The Virtual Corkscrew Museum's Weekly Newspaper

Chicago World's Fair Follow-up

The November 18, 2007 and January 13, 2008 issues featured corkscrews from the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. On January 23 a friend gifted reader Jean-Louis Desor with the corkscrew pictured above. The Frenchman writes "Chicago is the only town I know in USA. I worked there as a wine-steward at the Maxim's de Paris in 1979 so it brings back some great memories." The corkscrew commemorates the 400th year of Columbus' voyage to America and quite likely made an appearance at the Chicago Exposition.

The corkscrew is marked AUG. 21st. 1883 PAT'D on one side of the blade and MADE IN GERMANY on the other. The patent date refers to Carl Wienke's U. S. Patent Number 283,731.

The U. S. application for Wienke's "Lever-Corkscrew" was filed on May 23, 1883. Patents had already been issued in Germany (May 26, 1883), England (April 20, 1883), France (May 7, 1883), and Belgium (May 7, 1883).

Another corkscrew that likely turned up at the World's Columbian Exposition was one made by Edwin Walker of Erie, Pennsylvania and advertising the Schlitz Brewery in Milwaukee. The corkscrew is marked E. S. M. CO. ERIE, PA. PAT. APL'D FOR. Walker applied for the patent on June 2, 1892. U. S. Patent Number 501,975 was granted July 25, 1893. Instead of the open cast bell prevalent on the patented Walker corkscrews, this one has a bell in the shape of a world globe - celebrating the Fair.

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Bernhard Bloch's Cork Yanker

These twin terracotta cork yankers were produced by Bernhard Bloch in Bohemia 1899 - 1900. Bernhard Bloch of Eichwald, Bohemia (now the town of Dubi, Czech Republic), was was one of the top producers of figural tobacco jars, gnome figures, and other figurines.

Reader Reinhold Berndt worte "The print on the bottom Vervielfältigung vorbehalten. In my opinion this piece has been produced once, but the manufacturer had a proviso clause (?) to keep the possibility of a serial- or mass production [a form of copyright]."

The BB mark on the bottom of the figures was used by Bloch in 1889 and 1900. The number 4195 is the pattern number.

Editor's note: Thanks to Reinhold Berndt for his help in identifying these figures.

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Kirby Follow-up

Celebrating the end of Prohibition - submitted by John Stanley

Prohibiton poster - submitted by Ron Maclean

Alcohol - A Blessing - A Curse
Good for the engine, but not good for the engineer
Good for Commercial Purposes but not as a beverage.

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