John Mason invented the salt shaker in 1858. Previous to the shaker, salt was served in oval dishes and taken with a spoon. Though Mason began with glass, screw top jars, different materials were used as time went on (check out my wooden collection!).
It wasn't until the 1940s that shakers were mass produced. (See my 40s era Van Tellingen sets!) When mass production took off, this is when many designers got involved in creating unique shakers. There's even a Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Back to the main page...
