25 Gallon Water Jug/Cooler

[Rhonda Wyatt]

Hello, I have a 25 gallon water jug/cooler with no markings except for the number 25 engraved on it. It is brownish red in color and it looks like it was hand made pottery because of the "grooves" on the inside. I have a wooden spout and a brass spout for it. Where the spout would go at the bottom, the whole has been filled in with a gummy substance. It stands approx 3 ft. tall and has 2 handles made of the same pottery material. My step dad bought it in southern MO. They were tearing down an old restaraunt. There were pictures on the wall with ladies in long dresses like the late 1800's/early 1900's standing beside 2 of these jugs and one had a label that read lemonade, the other read tea. I have tried to find info on this jug and find out the value, but no one seems to know a thing about it. Can anyone out there help me?

[Sinfuldreams]

Big Ol' Brown Bee Hive Jug... most likely made by a larger manufacture for the commercial market. Since it is plain Brown, no embellishments, it was made purely as a utilitarian item. In fantastic condition, it's 25 Gallons most I see are 5 or less. 2 handles is also less common. Bail Lid Top a great cherry to top it off.
A maker would be near impossible to find out. Perhaps a real expert in in area could tell by Type of clay and Color and Glaze etc.. beyond what I could do. It could of been made in the late 1800's and used for years well into the 1900's, or made in the early part of the 1900's... but thinking older.
As to a value well hard to say. On the Low end $400, could go for more depending on many factors.

[Sinfuldreams]

[Sinfuldreams]

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:)

[Rhonda Wyatt]

I am having a hard time downloading the pictures on this comment. Do you have an e-mail address? I can send the pictures through e-mail...Thanks

[Sinfuldreams]

Pictures are worth thousands of words, and could help in Identifying the maker. But with out Makers Mark... you have checked the bottom for Marks? The best one can do is hope the Style, Glaze, or Color can help ID them... a lid is a GOOD THING! Original to the Jug is way nice to have, a small chip if not too distracting could be forgiven .
If it where made by say Red Wing, or McCoy I could give you value right now. But I "Think" ( I can always be WRONG) your could be made local, and in my opinion worth a bit more if it was. Ummm I would think since Red Wing crocks and jugs of that Size With Good Lid can sell for $300 or much more depending on many factors such as Glaze Design, Marks etc... I
d love to see a photo of it :)

[Rhonda Wyatt]

Yes, it has a lid. I'm sure it was made earlier than the 1940's due to the fact that the ladies in the pictures that my step dad described were wearing the long dresses such as were worn in the late 1800's or early 1900's. I will have my daughter take pictures and put them on the computer since I don't know how. The condition is excellent, but I do think the lid has a small chip in it. I asked my husband what type of lid he thinks it is and he said a bail lid. Do you have any idea of any websites I can go to in order to find out the maker?

[Sinfuldreams]

Water Jugs such as you describe where common up to about 1940's, is there a Lid? As most of the vaule these days is in the Lids, since they broke more often than not. If a Maker could be tracked down that would help in valuing, condition being very important, 25 gallon is on the Larger Side for these,. any Photos?
These where made by many, many different companies and even local craftsmen, sounds as if yours could of been made near the Local in MO.