Egg Beaters (3)

These tools at Smith’s Tavern are various types of egg beaters. 

Catalog Items:

Item T192

Location:	Right Shelves - 2nd
Length:	23 cm
Width:	6 cm
Height:	6 cm
Weight:	142 g

The first (Item T192) is a thin tin cylinder with a removable whisking tool inside.  Stamped on the cylinder is “Patent Applied For Saltsman’s Columbia Egg Beater Albany NY”.  This tool is a combination egg beater, cream whipper and custard mixer.  The only information our research discovered was an advertisement for this tool.  It reads “This does not look like an instrument which will beat an egg in THIRTY SECONDS, but it does.  Not only does it beat an egg, but also beats anything ever introduced for that purpose.”  It can in two sizes:  family and hotel.  The item at Smith’s Tavern is the family size version.

Reference (T192):  Pictures of Saltsman's Columbia Egg Beater

Item T213

Location:	Right Shelves - 2nd
Length:	32 cm
Width:	10 cm
Height:	4 cm
Weight:	373 g

The second (Item T213) is made entirely of metal with an oval loop handle with two straight wires ending in two hinged mixing parts shaped like a spatula.  There is a metal tab running down the wires and by pulling on that the mixing parts move.

Our research has also been unable to discover anything about this item.  If anyone knows anything about this particular device, please email the Historical Society with this much-needed information.

 

Reference (T213):  None

Item None

Location:	Right Shelves - 2nd
Length:	29 cm
Width:	7 cm
Height:	9 cm
Weight:	118 g

The third item does not have an identification number.  It is of all-metal construction starting with a loop handle, a crank wheel gear with wooden handle and three circular whisking blades.  On the outside of the gear wheel is engraved “Dover Pattern Improved”.  The reverse side of the wheel states “Pat Apr 14, 1902” and “Made in the USA”.

Hand-operated rotary egg beaters were invented just before 1860, but at that time it wasn't yet clear what the best design for the job would be.  Different inventors had different ideas for labor-saving ways of whisking eggs.  By the 1880s, mechanical egg beaters were usually the shape currently.  In the US, they were called Dover egg beaters after being popularized by the Dover Stamping Company. By the 1890s, the "Dover" egg beater was well-established in the US and was often mentioned in recipes and ads.  Between 1870 and 1890, Dover made 4 million egg beaters.  There were three versions:  family size, extra family size and hotel size; the version at Smith’s Tavern is family size.

 

Reference (No ID):  http://supernovaantiques.com/dover-pattern-improved-egg-beater