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        Delete Resource - “Tapster” for Opening Beer Cans

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        “Tapster” for Opening Beer Cans

        Source

        National Museum of American History

        OBJECT TYPE

        holder, beer can, with lid

        MEASUREMENTS

        overall: 5 1/2 in x 6 1/4 in x 3 in; 13.97 cm x 15.875 cm x 7.62 cm

        DESCRIPTION

        This unusual metal object, shaped like a small pitcher with a lid, becomes even more curious when the lid is raised and a sharp can opener is revealed in the lid’s underside. Called the “Tapster,” this device was made by Revere Copper and Brass, Inc., in Rome, New York, probably around 1934, after the repeal of Prohibition. Although it was never used extensively, the Tapster did offer consumers a somewhat refined way of serving canned beer: a can of beer is placed inside the device and, when the lid is closed, the opener pierces the can. The beer can then be poured out of the spout.

        As its name implies, Revere Copper and Brass was the direct descendant of the company founded by Paul Revere in 1801. Through its long history, the company has manufactured a variety of copper, brass, and stainless steel products. As of 2015, the company is still in business under the name Revere Copper Products, with headquarters in Rome, NY.

        This “Tapster” opener is part of a large collection of brewing material donated to the museum in 1967 by former brewmaster Walter Voigt, of Ruxton, Maryland, near Baltimore. Voigt’s collection consists of objects and archival materials reflecting the history of brewing in the mid-Atlantic region between 1870 and the beginnings of consolidation and large-scale, industrial production in the 1960s. His correspondence reveals an interest in preserving the history of brewing in America before brewmasters were “replaced by chemical engineers and highly trained chemists in modern laboratories.” Voigt’s papers are housed in the museum’s Archives Center, Collection #ACNMAH 1195, “Walter H. Voigt Brewing Industry Collection, 1935-1967.”

        LOCATION

        Currently not on view

        Keywords

        Work and Industry: Food Technology Work Industry & Manufacturing Food Manufacturing industries Industrialization


        Additional Resource Information
        Credit Line : Walter Voigt
        Record Id : nmah_867076
        ID Number : AG.MHI-M-9466 accession number : 276730 catalog number : MHI-M-9466


        Record Information
        The resources in the Smithsonian Learning Lab are contributed by museums, libraries, and archives from across the Smithsonian. We are constantly working to provide improved information for you. If you spot an error or know of an addition to this resource, please contact us and we will pass it on for further research and review.

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