The Victorian-era Soda Fountain

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Photograph of “The Court,” a soda fountain in Fort Wayne, Indiana. From Fort Wayne Illustrated, published 1897.

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My most recent post was all about Ice Cream Sodas, contemporary and late-Victorian. How they were made just might surprise you! Though some inventions (see the patents within that article) required no soda fountain at all, ice cream soda waters were quite inseparable from The Victorian-era Soda Fountain.

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THE SODA FOUNTAIN

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Apparently, (as the article below states in multiple ways) keeping insects out of a guest’s soda water is a premium selling point. Note the “Jet Attachment” (apparently the faucet protruding from the upper portion).

I’m not sure what the “attachment” is, when referenced with the PRICE $35.00 (just above the J.C. Wharton & Co [Patentees], Druggists line at the bottom of clipping).

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Nashville Union and American of Nashville, Tennessee on May 1, 1869.

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What cost $35.00 in 1869 would cost $640.44 in 2016.

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~ The West Egg Inflation Calculator

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Black and white vintage photograph: typical soda fountain of the 1880s in Vancouver, British Columbia. Image Courtesy of Pinterest.

Typical soda fountain of the 1880s in Vancouver, British Columbia. Image: Courtesy of Pinterest.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Black and white vintage photograph: Soda fountain with soda men behind the bar. Image Courtesy of Pinterest.

(One of) 33 Rare Photos Show American Stores from the Late 19th Century. Image: Courtesy of Pinterest.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Black and white vintage photograph: Worker pouring soda for a customer, circa 1890. Image Courtesy of Pinterest.

Worker Pouring Soda for Customer, ca 1890. Image: Courtesy of Pinterest.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Black and white vintage photograph: Soda Fountain inside Vogelsang's Drugstore, 1895, Chicago. Image Courtesy of Pinterest.

Soda Fountain inside Vogelsang’s Drugstore, 1895 Chicago. Image: Courtesy of Pinterest.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Artist's rendition (Victorian etching) of "Saxe's Canopy Top Apparatus (soda fountain)." Illustration appears in the 1894 (10th edition) of Saxe's New Guide -or- Hints to Soda Water Dispensers.

“Saxe’s Canopy Top Apparatus.” Illustration appears in the 1894 (10th edition) of Saxe’s New Guide -or- Hints to Soda Water Dispensers. As a dispenser (essentially a bar tender for soda fountains), DeForest W. Saxe had been in the business for 17 years at that time (beginning ca. 1877).

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Portable soda fountains advertised in The Recorder-Tribune of Holton, Kansas. June 10, 1875.

Portable soda fountains advertised in The Recorder-Tribune of Holton, Kansas on June 10, 1875.

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aWhat cost $40 in 1875 would cost $887.58 in 2016.

bWhat cost $50.00 in 1875 would cost $1109.47 in 2016.

cWhat cost $75.00 in 1875 would cost $1664.21 in 2016.

dWhat cost $100.00 in 1875 would cost $2218.95 in 2016.

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~ The West Egg Inflation Calculator

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. The Corinth, one of many offerings in John Matthew's 1882 soda fountain catalog. Image: Pinterest.

The Corinth, one of many offerings in John Matthew’s 1882 soda fountain catalog. Image: Courtesy of Pinterest.

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The Soda Fountain: AN AMERICAN INVENTION, ON DISPLAY

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DOW’S ICE CREAM SODA FOUNTAIN

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Paris World Exhibition, 1867

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The Ice Cream Soda Fountain seems to have been uniquely American. Soda Fountains put its own special stamp on history at the World Exhibition held in Paris. “The American Restaurant” at the Exhibition had opened by mid-May 1867, and a lengthy article appeared in the Chicago Tribune on May 19, 1867.

The following snip is one paragraph from that lengthy article, mentioning the astounded reaction Europeans gave Dow’s ice cream soda fountain.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. One paragraph of a lengthy article about the Paris International/Universal Exhibition, published in Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois. May 19, 1867.

One paragraph of a lengthy article about the Paris International/Universal Exhibition, published in Chicago Tribune of Chicago, Illinois, on May 19, 1867.

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According to a publication titled Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Paris Universal Exhibition, Volume 5 (found on page 6):

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Dow's Fountain at Paris Exhibition, a success, espeiclaly Dow's patents for shaved ice. From Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Paris Universal Exhibition, Volume 5, page 6.

Dows’ Fountain at Paris Exhibition, a success, especially Dow’s patents for shaved ice. Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Paris Universal Exhibition, Volume 5, page 6.

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In 1861 and 1863, Dows had already created “new and improved” patented ice-cutter and ice-crushing machines.”

“…The nature of my invention consists in an apparatus whereby I effect the cooling of soda, sirups [sic], and cream and facilitate the keeping and admixture of them.” ~ U.S. Patent No. 33,880.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Dow's Patent Ice Crusher, patented December 10, 1861. U.S. Patent No. 33,880, vintage illustration.

Patent. G.D. Dows, Soda Appratus and ice-cutter. Cools soda, sirups and cream, facilitates mixture. Patented December 10, 1861. US33880-0. Patent Image courtesy of Google.

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In 1863, Gustavus D. Dows applied for and received a reissue for his 1861 patent (No 33,880), pictured above. His lengthy explanation of updates includes:

chest now large enough to contain any desired number of surup-vessels [sic],
a cream-chest,
and an ice receptacle or chamber, all arranged in a convenient manner.
Pipes leading from the soda fountain passes through the ice reservoir to keep a considerable length of that pipe cooled.
Each of the sirup [sic] jars or vessels were provided with an eduction-pipe.

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Talk about an inventive American!

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Dow's Patent Ice Crusher, patent reissue April 28, 1863. U.S. Reissue Patent No. 146200, vintage illustration.

Dow’s Patent, reissued in 1863. Part 1 of 2. USRE1462-0. Patent Image courtesy of Google.

Dow’s Patent reissue 1863, ice crusher. Part 2 of 2. USRE1462-0. Patent Image courtesy of Google.

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MORE UNITED STATES SODA FOUNTAIN PATENTS

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Parisian Antoine Piccaluga invented certain improvements and qualified for a United States Patent (Patent No. 120,531, patent date: October 31, 1871). “Improvement in Apparatus for manufacturing Iced Cream and Soda Water” [sic].

Note the choice of “Iced Cream.”

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Piccaluga Patent, 1871. Improvement in Apparatus for manufactirng Iced Cream and Soda Water. Patent Image, Google. Part 1 of 3.

1 of 3: Piccaluga Patent 1871. Improvement in Apparatus for manufacturing Iced Cream and Soda Water. Patent image, courtesy of Google.

2 of 3: Piccaluga Patent 1871. Improvement in Apparatus for manufacturing Iced Cream and Soda Water. Patent image, courtesy of Google.

3 of 3: Piccaluga Patent 1871. Improvement in Apparatus for manufacturing Iced Cream and Soda Water. Patent image: Courtesy of Google.

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Van Riper’s and F.E. Kip’s Patent, 1884, for specific improvements in soda fountain design. The text of the patent provides precise information and references the diagram with lettered figures. Some details were “new” and some previously created. This tech-heavy description provides understanding about how the soda fountain worked. Specifically, how levers caused sodawater [sic] and various flavored sirups [sic] to combine in the drinking glass.

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Van Riper Patent, 1884, Soda Fountain. Image: Google. 1 of 2.

Van Riper Patent 1884. Soda Fountain. 1 of 2. Patent image: Courtesy of Google.

Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Van Riper Patent, 1884, Soda Fountain. Image: Google. 2 of 2.

Van Riper Patent 1884. Soda Fountain. 2 of 2. Patent image: Courtesy of Google.

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1887 PATENT SODA WATER DISPENSING APPARATUS

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. US Patent No. 655782-0 for Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus, 1900. Image: Google. 1 of 3.

1 of 3: Patent Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus. Year 1900. US Patent No. 655782-0. Patent Image: Courtesy of Google.

Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. US Patent No. 655782-0 for Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus, 1900. Image: Google. 2 of 3.

2 of 3: Patent Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus. Year 1900. US655782-0

Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. US Patent No. 655782-0 for Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus, 1900. Image: Google. 3 of 3.

3 of 3: Patent Soda Water Dispensing Apparatus Year 1900. Patent Image: Courtesy of Google.

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One more patent arose from the Soda Fountain craze in Victorian America:

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. P. Marx's Spoon Patent, awarded May 21, 1901. U.S. Patent No 674,446. Image: Google.

On March 12, 1900, P. Marx applied for a Spoon Patent, awarded on May 21, 1901, U.S. patent No. 674,446. Note the spoon is also a straw. The written statement accompanying the image specifies that these fancy new spoon-straws are designed for sipping ice cream sodas.

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SODA FOUNTAINS HAVE COME A LONG WAY!

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Kristin Holt | The Victorian-era Soda Fountain. Image: Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine Ad. Essentailly a customer-operated Soda Fountain, 21st-century style.

Coca-Cola FreestyleÂ® Machine Advertisement. Essentially, a customer-operated Soda Fountain, 21st-Century Style. Combine syrups, soda water, and fill your (wax-coated paper) glass with your choice of “soda waters”. Image: courtesy of Twitter.

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