An American Artillery Shell Cocktail Shaker attributed to Gorham Manufacturing Co., circa 1918

Modeled after a World War I artillery shell, the body nickel-plated brass with copper and brass accents, monogrammed ECL, impressed 01070 to underside.

(H: 10, W: 6 1/2 in.)

Provenance

The Charles J. McManus Jr. Collection.
Thence by descent.

Charles J. McManus Jr. (1922-2011) was noted interior designer and a passionate collector of antiques with a particular interest in the unusual and unexpected. As an interior designer, McManus worked on several important commissions in his birthplace of Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia Club and the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. He acquired pieces for his own collection during his extensive travels throughout the Mediterranean and Caribbean, where he owned a former sugar plantation in Antigua. His style of entertainment was widely admired as he hosted elaborate parties in his home, the former French Consulate in Philadelphia. The New York Times Magazine detailed one such cocktail party, and McManus described his goal for his collection as: “creating a mood, a feeling of warmth and otherworldliness,” for others to enjoy.

Note

This example is similar to a model by Gorham designed after an 18-pound shrapnel shell, though has an added handle, spout, and altered base. For a related example, see Indiana Museum of Art, 2018.199A-D.

Minor surface wear to exterior, with some impressions and surface scratches and age-related spotting present. The cap of the spout does not stay attached to spout - the cork to the interior of the spout decayed. Polish residue present.