A rare and wonderful piece of New York City history, a circa 1890s heavy silver plated cocktail measure/pourer from the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City!
This little cocktail pourer is from the second iteration of Madison Square Garden, open from 1890 to 1925. Madison Square Garden had previously been an open air style arena, this is the first iteration that featured indoor events, along with a rooftop restaurant and garden.
This era of Madison Square Garden has been featured in a number of classic books and movies, including the 1920s film The Great White Way, 1930s film Madison Square Garden, the novel and film Ragtime. One of the first trials to catch national tabloid attention and be considered a Trial of The Century happened in the rooftop restaurant of this Madison Square Garden, when the architect of the garden, Stanford White, who kept a private apartment there, was murdered by the husband of a woman he had assaulted years before, Evelyn Nesbitt. If you're interested in more about this trial and the lives of the important figures in it, "American Eve" and "The Architect of Desire" are both excellent books.
Despite hosting the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the first indoor football event, the World Series of Football, and numerous popular boxing matches, The Garden never really did make money. The building was massive and in almost constant need of repair and upkeep. Eventually, the insurance company that held the mortgage decided to tear it down and build their own headquarters on the spot. It was torn down in 1925 to make way for the New York Life building, which remains one of New York City's most iconic skyscrapers. This was the last time Madison Square Garden would actually be located at Madison Square, it moved two more times before finding its current location in Midtown.
In excellent condition for its age, no big dents or damage, just the usual small marks and signs of use you would expect from old hotel silver that was used daily. It has polished up beautifully! Marked on the base with Reed and Barton marks and "The Madison Square." This is a truly unique piece of New York City history, it is only the second piece of silver we've ever found from the old Madison Square Garden restaurant!
Measures approximately 4.75 inches tall by 6 inches long along the handle, the markings inside indicate it holds four 2 ounce cocktail servings (9 ounce capacity if filled all the way to the brim).
The final three images are postcards and a photograph I came across while researching this piece, they are shown for historical context only and are not included with your purchase of this item.
