Gunpowder Flask
Maker and role
The American Flask and Cap Company (estab. 1857, closed 1865), Maker
Production date
1857-Circa 1890
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Object detail
Media/Materials
Copper, bronze
Measurements
8 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 2" (21.6 x 9.5 x 5.1cm)
Description
By the 1860s, flask making was an increasingly industrialized process. Factories like the one owned by the American Flask & Cap Co. mass produced thousands of powder flasks for hunters and the military. A larger supply of flasks meant that makers gave more and more stores permission to sell their products. Store owners were provided with catalogues that they and their customers could use to pick out which flasks they wanted to order. These catalogues included information on flask size, design, and price. Consumers were also able to buy flasks made from a variety of materials. This is the bronzed version of the “Dead Game” flask listed in the 1864 American Flask & Cap Co. catalog. The flask was available in standard copper or covered in a bronze or brass finish.
Gunpowder was sold in bulk and gunpowder flasks were used to carry gunpowder when out in the field.
Gunpowder was sold in bulk and gunpowder flasks were used to carry gunpowder when out in the field.
Object number
97.12.150
Currently on display?
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