Paper decorated container with a lid bearing "Hartford Prolific Grapes" label

ca1865. As issued.. Very good; some fading & discoloration, notably around the edges; dust soiling.. Stiff paper cylinder appx. 133 mm in diameter and 88 mm high. Wall exterior overlaid with decorated paper (interwoven vines with purple and gold flecked highlights). This is nailed to a circular plain pine wood base appx. 8mm thick. The lid bears the label "Hartford Prolific Grapes" Lockport [NY]. The container carries the patent granted to O Mallory, June 13, 1865. Mallory was located in Rochester.

Remarkable survival. Ostensibly a grape container, though one is pressed to consider why such a medium and size? There is a near duplicate of this container in the collection of Historic New England [Ref. Code EP002.02.005] by a J Mallory dated a week later presenting "Choice Selected Grapes" from the Oneida Community. The printing was done by Adolph Nolte, 23 Buffalo Street and one assumes this to be the same for the container offered here. The identical illustration is used. The decorated paper overing the cylinder is a variant.