Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Mustache Cup Saga Continues . . . Sort Of

My post(s) on invalid mustache cups keep(s) paying dividends.  Yesterday, as I was looking through photographs while working on a different post on another subject, I chanced across a picture of my mother, Mummy Darling, that my dear brother Frecky sent me several weeks ago.  Taken in the 1940s when my mother was in her twenties, the photograph shows several shaving mugs displayed on the shelves behind her.  These are, I believe, the very ones that my sister Camilla referred to in her comments to my last post on the subject of invalid mustache cups.  What a funny coincidence, I thought.

Mummy Darling in her early twenties

Supposedly, the mugs in the photograph, which I recognize from when I was a child, once belonged to MD's grandfather (her mother's father).  He is shown sporting a rather impressive mustache in this cabinet photograph, from 1888, also sent to me by Frecky:

My mustachioed great-grandfather

Frecky reminded me after reading my last post that he had sent me the photograph of our great-grandfather and suggested that our handsome ancestor's mustache would rank well amongst those that I featured in my post(s) on invalid mustache cups.  And for that I am grateful, and I share the photograph herewith for my readers' edification.

Now, the mugs shown in MD's photograph do not appear to me to be mustache cups, as Camilla recalls, but rather shaving mugs, and similar to the one I inherited from MD that was once part of her collection.  I still do not recall ever seeing a mustache cup before purchasing the one that came with the Paris porcelain part-service we acquired several weeks ago.  But, who knows?  As I said, MD inherited rather a lot of Paris porcelain from her grandparents, and it is possible that a mustache cup, in addition to shaving mugs, was included in the china she got from them.  I just don't recall seeing one.

By the way, it was through this great-grandfather that I am related to my great-great-uncle Augustus Bertram Coolidge, whose silver I inherited.  The letter 'C' engraved on the silver is identical to the one painted on the china we bought that precipitated this series, pictured in the original post.

And with this, I believe I have exhausted the topic of invalid mustache cups in its entirety.  At least Boy hopes so, as he tells me he now knows more about this arcane subject and its peripheral connection to my family than he cares to.

13 comments:

  1. This has nothing to do with mustache cups, but I do love looking at old photographs and people's family histories. Thanks for posting!

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  2. terrific! I feel a collection coming on-and mustachios. Gaye

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  3. I linked to your blog in my mustache post!

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  4. I love that picture of your mother! She looks like so much fun.

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  5. As arcane as it may be but I enjoyed your posts
    very much! Well done, Reggie Darling.
    barG

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  6. What doesn't show in the photo of our great-grandfather is that his eyes were two different colors - one grey and the other hazel/green, I believe.

    Hermione

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  7. And these are not the cups I remember as mustache cups. At least one had somewhat flowery purple and gold decoration with the mustache protector lower than the lip of the cup. The protector had a slight wall protruding upward to keep the liquid from spilling onto the mustache when the cup was tilted towards the drinker. MD told me it was a mustache cup.
    And, the stripes on the shaving mug hanging behind MD were a lovely shade of blue.

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  8. Reggie, maybe this is a message. Is a mustache in order?

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  9. Reggie, have you noticed the uncanny resemblance between your great-grandfather and the sometime-mustachioed actor Jude Law?!

    Greek girl

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  10. Willow: Thank you, I enjoyed reading your post, and appreciate the link.

    Patsy: I believe that you and MD share the same name, so I am not surprised you thought she looks fun. And she was . . . most of the time.

    Hermione: I recall MD saying that one eye was blue and the other one was brown; the contrast was more apparent in a studio portrait that MD had of him taken when he was much older. Frecky might have it.

    Sister: Your memory is sharper than mine. I do vaguely remember the purple and gilt decorated cup, based on your description. And yes, the stripes on the shaving mug shown hanging behind MD were a handsome cadet blue, if I recall correctly.

    DD: Tried it once years ago, it was not a success . . .

    Greek Girl: I hadn't, until you brought it to my attention, for which I am grateful. Stay tuned for a follow-on post. Thank you for commenting, and do please come back from time to time.

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  11. An Ode To Reggie: Thank you, I now have a wider eye open for antique porcelain with fanciful functional perforations; indeed have just opened a wide eye to this swell 1800 Wedgewood "food warming set" @ Boxwood Terrace Blog, said to be w/ Skinner Inc. auction house: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u8AfKxwKmeU/TDXCF4zqN5I/AAAAAAAABPM/Prj19F8B_Sw/s1600/food+warmer.jpg

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  12. Thanks for the post. I had been looking for something related and found your web site in the process.I will definitely be back for more.

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  13. What a excellent post ? That's really lovely blog .

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