One of our recent projects in the Collections Department has involved processing a new acquisition of pre-prohibition era whiskey jugs. We’ve enjoyed researching Kentucky’s oldest distillers and whiskey wholesalers who established the foundation of our thriving Bourbon industry and made the historic Whiskey Row the bustling tourist hotspot it is today.

If you’ve been to our social platforms, you’ll have seen a few examples of the advertising jugs that we have worked to photograph just in time for National Bourbon Heritage Month! With the month of all things Bourbon coming to a close, here’s a little glimpse into what goes on behind-the-scenes to share artifacts from our permanent collection with you.

Look how tiny!

I have to say, it was extra fun to photograph this collection because many of the whiskey jugs were miniature! Companies would produce large quantities and market them as souvenirs to increase name recognition and promote their brands. Unlike a business card you would keep in your wallet today, these business advertisements were quality objects meant for display or perhaps to give as a gift.

Once I was finished photographing with our pop-up photo studio, all the mini jugs went back into their respective compartments for safe storage in our cabinets. No danger of knocking into one another here!

Below you’ll see a few examples of the whiskey jugs (and the end product of our photography!) that date from the mid-1800s until around 1919, when prohibition shut down many operations for good.

To learn more about the history of Kentucky’s Bourbon industry, visit https://www.fraziermuseum.org/bourbon-history-collection where we update with new researching findings regularly. If you’d like to contribute your knowledge to our ongoing efforts, please contact us using the form on our Collections Highlights page.

-Hayley Rankin, Manager of Collection Impact