Antique shot glasses?

[Norm Matthews]

I have three small measuring glasses that I found in antique stores.  The smallest one may be little smaller than a shot glass and the other two are not a lot bigger. Each measures have 4 teaspoons equal 1 Tablespoon.  Does anyone know if a teaspoon size at some time in the past changed from  4 to 3  or are/do these measurements have some other application?  

Edited July 15, 2023 by Norm Matthews (log)

[DesertTinker]

59 minutes ago, Norm Matthews said:

I have three small measuring glasses that I found in antique stores.  The smallest one may be little smaller than a shot glass and the other two are not a lot bigger. Each measures have 4 teaspoons equal 1 Tablespoon.  Does anyone know if a teaspoon size at some time in the past changed from  4 to 3  or are/do these measurements have some other application?  

Search “Australian tablespoon”. Apparently they use a different standard. From Wikipedia 

The Australian definition of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:^[11]

1 Australian tablespoon	= 20 ml
	≈  2 /3 fl oz
	= 2 dessertspoons,	1 dessertspoon=	10 ml each
	= 4 teaspoons,	1 teaspoon =	5 ml each

Edited July 15, 2023 by DesertTinker
Added info (log)

[pastrygirl]

looks like they are medicine* measuring glasses, but that doesn't necessarily explain the tsps to TB discrepancy ...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-original-BAUER-BLACK-etched-medicine-or-DOSE-GLASS-still-in-ORIGINAL-BOX-/390932815805

 

*of course, some people consider whisky to be medicine so I guess it's a shot glass after all

 

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

Interesting. I'll have to take a look at some of my old cups/glasses to see if they are marked similarly.

[AlaMoi]

Bauer & Black was a pre-cursor of Kendall - and did indeed have operations in Australia - where 1T=4t . . .

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by AlaMoi (log)

[Norm Matthews]

I actually have two more of these glasses and didn't include pictures because I couldn't get clear images of them but now that you all have given me a medical connection I took a closer look at them, I noticed printing on one of the glasses says Livitamins Liquid Capsules  and it is from  S.E. Massengill Co. which turns out to be a pharmaceutical company founded in 1898.  The other one is more of a beaker than a jigger shape. On the bottom it says Jas. H. Smith & C. Chicago.  It was a 1872 Photographic firm and darkroom equipment is listed among the items they sold, so that would have a chemical connection.  So it seems that these were not kitchen items after all.   Maybe now I know enough to do some more looking to find the 2 teaspoons to a tablespoon reason.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Norm Matthews]

I think I found the explanation. It gets frustrating to ask google about why or when or for what purpose 2 tsp once equaled 1 tbs. It keeps looping back to tell me I'm wrong. But I found this:  The apothecary system of measurement is an outdated system of measurement previously used in medicine and science.  Unlike the household and avoirdupois systems, the pound in the apothecary system is based on 12 ounces…. In general, use of the apothecary system is discouraged in pharmacy practice today because of safety concerns and inaccuracies.

[Duvel]

I don’t understand where you take the 1 Tbs = 2 tsp equivalent from. From what I see (at least on the left glass), it says 1 Tbs = 4 tsp (the “one”being on the very left). From there it counts up. So only the first Tbs is divided into 4 tsp. The little “2” on the right side of the bracket reads - with the “one” above as “1/2” to me, which in turn is 2 tsp …

 

I think one could easily verify by filling water up to the different measures and weight the whole thing …

Edited July 15, 2023 by Duvel (log)

[Norm Matthews]

On 7/15/2023 at 12:32 PM, Duvel said:

I don’t understand where you take the 1 Tbs = 2 tsp equivalent from. From what I see (at least on the left glass), it says 1 Tbs = 4 tsp (the “one”being on the very left). From there it counts up. So only the first Tbs is divided into 4 tsp. The little “2” on the right side of the bracket reads - with the “one” above as “1/2” to me, which in turn is 2 tsp …

 

I think one could easily verify by filling water up to the different measures and weight the whole thing …

 

You are correct.  After I looked into it some more, this system does use 4 tsp to 1 Tbs.  There must be some other answer.

[heidih]

Dumb question - was the tsp measure different - maybe it balances out?

[Norm Matthews]

         Man do I feel silly.  All of these glasses measure 4 tsp per Tablespoon but the smallest one had a dessert spoon equaling two teaspoons.  I must have looked at it and thought it was a tablespoon then assumed they all were the same. When the glass is turned to see the two next to the mark, the dessert spoon marking is turned away so I couldn't see it.  You know what they say when you assume.  ass u me

Edited July 16, 2023 by Norm Matthews (log)

[heidih]

We are laughing with you NOT at you;)

[blue_dolphin]

22 minutes ago, Norm Matthews said:

 

You are correct.  After I looked into it some more, this system does use 4 tsp to 1 Tbs.  There must be some other answer.

Could be hard to track down exactly as household measurements were barely being standardized in the late 1800s.  This publication, Correct administration aid for oral liquid medicines: Is a household spoon the right choice? says

Quote

The American Pharmaceutical Association in 1902 and American Medical Association in 1903 defined the “standard teaspoonful” as 5 mL

which suggests there may have been other equivalents in use prior to then which seems to be the age of your glasses. Unfortunately, the online version of the reference they cited for that seems like it might be the wrong page or something so I wasn’t able to get anything further. 
 

They are an interesting little collection though!

[Norm Matthews]

29 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Could be hard to track down exactly as household measurements were barely being standardized in the late 1800s.  This publication, Correct administration aid for oral liquid medicines: Is a household spoon the right choice? says

which suggests there may have been other equivalents in use prior to then which seems to be the age of your glasses. Unfortunately, the online version of the reference they cited for that seems like it might be the wrong page or something so I wasn’t able to get anything further. 
 

They are an interesting little collection though!

I think its figured out now but you are right about standardized measurements.  I've read or someone told me that In the old west, shot glasses were not standardized for quite a while, nor were whiskey glasses.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Norm Matthews (log)

[TdeV]

3 minutes ago, Norm Matthews said:

I think its figured out now but you are right about standardized measurements.

ve read or someone told me that In the old west, shot glasses were not standardized for quite a while, nor were whiskey glasses.

 

Makes perfect sense.