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The Detricks: Variations
of a
Common Glass |
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In the October 15, 2009, SOTW, Robin commented that “One could clearly
spend a lifetime collecting variants of even the common glasses. Dick,
sounds like another “Common Stuff” article to me! Start with Detricks?”
Actually, I have already done at least one such article. The
May 5,
2007, issue of “The Common Stuff” featured an article on the Zahringer
glasses and all their variations. But I have also written articles on
Sunny Brook glasses (September 3, 2004), Hayner glasses (February 2,
2005), the Burrichter Bros. glasses (December 22, 2006), and the glasses
of East Dubuque, Illinois (June 1, 2008).
Readers may recall that Robin tossed out a similar remark to me when he
wrote in the
March 24, 2009, SOTW that “I also think of Minnesota as
being the state that gave us the greatest number of instantly
forgettable glasses, most of which originated from Minneapolis. No doubt
Dick Bales will be spurred to prove me wrong in a future edition of The
Common Stuff.” Just like a few months ago, I am again prepared to accept
his challenge.
The following historical information is
taken from the pre-pro website.
J. Frank Detrick established a milling company in 1884, but he later
began fermenting the grain he was milling and then turned it into
liquor. The "Detrick Milling and Distilling Company" was established in
1897.
The Detrick Distillery (registered distillery No. 60, in the 10th
District) was located in Tippecanoe City (now Tipp City), Ohio, about 30
miles north of Dayton.
The Detrick Distilling Co. retail store and mail order department was
located at 313-315 E 1st. Street. Its postal address was "Lockbox 301."
This was in 1907. By 1908, the company was shipping from 35 S. Ludlow,
with a postal address of "Lockbox 928".
The company also had a branch in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was
listed in the 1912 and 1913 directories at 225 E 11th St. under the
name, “Dietrich.”
With the onset of Prohibition, Frank Detrick returned to milling under
the name of the Detrick Grain and Mercantile Company.
The company is most famous for its "motto jugs” or "toast jugs," as the
company called them in its advertising. They stood about 4-1/2" tall and
were filled with Detrick's Private Stock and were offered as a free gift
to new customers, along with the shot glasses and a corkscrew. Twelve
different jugs were offered:
1: "As I go up the hill of prosperity, may I never meet a friend."
2: "Eat, drink and be merry."
3: "While we live, let's live."
4: "May fortune ever smile on you."
5: "To err is human, to forgive divine."
6: "There's always more from where I came."
7: "I am always welcome wherever I go."
8: "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
9: "When you see me you will always smile."
10: "If you try me once you will try me again." (See picture)
11: "Drink weary Pilgrim, for tomorrow you may die."
12: "Rye on Toast."
But enough about jugs, what about the glasses? (Although if you ever get
a chance to watch Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, do so; it is a true
holiday classic.)
The first glass
(shown at left above), like almost all the Detrick glasses, features the frosted
barrel-end “DDCO” logo. In this case the logo includes a background of
seven grain stalks. Note that the glass contains the words, “No 60/1ST.
DISTRICT OHIO.” In a frosted block the words “DISTILLERS OF/PURE RYE &
BOURBON/WHISKIES” appear in three lines.
The second glass (above, center) is significantly different from the first. Note that
the district number has been changed to the “10TH DISTRICT.” There are
now two lines of words in the transparent block instead of three; they
read: “DISTILLERS OF/PURE RYE & BOURBON.” The word “The” now appears in
the logo.
The third glass features feathers instead of sheaves of grain. The two
lines of the words in the frosted block read, “DISTILLERS OF/PURE RYE &
MALT WHISKEY.”
The second glass referred to the 10th District and contained the words
“THE DETRICK DISTILLING CO./DAYTON, OHIO” along the bottom of the glass
in two lines of text. The fourth glass (below, left) also mentions the 10th District,
but now the wording at the bottom reads, “DETRICK DISTILLING CO./OFFICES
SHIPPING DEPOTS/DAYTON O. & CHATTANOOGA TENN” in three lines of text.
Also, there is no “The” inside the logo.
The pre-pro web site indicates that there is a variation of this glass.
The etching is the same, but the glass has twenty inside panels. The
panels can easily be seen in the accompanying picture (above, right).
The previous two glasses had three lines of text at the bottom. The
fifth
glass (below, left) contains an extra fourth line: “DETRICK DISTILLING CO./OFFICES
SHIPPING DEPOTS/DAYTON O. &/CHATTANOOGA TENN.” And again, the website
indicates that there is a twenty-paneled variation of this glass (below,
right).
 This glass hales from Tippecanoe City, Ohio. Unlike the previous
glasses, note that one of the “Ds” in the logo now has a woven
appearance.)
The Detrick glasses are often mocked by collectors. (See, e.g., recent
mid-October 2009 postings in the “Chat with the glassmaster” section of
the pre-pro website.) This criticism, however, is probably unwarranted.
One could spend a lot of time but not a lot of dollars amassing a
comprehensive collection of all variations of the Detrick glasses. And
all these variations appear to be significant, unlike the miniscule
Hayner differences,
as researched so thoroughly by Robin.
What kind of variations am I referring to? Barbara Edmonson notes, e.g.,
on page 57 of
Old Advertising Spirits Glasses and on
page 177 in
Historic Shot Glasses that some Detrick glasses have the word “THE” to
the left of the logo. The pre-pro database indicates that there are two
paneled variations. Who knows how many more are out there, undiscovered
by collectors because the eBay listings don’t mention the panels and
thus are ignored by bidders?
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