Griswold’s Patent 1862

Provenance: Jerry McCann Collection

G. W. Griswold was an inventor and had a number of patents attributed to his name. One was an unusual Griswold’s Patent 1862 jar that is considered extremely rare. This example, in a clam broth glass coloration, is absolutely filled with embossed copy.

Embossed on the front, in six lines, is ‘FLUID OR DRY SEALING’ (1st line), ‘ADJUSTABLE’ (2nd line), ‘BY ATMOSPHERIC’ (3rd line), ‘PRESSURE’ (4th line) ‘GRISWOLD’S PATENT’ (5th line), and ‘1862’ (6th line).

The jar is hand blown and has a ground lip. The closure uses a top seal consisting of a pair of corks placed in the long, cylindrical neck. You can also find the container in aqua and clear glass.

The patentee was George W. Griswold of Logansport, Indiana. He received his patent on July 22, 1862. The patent listing read like this:

No 35,933.—G. W. Griswold, of Logansport, Ind. – Improved Can for Preserving Fruits, &c.– Patent dated July 22, 1862. – This invention is explained by the claim.
Claim. – A fruit can or jar, having a tapering neck, as described, down which a cork or a cork or liquid packing may be forced or drawn by atmospheric air, produced by the shrinking of the contents of said can or jar, as described, and for the purposes mentioned.

The jar maker is unknown. According to the patent, after the contents were added, a cork was placed partway down the neck. A syrup was poured into the neck and a second cork added to protect the syrup from dirt. The cooling of the contents caused the corks to be pushed down the neck for a better seal. How the jar was unsealed was not specified.

Primary Image: The Griswold’s Patent 1862 jar imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support: Auction Lot 6550: GRISWOLD’S PATENT 1862, FLUID or DRY SEALING, Quart. Color: Clear with a slight green tint. Closure: long neck design to be used with two cork stoppers as described in the patent. Appearance: sparkling glass with a slight whittled effect. Condition: no damage, the mouth was sheared off and not ground, with the normally expected roughness from the making. Embossing: light to medium. Base: unmarked. c1862. Availability: Extremely rare – Greg Spurgeon, North American Glass

Support: Reference to Fruit Jar Annual 2020 – The Guide to Collecting Fruit Jars by Jerome J. McCann

Support: Reference to Red Book #11, the Collector’s Guide to Old Fruit Jars by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr.

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