, CA. Reference: McKearin/Wilson – American Bottles & Flasks, pp. 606, 607. – Jeffrey Evans, Jeffrey S. Evans & Assoc.

Support Images: Auction Lot 126: “CORN FOR THE WORLD” / EAR OF CORN – MONUMENT / “BALTIMORE”, (GVI-7), Baltimore Glass Works, ca. 1835 – 1845, medium yellowish-green half-pint, open pontil, sheared and tooled lip. Pristine perfect condition, very bold impression which sometimes can be weak in the shoulder and no wear. Over the years we have auctioned a few in this coloration, but none had the overall character of glass as this one. Besides the mentioned lack of wear and bold impression it has a number of attractive trapped air bobbles and wonderful – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions | Auction #143

Support Images: Auction Lot 42: “CORN FOR THE WORLD” / EAR OF CORN – MONUMENT / “BALTIMORE” Historical Flask, Baltimore Glass Works, 1845 – 1855. Clear, medium yellowish olive, sheared mouth – pontil scar, ½ Pt, near mint; (a tiny 1/8″ ‘fisheye’ area of iridescence on the cover glass of a bubble near the base, a narrow, partially open, surface bubble on the shoulder, otherwise virtually attic mint). GVI-7. A very scarce mold, rare color, great impression, outstanding condition! The ‘see through’ clarity, as well as the strength of impression, are key to this flask. They are both outstanding on this example. The impression on this mold is typically weak, sometimes very weak. This one is about as good as it gets! – John Pastor, American Glass Gallery, Auction #28

Support Images: Auction Lot 79: “Baltimore” Below Washington Monument – “Corn for the World” And Ear of Corn Historical Flask, Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, Maryland, 1840-1860.  Brilliant emerald green, sheared mouth – pontil scar, half pint. GVI-7 Brilliant rare clear color, numerous interesting bubbles in the glass, strong embossing, exceptional. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company, Auction #91

Support Images: Auction Lot 30: “Baltimore” And Monument – “Corn For The World” And Partially Shucked Ear Of Corn Historical Flask, Baltimore Glass Works, Baltimore, Maryland, 1840-1860. Olive green with a yellow tone, sheared mouth – pontil scar, half pint; (somewhat weakened embossing). GVI-7 Beautiful color, fine condition. Ex Edmund and Jayne Blaske collection, ex Robert Mebane collection, Warren “Bud” Lane collection. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company, Auction #100