Name/TitleEgg Beater - Plunger
About this objectA fully detachable metal plunger, one component of a ‘Gourmet Egg Beater’. This object exactly fits the dimensions of a corresponding earthenware jar. Together, this plunger and the jar were used by both the mother and grandmother of the donor - the latter of which died in 1917. It was used at Clacton-on-Sea, pre-WWII.
Richard Hall, Research Volunteer:
Our Egg Beater was manufactured and sold by the Gourmet Company of London who were trading in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. It was a practical and welcome addition to the kitchen, as our records testify; although it was certainly not the only solution. In 1884, Willis Johnson, an American inventor, patented the first rotary egg beater. This used a geared wheel, driven by turning a handle, to turn two opposing beaters, and was set to become the standard design for all subsequent egg beaters.
Innovation and creativity were essential to satisfy the demands of the Victorian and Edwardian home kitchen. The 19th Century was a period of huge change in British society, driven by industrialisation, technical innovation and resources from the empire. This boom in industrialism led to changing expectations and a rise of a professional middle class eager to take advantage of the new freedoms presented by invention. These changes were witnessed in most area of domestic life too with new labour-saving devices and gadgets appearing in kitchens and sculleries throughout the country.
MakerGourmet & Co. Ltd.
Maker RoleManufacturer
Medium and MaterialsMetal.
MeasurementsHeight: 27.2 cm
Diam: 7.3 cm
Object numberSTMEA:77.A.58.1b
Copyright Licence
Attribution - Non-commercial (cc)
