Sterling Silver and Other Metal Roundlet Corkscrew, Gorham Manufacturing Company, Providence, RI, Late 19th Century
SOLD
Hand engraved "HJJ".
The Reverend Samuel Henshall received the world's first patent for a corkscrew on August 24, 1795. He collaborated with renowned manufacturer, Mathew Boulton of Birmingham, England, to bring it into mass production. His design differed from others in use by its concave disk between the handle and worm, preventing the user from screwing too deep into the cork. It also forced the cork to turn once that limit had been reached, thus breaking the seal between the cork and glass.
This form is known as a roundlet, which is a variant of an eighteenth-century form called a Brummel. The handle unscrews to encapsulate the worm or screw section for ease of travel.
3 1/4" width of handle, 3 1/8" height from tip of worm (screw) to top of handle.
