Brass Floor Ashtray
Object Name
Brass Floor AshtrayLabel
Standing almost two feet high, this brass floor ashtray would have been placed alongside chairs and benches throughout Beaver Meadows, allowing seated visitors to enjoy a cigarette or two. Taliesin's inclusion of ashtrays in various heights and designs directly contributed to visitor enjoyment and comfort at Beaver Meadows. In the present, interior designers wouldn't give a second thought to portable ashtrays when designing a building. However, in the 1960s, ashtray considerations were a top priority. A total of ten of these cigarette stands were ordered for Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. In 1966, they were purchased for twenty dollars.Ashtrays are artifacts of mid-century smoking culture commonly found in 1960s homes, offices, public buildings, and even airplanes and hospitals. These utilitarian items assumed a remarkable suite of forms and materials, from ornate glass-blown sculptures to more vernacular containers (such as a coffee can) and everything in between. Because the public had yet to adopt or become aware of public health warnings regarding the dangers of smoking, accommodations for smokers were expected in the 1960s. Ashtrays and their changing forms can be interpreted as representative of those accommodations, as they have become increasingly obscured from sight over time.
Collection Number
ROMO #22635Date of Requisition
May 4, 1966Materials
MetalDimensions
23.5” H x 7.25” D | 59.7 cm x 18.4 cmManufacturer
MacDonald Building Product Corp.
