What is This? Thanks to Sarah More

Hi, do you know if Carleton Place issued a commemorative cut glass jug around 1920? There is no date but it seems to match another dish from 1918.
The writing is hard to read on the little jar but it says something about “Souvenir of Carleton Place.” It’s 4″ tall. The 5-1/2″ jug says “Mother 1913” and came in the same box. Sarah More

Sarah this is souvenir ruby glass– yesterday’s equivalent to today’s vacation take-home tee-shirt. One of the most popular types of souvenirs from the turn of the 20th century was a unique style of red glass simply called ‘Souvenir Glass’. The ability to personalize the souvenir was a fairly new phenomenon, and the cheap cost of the glass production made them extremely popular. Since the coloring was painted on, it could be scratched off to engrave the glasses.

The detail and precision of the engraving depended on the individual doing it- some appear to be hand-drawn while others were carefully etched with a lathe. During the early 1900s, it was popular for tourists to pick up these engraved ruby red glasses as memorabilia of their trip. The glasses would have the location, date, and could be pre-engraved with sentiments like ‘Mother’ or ‘Father’, or they could be personalized with the individual’s name.

Cups, tumblers, pitchers, creamers, vases, goblets, sugar bowls, candy dishes, toothpick holders, sherry glasses and salt and pepper shakers in a variety of patterns, shapes and sizes were produced simply as decorative souvenirs rather than practical, utilitarian objects.

They were sold in vast numbers at fairs, monuments, train depots and resorts from the 1880s to 1910 and to a lesser extent through the late 1920s. The charm of this glass is not only in its beauty. Ruby stained souvenir glass was affordable. So even though we had a huge Canoe Club regatta that year in 1913, it could have been bought as a gift or received as a gift at one of the stores in town. Great set– Cherish it.

The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum also has a small ruby cup and it was donated by Lorna Drummond.