Copper Barrel

Q:         I’m trying to find information about my old copper barrel. It’s stamped “Lippincott, 8 gal.” and “916 Filbert St.” It also has an eagle on it and the abbreviation “Phila.” Can you tell me who made the barrel and how old it might be?

A:         Several members of the Lippincott family ran a business at this Filbert Street address from 1832 until about 1911. John and Charles Lippincott of Philadelphia made special copper machinery before expanding into the production of soda water, syrups and equipment for carbonating water. Charles took over the business from John, his older brother, in 1865. He made ornate soda fountains with multiple spigots for different flavors. Charles Lippincott & Co. joined with three other companies to form the American Soda Fountain Co., a trust designed to monopolize soda fountain manufacturing, in 1891. When Charles retired, his sons A.H. and F.H. Lippincott took over the business. They withdrew from the American Soda Fountain Co. in 1907 and moved to a different address in about 1911. By 1916 the company was no longer making soda fountains. Your copper bucket was made before 1911.