I love Holt Howard items and try to acquire them for my online customers. I think this company had great lines and new words for objects which elevate them into the Mad Men upper eschelon. Spoofy Spoons, ‘Daisy Dorable, Crazy Clips and the Minnie & Moby merkids, to name a few, just make me laugh. At a favorite group antique shop in Vermont, I came across this Holt Howard Applejack Trivet in its original box and fell in love with the design and with the Applejack collection, which launched in 1962.
If you look at the apple, it reminds me of a Calder mobile where the skin, seeds and leaves might whirl independently around the black stabile of the stem. I think one of these Holt Howard men studied art history at Amherst College, which is where they met.
Now as to the term Applejack, this form of apple brandy was made by “jacking” or freezing hard cider out in the snow so that the water in the cider would freeze into a disc that could be removed. This concentrates the flavor and the alcohol level to create an Early American form of moonshine! Here is some more information about applejack.
So the perfect container or shape to enhance the Holt Howard Applejack line would need to be a moonshine jug.
So keep a lookout for this fun and fanciful apple design as you look online. Now we know it’s officially called Holt Howard Applejack, but you may only be able to find it online using Holt Howard Apple as your search term.
Extra Credit:
If you’re new to Holt Howard, here is a brief history by The Hour’s of the Holt Howard Company.
