Object Type
Rummers, invented towards the end of the 18th century, served many purposes and took many forms. This example, with its engraved hops and barley, was clearly intended for drinking beer. The rummer had nothing to do with rum: its name derived from 'Roemer', a green wine glass that continued to be made in Germany with little change from the 17th century onwards.

Design & Designing
The essential attributes of a rummer were a capacious bowl, a short sturdy stem and a wide foot. The elegant curved shapes of the late 18th century remained popular for several decades, often having a heavy pressed-glass square foot in the early 19th century. But bucket and cylindrical bowls were also made in large numbers, while the large surface area was exploited for wheel-engraved decoration, either decorative (as in this example) or commemorative. For example, many rummers of imperfect glass engraved with the colossal funeral car used for Admiral Lord Nelson in 1806 survive, attributable to the Sunderland glasshouses.

By the mid-19th century, so successful was the design, that plain heavy rummers were to be found in every public house in Britain.

Ownership & Use
As with the drinking of beer itself, ownership of rummers cut across all social divisions. Engraved dedications show that they were especially popular as presents (for example, for ships' owners or captains), and were even awarded as prizes for horse-racing.