Teatime
Boston is full of enduring landmarks. One of my favorites is now gone - the giant meerschaum pipe that hung outside David P. Ehrlich's on Tremont Street. Once upon a time when thoughtful men smoked pipes, Ehrlich's was the place to go. Not only was his signature blend, called simply D.P.E., a lovely smooth smoke, but back in the golden age, you could watch master carvers create new pipes from briar and meerschaum right in their shop window.
Less than a block away from where Ehrlich's once stood is another landmark involving puffing and chopped leaves. In this case, it is tea rather than tobacco. On cold winter days, you can watch the steam wafting from the spout of a giant gold teakettle attached to a building near City Hall.
Back in 1873, the firm of Hicks & Badger created a giant teakettle to identify the Oriental Tea Company, located in Scollay Square. In 1875, the Oriental Tea Company used it for a delightful publicity stunt. A contest was held to guess the kettle's capacity, with none other than the Boston Sealer of Weights & Measures affirming the results.
Ten thousand Bostonians crammed into Scollay Square on New Year's Day, 1875, to witness the spectacle. From the giant pot emerged a boy. And then another. And another, until there were eight boys lined up in front of it. Then a tall man unfolded himself from the pot to everyone's amazement.
A total of 13,000 guesses were submitted. The city inspector watched and recorded each measure of water poured into the pot. A judge stood by to ensure the contest was fair. Each new measure of water was recorded on a giant blackboard, held up so that everyone could see it. The process of filling the pot took over an hour.
Finally, the winner of the closest guess was announced at 1:05 p.m. to general cheers. The total capacity of the teapot is officially two hundred and twenty-seven gallons, two quarts, one pint, and three gills.
The Oriental Tea Company is no more, and neither is Scollay Square. For at least as long as I've been alive, the pot has been affixed to the building at the corner of Court and Tremont streets, always over a coffee and tea shop. Currently, the teapot steams over the front door of a small Starbucks.
Less than a block away from where Ehrlich's once stood is another landmark involving puffing and chopped leaves. In this case, it is tea rather than tobacco. On cold winter days, you can watch the steam wafting from the spout of a giant gold teakettle attached to a building near City Hall.
Back in 1873, the firm of Hicks & Badger created a giant teakettle to identify the Oriental Tea Company, located in Scollay Square. In 1875, the Oriental Tea Company used it for a delightful publicity stunt. A contest was held to guess the kettle's capacity, with none other than the Boston Sealer of Weights & Measures affirming the results.
Ten thousand Bostonians crammed into Scollay Square on New Year's Day, 1875, to witness the spectacle. From the giant pot emerged a boy. And then another. And another, until there were eight boys lined up in front of it. Then a tall man unfolded himself from the pot to everyone's amazement.
A total of 13,000 guesses were submitted. The city inspector watched and recorded each measure of water poured into the pot. A judge stood by to ensure the contest was fair. Each new measure of water was recorded on a giant blackboard, held up so that everyone could see it. The process of filling the pot took over an hour.
Finally, the winner of the closest guess was announced at 1:05 p.m. to general cheers. The total capacity of the teapot is officially two hundred and twenty-seven gallons, two quarts, one pint, and three gills.
The Oriental Tea Company is no more, and neither is Scollay Square. For at least as long as I've been alive, the pot has been affixed to the building at the corner of Court and Tremont streets, always over a coffee and tea shop. Currently, the teapot steams over the front door of a small Starbucks.