60/29

This earthenware cream pot, for storing cream, was issued by the British Dairy Farmers’ Association for the submission of cream samples exhibited in the Association’s shows. The pot has a reddish-brown glaze on the inside and outside. It was used at the University of Reading’s Department of Dairying from the end of the nineteenth century until 1918.

1 cream jar: glazed earthenware; good condition

MERL miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 25 January 2013 – Objects 60/22–60/31 were all used by the ‘Department of Dairying’ at the University of Reading. The name of the department has changed several times over the years, as has its location. It began as the British Dairy Institute in 1888, and was based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, until 1908. It later became the Department of Dairying and was based at the Shinfield Estate in Reading, which was purchased by the University in 1921. In 1982 it became the Dairy Unit of the Department of Food Sciences on the Whiteknights Campus in Reading. See ’The University of Reading, Department of Dairying, the history of an unusual university department over its first hundred years’ by James Rothwell for full details. A memo from Margaret Fuller at MERL to Miss A. Sheppard at the Department of Dairying in 1960 asks whether the three curd breakers (60/24/1–3), a wooden skimmer (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘butter scoop’) (60/25) and a large coopered item (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘Cheshire cheese mould’) (60/23) were used in the Department. Miss Sheppard has annotated that ‘all were used in the department when at Aylesbury between 1888–1908’., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: … // Accession number: … // Classification: … // Negative number: … // Acquisition method: … // Acquired from: … // Date: … // Store: … // Condition: … // Recorder: KCS // Date: 22/3/94 // Description: A vase shaped cream jar with a rim at the top and bottom. Two indented rings run around the jar approx. 4cm from the top. The jar is made of earthenware glazed dark reddish brown on the inside and outside. // Dimensions: Height 12.3cm. Diameter at top 13.1cm. Diameter at bottom 8.4cm. // Associated information: For storing cream. Issued by the B.D.F.A. for submission of cream samples exhibited in the Association’s Shows. Used from the end of the nineteenth century until 1918. // References: …’, MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – 'User: Dept. Dairying University of Reading'

1875-01-01 - 1899-12-31

Late-nineteenth century

Ceramic, earthenware, Glaze

Fired, Glazed

British Dairy Farmers' Association (Corporate Body)