Calabash Bottle, 1850-1855

Glass factories in America began producing inexpensive, mold-formed flasks in the early 1800s. These figured flasks often were decorated with symbols of national pride. Other flasks, like this one, contain images of foreign newsmakers. Many Americans embraced Louis Kossuth, a mid-century Hungarian patriot and revolutionist. Kossuth arrived in the U. S. in 1851 after a failed attempt to set up a democratic Hungarian state.