Charles J. Hauck & Son, Brooklyn, NY

There just aren’t that many antique julep strainers out there.  The strainers that were made pre-prohibition were not used legally to strain alcoholic drinks here in the United States for 14 years, from 1919 to 1933.  Some of them might have been discarded and some might have been used illegally during that period.  But the ones that survived certainly have a story to tell, that’s for sure.  And when you find one that has survived 125 years or so, it gives you a thrill, or should I say it gives me a thrill.  And that is the case with this julep strainer marked “C. J. Hauck & Son, Brooklyn, N.Y.”

Julep Strainer Marked “C. J. Hauck & Son, Brooklyn, N. Y.”

As far as I have been able to learn from various internet sites, Charles Jospeh Hauck was born in 1830  and emigrated to the United States from Darmstadt, Germany.  He and his wife, Eliza, had three sons, Edward Joseph Hauck, born 1855; William Joseph Hauck, born 1857 and Charles Joseph Hauck Jr., born 1860.  The Haucks lived in Brooklyn, New York and Charles conducted business there. 

The 1893 “Home Furnishing Review”, Volume 3 stated “Charles J. Hauck, senior partner of Charles J. Hauck & Son, Brooklyn, N. Y., manufacturers of Bar Supplies, died October 30th.”   And the 1893 “The Pharmaceutical Era” publication, Volume 10, stated “The recent death of Mr. Charles J. Hauck will make no change in the firm of which he was senior partner.  They will still continue at 36-40 Stagg St., Brooklyn, under the firm name of Chas. J. Hauck & Sons.”  I noted this reference to “& Sons” in 1893.  My strainer was marked “& Son” and I assume it predated the change to “& Sons”….if, in fact, the “& Sons” was not a typo.

On April 23, 1867 Charles J. Hauck obtained Patent No. 2631, a Design for Tobacco Box.

1867 Patent of Charles J. Hauck

And on June 24, 1884, Charles’ eldest son, Edward, obtained a patent for a “Shaker for Mixing Drinks”:

E. J. Hauck’s Patent No. 300867

On January 14, 1890, his youngest son, Charles J. Hauck Jr., obtained a patent for a very interestingly shaped strainer, similar to a julep strainer except the handle has a unique bend to it:

Charles J. Hauck’s 1890 Patent No. 419520 for “Strainer”

And on May 6, 1890, Charles Jr. obtained another patent, this one for an “Agitator of Liquids”:

Charles J. Hauck Jr.’s 1890 Patent No. 427473

And in 1904 a patent for a strainer by F. H. Vogt was assigned to Charles J. Hauck & Son:

1904 F. H. Vogt Patent Assigned to Charles J. Hauck & Son

This C. J. Hauck & Son julep stainer was available at my Etsy shop but has since sold:

C. J. Hauck & Son Strainer

However, I do have the julep strainer designed by Charles J. Hauck Jr. available for sale:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/182049329/c-j-hauck-son-julep-strainer-circa-1890

1890 C. J. Hauck Jr. Julep Strainer

If anyone has an additional information on Charles J. Hauck & Son, I’d appreciate hearing from you.

Update: I spotted an unusual julep strainer in an 1894 B. A. Stevens catalog a while back. It appeared to have a smooth somewhat flat bowl and had a large star cutout on the handle.

 

There was no indication of the manufacturer. It was shown directly below a Lindley strainer and there was no mention that Holmes & Edwards was the manufacturer of that either.

The only other similar flat design strainer I had seen was in the 1886 Meriden Britannia catalog but that strainer had a clover cutout.

The flatish bowl measures 3 inches in diameter.

It has the traditional bend in the handle.

And it is marked C.J. Hauck & Son ( singular ) meaning it predates 1893.