Aluminum Pitcher
notes: label: Description
content: By the late 1950s, American manufacturers and retailers were promoting new tools, clothes, furniture, and serving ware to go along with grilled meals on the patio. The set of serving ware, including an anodized aluminum tray, 9 tumblers, and pitcher, and 4 wicker holders, was a common fixture of the 1960s backyard or patio culture established in the U.S. in the 1950s. These “glasses” were among the most common and ubiquitous of the specialized tools for the new life in the outdoors. Many were giveaways given along with or filled with a desirable foodstuff or awarded for coupons in grocery store giveaways.
label: Description
content: Anodized aluminum tumblers were commonly used for serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at backyard cookouts. The anodizing process increased the thickness of the oxide layer on metallic parts, making the popular serving ware unbreakable, rust-resistant, and colorful—perfect for outdoor gatherings.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Food Culture
label: Subject
content: Drinking
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Food
label: See more items in
content: FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2012.0125.01
label: accession number
content: 2012.0125
label: catalog number
content: 2012.0125.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: aluminum tumbler set
label: Object Name
content: drinking set
label: Object Name
content: drink ware
label: Object Name
content: pitcher
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: aluminum (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/4 in x 8 in x 5 1/2 in; 20.955 cm x 20.32 cm x 13.97 cm