Flask 1860 - 1875

This pale blue glass flask, of unknown date and maker, offers us insight into the visual culture of the United States. Blown in a mold, the flask is decorated with an eagle motif, replete with stars and shield. The eagle had been a national symbol of the US since 1782, and, as such, an image of power, freedom, and authority. But more than that, it was an image that had been thoroughly democratized by the time this flask was made, appearing on everyday objects like currency and military buttons. The flask’s decoration may have also had a commercial purpose; the temperance movement gained ground throughout the 19th century and glassmakers sometimes strategically sold bottles molded with patriotic or other symbolic designs to signal distance from the consumption of alcohol. Whether or not that was the purpose here, the flask provides a telling window onto the imagery of nationalism. As historians, we might want to explore the archives of American glassmakers and retailers, to better understand the politics of imagery in 19th-century America.