Vintage Sour Cream & Cottage Cheese Glasses

History

Food and beverage companies began offering products in re-usable, glass packaging during the first part of the 20th century. The packages were typically made from either clear glass or solid, colored glass. At the end of WWII glass companies, along with multiple food item processing companies, were transitioning back to pre-war item production and eager for new ideas to increase profits.

Screen printing was still rather new but on an upward trend so it was natural for food companies to call upon glass houses for colored, patterned glassware for packaging.

Swankyswig Inspiration

Hazel Atlas Glass Company was the leader among glass houses in patterned glass production. Production of Swankyswigs for Kraft began in the 1920s and by the end of the 1940s, was in its’ heydey. So, the expansion to manufacturing glass packaging for other, popular dairy companies was an easy transition.

Product packaging features bold, colorful eye catching designs and patterns. The goal was to entice consumers to purchase particular products by offering re-usable packaging that was pleasing enough for every day household use.Well known dairy companies like Penn Maid and Breakstone’s followed the trend started by Kraft and started selling sour cream and cottage cheese (Seal test) in premium, re-usable glasses/tumblers.

Fire-King-Cottage Cheese Bowl-SealTest-Green Tulip

Cottage Cheese Glasses

Cottage cheese manufacturers used 16-18 ounce Hazel Atlas tumblers with red, plastic lids or tin lids <not frequently found>. According to The Hazel Atlas Glass Identification and Value Guide by Gene & Cathy Florence, cottage cheese containers are found in the following patterns:

• Mexican Scene
• Small Pagoda
• Large Pagoda
• Pennsylvania Dutch
• Antique Coal Bucket
• Kitchen Aids

Sour Cream Glasses

Sour cream was packaged in a large assortment of patterned 1/2 pint or 1 pint glass containers. Barbara E. Mauzy, author of a popular collectors guide, Sour Cream Glasses, states in her book that:

“…sour cream in usable glasses was so successful it continued until 1991 long after most food items were only available in plastics.”

Modern Day Collectibles 

Modern day collectors of vintage glassware tumblers are often drawn to sour cream glasses because of the various patterns and assortment of differing colors within each pattern set. Who doesn’t desire completing a full set of anything? Sour cream glasses are available in numerous patterns and I recommend purchasing Barbara E. Mauzy’s book Sour Cream Glasses for more information. The following patterns are available to browse or purchase at RetroReclaimations.com. Simply click on the pattern name to browse or shop. The patterns listed below are NOT an exhaustive list of what is available elsewhere. Hazel Atlas manufactured such a wide variety, over so many decades, that you will find it far easier to browse the aforementioned book.

• Stylized Rose (1950s)
• Ivy (1950s)
• Wheat (1940s)
• Love Daisies (1960s-70s)
• Pinwheels (1960s-70s)
• Daisies (1970s)
• Lace (1960s)
• Triple Diamond (1950s)
• Polka Dots w/Bands (1960s-70s)
• Regional Theme: Philadelphia (1976)
• Transportation: Stagecoach (1970s)

Hazel Atlas-Wheat Patterns blue & yellow-1/2 pint

Hazel Atlas-Sour Cream Glasses-Regional Theme-Philly Bicentennial

Prior to 2010, sour cream glasses were readily available at thrifts, fleas, etc. for $.99. In 2011, Martha Stewart published an article on sour cream glasses in her magazine which caused prices to skyrocket. The average price has since dropped. Unfortunately, average cost is still higher than $.99. Depending on color/pattern/size the price for 1/2 pint sour cream glasses runs $4- $10 with 1 pint glasses ranging $7- $15.

Vintage Sour Cream Glasses-Hazel Atlas-Daisy-Orange

Vintage Sour Cream Tumbler-Hazel Atlas-Pink Ivy

“Decorated tumblers” are just as popular as they were 50 years ago. The next time you visit the home of a person belonging to the greatest generation I challenge you to peek in their cupboards. You are certain to come across at least one sour cream or cottage cheese tumbler.

History of Swanky Swigs

​The history of Swanky Swigs began during the first part of the 20th century when James Kraft developed processed cheese spread. Most Americans have heard the term Swanky Swigs and typically apply it to all vintage, decorated tumblers. Through experience with vintage glassware collectors and thorough research I have learned that Swanky Swigs was the title used by Kraft to describe the re-usable glass containers that held Kraft processed cheese spread during the 1930s. Search “swanky swig” in Google and thousands of results pop up but none are dictionary definitions. However, search for each term separately and the results are:

• swanky:  stylishly luxurious and expensive
• swig:  drink in large gulps

Hmmm…

History

When the stock market fell in 1929 and the Depression Era was in full swing, Kraft Foods began an all new marketing plan to sell their cheese spread in re-usable glasses. Swanky Swigs debuted in grocery stores in 1933, a time when “waste not, want not” was more meaningful than ever. Kraft realized American housewives would be drawn to a product offered in a premium/glass re-usable jar. This launched a new marketing strategy for Kraft directed at the typical housewife of the time. The goal: market non-essential, luxury items in a fashion consistent with the national pervading thought that every penny must be used wisely and to make consumers feel guilt free about their purchase. It was simple yet effective.  Empty glass cheese spread jars could be washed out and put to new use as decorated beverage tumblers.

Kraft partnered with the Hazel Atlas Glass Co. to manufacture hand painted glass containers for distribution of Kraft processed cheese spread.  Kraft offered the containers as premiums until the late 1950s when coincidentally the plastic era boomed (☆read post on plastics☆). Hazel Atlas manufactured the majority of glass jar containers on the market. 

Swanky swigs were available in the United States, Canada, and Australia and contained a large variety of Kraft processed food items. Kraft used the phrase “collect them all” in many ads to encourage continued consumer shopping and brand loyalty.

Swanky Swigs Bustlin’ Betsy

 Colors

The silk screen process used by Hazel Atlas after the initial hand painted pattern application used during the first year of production did not afford a large variation in pattern color. Standard colors for all swanky swigs were:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, black, and brown. This is reminiscent of the color rainbow acronym taught in grade school ROYGBIV. I will take an educated guess that as such the standard colors were probably the most simple to create.

Antiques Pattern #1 America

Available  Sizes
In America, there are 3 standard sizes available:

1. 3.50″
2. 3.75″
3. 4.25″

Swanky?

Perhaps the ability to use adorable, often hand painted glass tumblers during the depression was seen as swanky/luxorious. The first pattern, Band 1933, was painted by hand and all future patterns were applied using a silkscreen process. Maybe households that could afford to purchase the products offered in the premiums were better off and had more access to money than other, less fortunate individuals that scraped by with the bare essentials like milk and bread. I can see why one might see the little glass jars that would hold just a few ounces of fluid as a swanky swig:  processed cheese spread was not and is not a necessity thereby viewed as swanky and the small volume of the glasses could be easily downed in one gulp or swig.  

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Buy Vintage Swanky Swigs-Kraft "Kiddie Kup Pattern" Baby Animal Swankyswig 1956

Important Things to Remember 

• NEVER put swanky swigs or any vintage glassware in the dishwasher ♡ color WILL fade and peel
• Know your swanky swig info!! Dealers often lump all vintage decorated tumblers under the umbrella term swanky swig ♡ TRUE swanky swigs contained Kraft Foods product
• RetroReclaimations.com Swanky Swigs Offer
• We offer a nice assortment of Swanky Swigs in the Vintage Glassware Swanky Swig Collection. All can be viewed for curiosity, pleasure, or purchase by clicking this collection.

Do you collect Swanky Swigs? If so, I would enjoy hearing about it! Share your collection story and images via email and use subject line Swanky Swig.

References:

Florence, Gene and Cathy. “The Hazel Atlas Glass Identification and Value Guide”. Collectors Books, 2005.

History.com Staff. “The Great Depression”. History.com. A+E Networks, 2009. Accessed 20 June 2016. http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression

Mink, Michael. “James Kraft Cooked Up New Cheese and A New Market”. Investors Business Daily News. 2014. Accessed 18 June 2016. http://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/james-kraft-founded-kraft-cheese/

“swanky.” American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2011. 22 June 2016 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/swanky

“Swig.” American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2011. 22 June 2016 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/swig

“waste not, want not.” McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2002. 22 June 2016 http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/waste+not%2c+want+not