Homewood house exhibit explores historical drinking

The tradition of drink has always been a point of fascination — and intoxication — for societies around the world.

Whether it’s the Greek god of debauchery and his revelers or the rowdy frat down the street, many a crowd have celebrated, united, and also separated, over the alcoholic beverage. Drink is, to say the least, ever present.

Having opened last Thursday at the Homewood Museum, the exhibition Cheers!: The Culture of Drink in Early Maryland, commemorates the important place that wine, spirits, beer and “cyder” have held in Maryland’s elite society in the 19th century.

The exhibition, which is curated by Homewood Director Catherine Arthur, displays more than 50 pieces of various tools and containers used to “heighten the delight of imbibing,” as it is described.

Many of the artifacts of presentation and consumption come from the museum’s collection and were used by the Carroll family — the original owners of the house.

Despite the smallness of the exhibition, the items on display include a variety corkscrews, wine coolers, cellarets, punch ladles, decanters, bottles, and other accessories, all of which were manufactured between 1790 and 1840.

The fragments of one shattered wine bottle were actually excavated from the surrounding area of the museum, indicating that the Carroll family was not shy about partaking in their own culture of drink.

According to the exhibition, Charles Carroll Jr., owner of the house, was no stranger to drink himself, as was “generally known” by friends and family. His destructive habits eventually led to a separation from his wife.

During the 19th century, however, those of upper socioeconomic standing prided themselves not simply on the number of casks they collected but also on their ability to “bib,” or evaluate the taste of various drinks. After supper, the women would retire to a separate room, while the men passed around whiskey, bourbon, and Madeira—a fortified dry wine—to sample and appraise.

One particular piece, the silver askos, or gourd-shaped vessel, emphasized the opulence and level of high-society associated with drinking. Carved onto its handle were two goats and a rustic grapevine.

The askos, however, was unique in its decorative intricacy, as the majority of the other pieces were designed mainly for economy and convenience. The smaller wine casks, for example, were made of woven wooden strips that ensured they were air-tight, and their size made for easy transportation.

The exhibition is located in the modest brick building adjacent to the library, which was gifted by Charles Carroll—a signer of the Declaration of Independence—to his son, is part of a 130-acre villa that once sustained its own fruit orchards, from which hundreds of gallons of country wine and ciders were produced.

The museum itself is in fact a crucial element of the exhibition, as several of the rooms, such as the butler’s room and dining room, featured drink as one of the central components of the area, indicating the significant role it played in everyday 19th-century life.

A disappointing aspect of Cheers! was the presentation—or lackof—of the storage rooms, where the various wines and ciders were kept; they have been converted into office space, so photographs of the original rooms were displayed instead.

As part of the experience, the museum is offering traditional wine tastings on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, as well as a talk by Madeira expert, Mannie Berk of The Rare Wine Club Co. tomorrow. Cheers! will be showing until November 28.