Castor Sets from 1889 Catalog. A castor set, also called a cruet frame, held salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar and other condiments. As mass produced tableware became available, even middle class homes could afford elaborate table settings. The process of electroplating was developed in the early 1800s. Silver-plated tableware gave the appearance of wealth at a lower cost.
In 1846, Catherine Beecher, in Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book, recommended to “set the castors in the exact centre of the table. Some prefer to have them on a side-table, and the waiter carry them around, but the table looks better to have them put in the centre. If they are put on the side-table, the celery stand may be placed in the centre of the table.” By the late nineteenth century, styles changed and tall, elaborate fruit stands were preferred in the most stylish tables.
Many nineteenth century home goods catalogs are available online. The source of this image is a 471-page catalog featuring hundreds of silver-plated items including fruit stands, card receivers for visiting cards of guests, jewelry, and accessories for the dining room, bedroom, bathroom, and parlor.
13th Annual Illustrated Catalogue of Busiest House I America, (Salem, West Virginia: L. J. Flowers, 1889), 41. (Courtesy of Internet Archive)
Image featured in Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies by Cynthia Resor
I could ask students to imagine what this outdated object for the dining room was used for as an opener to a lesson on how technology and manners in the home change over time.