Mid-Atlantic Jars (1806-1850) Maryland & Virginia

Soon after the turn of the 19th century, oyster jars started to be produced in the Mid-Atlantic including Baltimore, MD and Alexandria, VA fronting the massive Chesapeake estuary where oysters were plentiful. The form of the earliest (circa 1806) of these is not known for sure, but is believed to mirror the earlier versions produced in Manhattan. This style could have been imported to the region by captains traveling down the coast into ports like Charleston or may have been a case of parallel evolution. The first mention of these jars was an advertisement placed in the Alexandria Daily Advertiser of February 4, 1806 (below). The interesting thing about this advertisement is that it refers to jars of “different sizes” eluding to two or more types.