Possible 19th Century Lipstick Tube ??? Saw one on here awhile back .

[Kmaster8]

Ok I saw a post recently I could not find today, maybe really old IDK. But anyway a guy had this on there thinking it was some sort of possible shotgun shell. Here is that exact same type of item that I found. I do believe it to be a lipstick holder. It is brass and about 2 5/8 inches long and a fraction smaller round than a penny. Mine has a tiny decorative S on the end cap of it, where as the one I saw on here had a larger B on the end cap. Either way if anyone else remembers seeing the post or knows of the postee, please let him know it does come apart, he was thinking it was a solid one piece find. Still a great little piece !!! Thanks to anyone who may have more info on this sweet find !

 

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[surf]

Hello K,

Welcome to TNet, and thanks for showing us your lipstick tube. Though "lipstick" is quite old, the applicator tube did not come along until the early 20th Century:

"By 1915, lipstick was sold in cylinder metal containers, which had been invented by Maurice Levy. Women had to slide a tiny lever at the side of the tube with the edge of their fingernail to move the lipstick up to the top of the case.[14] In 1923, the first swivel-up tube was patented by James Bruce Mason Jr. in Nashville, Tennessee. As women started to wear lipstick for photographs, photography made lipstick acceptable among women.[11] Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder began selling lipstick in their salons." Lipstick

The History of Lipstick ​

 

[Kmaster8]

It doesn't appear that this cap would turn at all to swivel the lipstick out. It seems that when you pulled it apart, that what ever was sticking out was what you had to work with. Not sure , but thanks for the reply and helpful information.

 

[surf]

It doesn't appear that this cap would turn at all to swivel the lipstick out. It seems that when you pulled it apart, that what ever was sticking out was what you had to work with.

Hey K,

I don't believe you to be a lipstick user, but that would be a heck of a waste of a tube full of lipstick. The knurled base was meant to turn, and dispense the lipstick. Here's Mason's original patent:

​

"A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which includes readily operable means for movably supporting a lip stick or the like in respect to a casing, whereby the lip stick can be instantly projected from the casing for use and as quickly moved to retracted position in the casing." https://www.google.com/patents/US1470994

 

[Randy769]

Surf told me that this was probably a lipstick case

 

[Kmaster8]

After further research it is a confirmed 1950's era lipstick case ! Thanks for the info and checking out my pics , TN people are the coolest of coarse !

 

[Kmaster8]

Thanks Surf and Randy !!!