Old Snifter

New York, New York, August 6, 1935 - Although Prohibition ended back in 1933 on April 7 with the relegalization of beer, John Schuchardt has come up with a reminder of that period in a functional statue he calls "Old Snifter." It will remove a bottle cap or pull a cork and it sits on the bar as a reminder that alcoholic beverages are now legal. Schuchardt says it is a "working, practical apparatus of a cast bronze or cast iron construction, and one that is suitable for display purposes. "

The hand of the figure serves as the cap lifter and by turning the head, the worm pops out of the rear end forming a "T" with the body for pulling corks.

Some folks are of the opinion that the figures represents Andrew Volstead, a former Republican member of the United States Congress (1902-1922), who is sometimes called the "Father of Prohibition." It is not Volstead, rather it is a direct takeoff on the "Dry" figure invented by the cartoonist Rollin Kirby in a 1933 Vanity Fair article entitled The Death of a Puppet.

Schuchardt applied for the patent almost one year ago and the figure is produced by Dollin Die Casting Company of Irvington, New Jersey and sold by the Negbaur Company of New York. The United States Patent Office assigned number 2,010,326 to Schuchardt's invention today.

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Letters to the Editor

Comments on Yesterday's MetaCork

Aw pshaw! The ambience of corkscrews will NEVER give way to a twist open assemblage. Or any other kind of tacky opening device. Its almost like the taste bud will automatically retreat when the eye sees the Metacap at work. Great for Cold Duck users only!

Lynne Balvin, California

Oh, great, another couple of bucks added to the cost of a bottle.

Steven Owen, Texas

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August is National Golf Month

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