Artefact of the month 2023 May
Mason Jar
The purpose of the "artifact of the month" series is to present an outstanding artifact to those interested each month, which can be viewed in the exhibitions of the Mór Memorial and Art Exhibition in the Lamberg Castle.
Before the invention of the mason jar, if people had something edible that they didn't want to eat right away, it was dried, salted, or smoked. Sometimes they were placed in a vessel made of clay or glass, which was plugged and then sealed with wax. This is not easy, and on the other hand, it is not always an effective solution.
26-year-old John Landis Mason's invention revolutionized food preservation in 1856. Mason patented the bottle, which bears his name ever since. But he made a huge mistake: he didn't protect the lid and the rubber ring in it even though it made the bottle airtight and waterproof. He only patented these in 1868, but it was too late. In 10 years, everyone produced mason jars. He did not benefit from the income that others obtained from his invention. After some unsuccessful lawsuits and business moves, he retired and died a poor man, in 1902.
After the expiration of the original patent in 1880, the production sped up even more, and the mason jars were sold in several colors and shapes. The big advantage of bottles is that if they don't break, they can be used practically forever. Many people have started to put away the vegetables and fruits grown at home or bought at the market. By the late 1800s, many housewives devoted the last weeks of summer to storing canned goods.
During the Second World War, canning became a propaganda tool, the state encouraged everyone to grow a kitchen garden at home. This boosted the popularity of the mason jar. After the war, people probably got tired of working so much for a little vegetable or fruit, so less and less people cooked at home.
In recent years, the mason jar has entered trendy tableware, for example as a glass. but the pandemic drove them back to their original purpose: many people started gardening as a hobby, health awareness or out of necessity. The mason jar is an example of how, if something is really useful, it remains a part of people's lives for generations, almost unchanged.
The cast mason jars shown in the picture were made with stripe decoration. A gift from Béla Nagy, a resident of Mór. Can be viewed by visitors in the chamber of the German National Landscape House of the Lamberg Castle.