The Mason Jar was invented by John Landis Mason on November 30, 1858. His intention was to create a vessel that could be used for home canning and food preservation. Before the mason jar was invented, things such as wax and corks were used to seal these preservation jars.
The mason jar is commonly used today, not just for homecanning but for a multitude of purposes including liquid dispensers, storage/organization, and lanterns. The mason jar has evolved overtime with its different shapes, colors, and sizes which make it perfect for society’s ever growing needs. Though the physical features of the jar itself has changed overtime, the typography has remained almost the same.
I wanted to choose a topic that I would be interested in such as something sentimental like clear, glass jars. I was unconsciously staring at a mason jar one day and BOOM, I thought that would be the perfect topic. I love the antique and timeless style of the font as well as how the item of the mason jar functions and serves purpose to
To examine typography as form, meaning, and information within the context of cultural application. The project goals are: To examine how typographic forms are used to communicate to an
To analyze the type forms using such methods as deconstruction, comparison, and reconstruction to identify relationships within the
To identify how forms within the system are altered and/or informed by shared elements.
To create a book to present the findings from my chosen topic.
Mason created glass molds as a way to start making the jars. Mason made threaded screw top jars that were meant to be air and water tight. The orginal mason jars had a blue tinit and almost looked like a transparent aqua glass.
It started with John Landis Mason. He was born in New Jersey and was a tinsmith. He wanted to invent new ways of canning that could be done by anyone.
The mason jar consists of two different typefaces, one is cursive-like and the other is a simple sans-serif font. The logo was inspired by fonts that were popular back then. The mason jar was invented after war was over and that there was this new vintage script that was being used everywhere. The ball corporation was a company that made the typography for the logo.
Vintage fonts or “antique” fonts greatly influenced the design of the mason jar. It’s classy and timeless look was something that fit the personality of the timeless vessel of the mason jar. The clear see through glass needed something that was decorative yet simple. The vintage, old-style look of these typefaces allowed the design of the mason jar to come to life.
Blackletter typefaces are the original form of printing because it had a similar appearance to handwriting during that time. Nicolas Jenson created a roman typeface that was based on italian humanist lettering and the blackletter typeface.
Script fonts are a timeless beauty that is very alluring. They are usually found on the first letters of paragraphs. The have a very old-fashioned a timeless look. The cursive strokes make it memorable and unique. This is something that is usually done by hand and can be transferred to the screen. The handwritten look is what makes it so timeless and it could be used for almost anytype of printmaking. The script font is very popular and widely used by bars, beer companies, and restaraunts.
Upon doing some research, the calligraphy style stood out to me the most because of the swirly ligatures that come off each end. The style of the “Ball” typeface looks almost as if it was signed by hand and then transferred on screen to create multiple molds. The origins of Calligraphy can be traced back to ancient China. These characters would be carved on animal bones and shells. The letters would be written with ink brushes and paper.
The first ever mason jar was marked “BALL PERFECT MASON” around the time of 1913. There are many different variations of the jar such as different lettering styles and glass colors. The majorit of mason jars contain lettering that has two different fonts, cursive and a sans-serif font.
The Ball Corporation manufactured glass jars and establishesd the “Ball” logo as the official name and is licensed on the Mason Jar design. The Ball corporation no longer manufactors ball however they produce a variety of products such as packaging, personal care and housefold items. They also manufactuer aerospace and other technologies for commercial and goverments customers.
This company was founded in 1880 and they have over 21,500 employees worldwide. Due to the success of the Ball brothers, they decided to open their own company that would manufacture glass.
Martinelli’s plastic bottle goes viral. People found that that biting into the plastic bottle sounds exactly like biting into a real apple
Pictured above is what I noticed was an apple juice that I have been purchasing contained very similar typography to the mason jar. As I looked closer, it had similar detailing and decor as the mason jar would. The image to the left is an older version of that apple juice. You can see how the glass evolved over time, with losing its handle to form a more modern shape, similar to that of a real-life apple as well as a mold of the lettering instead of a sticker for the name.
There is an apple juice brand by Martinelli’s apple juice that has similar typography as the mason jar. It contains a similar cursive font for the company name as well as a vintage sans-serif for the description The bottle also contains leaves where the placement and location mimic that of apple leaves.
Mason jars have a two part top - and they have a lid which has a rubber ring on the underside. This creates a vacuum seal. This seal is meant to preserve the food longer so that the air does not get inside and cause any mold or bacterial growth. It is perfect for storing fruits, vegetables, any kind of food that you want to preserve.
Home canning started to become popular around 1909-
The multi-purpose jar is great for more than just home-canned goods but it is also good for a wide variety of things. These uses include organization, aesthetic purposes, and liquid dispensing. For example a mason jar can be used to store water for painting. It can also be used for lights at a wedding, people will usually put led lights in water and have them on the tables as decor. Liquid dispensers have also become popular such as soap, and syrups. The mason jar has been off the charts for these purposes because it is clear and appears to be timeless and modern at the same time.
Mason jars are becoming more and more popular for aesthetically pleasing house decor and wedding decor. The clear glass makes it perfect for lighting where you can place LED lights or even candles or lanterns in them.
They are not just good for storing food, but also plants. As you can see here, they have been used for a vase which is different and very unique from a regular one. The decor is very simple as well as modern. The design of the mason jar glass makes it easy to use for storage purposes and decor.
The mason jar has a wide variety of head-attachments which makes it perfect for liquid dispensing such as soap, syrups, and any other liquid you can possibly think of. You can also label the mason jar as well with stickers or a marker. This makes it easier to know exactly what is in the contents if you ever forget.
Here you can see the mason jar being used for hygiene items such as cotton balls and Q-tips. The simple design makes it perfect for storing small items. The round- circular jar makes it easy to hold up with just a metal ring and a wood backing. These jars have been used for kitchen organization such as seasoning or oils. The glass makes it perfectly seethrough where you can see the exact ingredients and what the bottle contains.
To my conclusion, the mason jar and its effect on our culture has been a tremendous one. It has been a luxurious tool for multiple purposes. This timeless invention has been altered and manufactured to become the perfect mason. The typography and logo design is widely known and never really looked into detail. The typeface itself is timeless and the font pairing is thoroughly thought through.
Based on my research, the time after war made a huge impact on typography and culture back then. The vintage font was extremely popular and widely used at the time. This style has created that timeless look where it never gets old. The hand-written typography will almost never go out of style. The sans-serif typeface complements the cursive nicely and makes it unique and memorable.
This invention has been created originally for home-canning and as technology and human evolution happens, the uses for it continue to grow. From soap dispensing, to aesthetically pleasing organization tools, this creation has advanced in many ways without changing much. This is what you would call a timeless vessel because it has the personality of something that has been commonly used in every timeframe imaginable.
• https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/09/mason-jarhistory/403762/
• https://www.thehealthyjournal.com/faq/what-is-the-original-mason-jarbrand
• https://www.martinellis.com/about/history/
• https://www.ball.com/our-company/our-story/history-timeline
• https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/a-briefvisual-history-of-vintage-typographic-scripts/242092/
• https://www.pumpkinwebdesign.com/web-design-manchester/ advantages-of-vintage-fonts-in-web-design/
• https://glassbottlemarks.com/ball-perfect-mason-fruit-jars/
• https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Calligraphy/
• https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Antique_Canning_Jars
• https://www.martinellis.com/company/martinellis-iconic-bottles/
• https://culinesco.com/blogs/blog/5-facts-about-mason-jars
• https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/clever-uses-for-mason-jars/
• https://www.ball.com/our-company/our-story/original-history-timeline
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1094495101/vintage-hinged-lid-jelly-jars-
