Tumbler 1887 - 1896

Hobbs, Brockunier and Company produced this glass tumbler sometime between 1863 and 1891. Mass-produced glassware like this reflected America's changing industrial landscape and the rise of consumer culture. Consider the era; the Civil War had ended and the country was in a period of rebuilding, accompanied by rapid industrialization. As such, objects once reserved for the wealthy became accessible to a wider population. This glass tumbler, with its tactile, bumpy surface, represents that shift. What does it mean to hold such a glass? How does it feel in your hand? Imagine this glass on a table in a modest home, a symbol of upward mobility, yet also a reminder of the labor that produced it. It's a tangible piece of social history, reflecting both aspiration and the changing class dynamics of the time.