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Troves & Tales

Your shaker amusement awaits!

‘Tis always the season for salt and pepper in Gatlinburg.

This past June, on my personal Substack, I waxed poetic about my salt and pepper shaker collection. It’s a humble stash I’ve acquired off and on over many years, but it was top of mine thanks to a reel a Facebook friend shared:

Whaaaat!?!?!

The Museum of Salt & Pepper Shakers. I had no idea.

Located in charming Gatlinburg, Tennessee, it’s a large building loaded with every kind of salt and pepper shaker you can think of, and a gazillion more you never knew existed — over 20,000 sets, plus a Pepper Mill collection north of 1500 pieces.

The museum claims to be the only one of its kind in the world, though you can pop over to their “Sister Museum” in Spain too.

How the shaking got started.

Andrea and Rolf Ludden’s fascination with shakers and mills began in the 1980s out of pure necessity — their quest to find the perfect pepper mill for their own kitchen. They soon discovered a whole world of shakers where the shapes and themes seemed infinite.

A professional archaeologist armed with a digital camera, Andrea reveled in the history the salt and pepper shakers represented. She meticulously captured images, measured dimensions, and took notes to create a robust personal catalog.

Rolf meanwhile was curious about pepper mills and similar tools, intrigued by the variety of mechanisms that make them work.

So what do you do with such curated treasures? Share them, of course.

They opened the Museum of Salt & Pepper Shakers in 2002 with three main objectives:

1. Show how society has changed.

Walking through the museum feels like traveling through world history.

Grouped by material, character, and place, the massive collection of shakers is curated to take you back to a particular time. You can go back to the shakers of the 1500s, revisit 1950s plastic-palooza, and then compare to shakers of present day.

In a 2010 interview, Rolf identified the U.S. “Rust Belt” states as the biggest contributors of salt-and-pepper shakers. "In the 1900s there were big factories," he said. "When the Depression came, the factories that made dishes didn't have any orders, so they started to do smaller items like salt and pepper shakers."

You can also wander through decades of pop culture evolution, gallivant from Big Ben to the Roman Coliseum, and shake things up in Vegas.

2. Show the shakers’ artistry and creativity.

In addition to the sociological and historical aspects, the Luddens appreciated the artistry and sense of humor creators have, and were curious about what inspired the unique designs for such an “ordinary” object.

Ceramic corn figures with emotive faces…air hockey paddles…a man sitting on a commode…dogs with fire hydrants…chess pieces…Bob Ross…miniature food items….astronauts and shuttles…vintage plastic…carved crystal…ornate gold… Endless styles for every interest!

3. Bring people together.

The Luddens recognized the ubiquity of salt and pepper shakers. Whether you avidly collect them or just use them to season your food, shakers are prominent in the backdrops of our kitchens. Andrea suggested “everyone has a memory about a salt & pepper shaker, either from their childhood or later in life.” And she’s probably right.

Many of the museum displays include nostalgic stories Andrea curated from her research. On their website you can purchase shaker sets, learn some salty facts, and pepper holes into the “number of holes” debate.

Andrea Ludden passed away in 2015. Her children, Alex and Andrea Jr., run the museum, and have added their own finds to its collection.

Some speculated the museum would be up for sale, eventually. And the Ludden family would want to pass the torch to a fellow passionate salt and pepper shaker enthusiast.

To that, I say: Hey, honey? Retirement plan?? ;-)

Record Shop

Give ‘em something to shake — or sachet — about!

These seasoned collectors are dedicated.

The Hoosgow

Shaker-stealing shenanigans

Collecting from the collections of others.

Us humans are an interesting bunch when it comes to our feelings of entitlement. Especially when it’s entitling ourselves to things like office pens, hotel toiletries, and even airplane life vests (really?).

You know, those “perks” we deem part of the deal.

Restaurants and food service providers fall victim often. I confess to my own occasional lifting of a ramekin (or 3 or 4). I mean, ya gotta also take the dipping sauce home, right??

The ramekins aren’t alone. Salt & pepper shakers are popular among commodities stolen. And our desire to possess someone else’s shakers has triggered a range of notable responses!

A $12 million ransom for one $60 million Salt Cellar.

In 2003, a snoozing security guard let Benvenuto Cellini’s gold-plated salt bowl escape Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. Police searched far and wide but could not locate the $60 million vessel or its taker.

Two years later, the thief sent a ransom note, with picture proof he had the stolen Cellar. As he was about to exchange the bowl for the $12 million he demanded, the thief sent a text he had a change of heart.

Police traced his communication and used store camera footage to identify him, publishing his image to media outlets. Soon, the security-alarm-salesman turned salt-stealer surrendered the mostly unharmed masterpiece. And he Cellini shake-up came to a close!

Virgin Atlantic adds a declaration. And desire.

When Virgin Atlantic introduced the adorable Wilbur & Orville salt and pepper shakers, they had to have known these bubbly mini-airplane novelties would be highly coveted. They’ve appeared on flights for years — in silver, gold, black, and the occasional red — conveniently making their way from the tray table to the carry-on.

In 2022, the airline wised up to the shaker thievery. But instead of punishing it, they embraced it. And made sure they got credit for it!

The feet of Wilbur and Orville now bare proof these irresistible shakers were “pinched from Virgin Atlantic”. This design detail has only made the duo that much more desirable to both experienced and virgin collectors (see what I did there?). 

A Reddit user summed it up: “The shakers then became dinner table conversation pieces and free advertisement.”

Virgin Atlantic might want to update its website. Despite the feet declaration, the airline still claims that if Wilbur and Orville join your meal, and “you want to take them home with you, we promise we won't tell...”

“May I please have those back?”

In the “absolute nicest and most professional voice, almost above a whisper,” a casino restaurant employee confronted a woman attempting to steal the venue’s pink Himalayan salt and peppercorn grinders. Noticing the steal in real time, they quietly approached the would-be thief before surprising her with such a calm, straightforward question: “May I please have those back?”

The “watchdog” worker remembers, ”She jumped first, but the look she gave me when she turned around was more of astonishment than embarrassment. She sheepishly told me she really liked them and wished she had some like that…. She handed me the grinders and looked up at me and gave me a sad look, like I took them away from her like she was a toddler or something. It was so weird. She left me $11 which is probably how much those salt and pepper grinders cost in the first place.”

Clearly I love my Canadians.

My record of thievery is not limited to ramekins, unfortunately.

My most distinct memory is “accidentally” stealing a small gizmo from the Catholic store my Great Aunt occasionally took me to. Yes, that’s correct — lil Catholic school girl me stole from a Catholic store. So much spicy scandal to unpack, but for another time…

Another stealing episode is far less salty, ironically. My miniature Clearly Canadian salt and pepper shakers have adorned my kitchen cooktops since I brought the stolen gems home. The restaurant and exact details I don’t fully remember. I presume it was decades ago while in college, at a Perkins or similar eatery.

They’ve moved with me to new apartments, houses, and states. The charming little bottles still generate comments, usually something like, “Clearly Canadians, wow! Do they still make those?” As a matter of fact, they do!

Do you have a peppered shaker-stealing background?
Tell us your salty story!

Playground

Pass the salt and pepper.

What’s the most bizarre set of salt and pepper shakers to catch your attention? 

Where did you find them?
What were they made of?
Were you able to buy them?

Share any and all of the spicy details!

Drop us a note or

Off Road

This week’s finds:

• Stirred, not shaken! Get “extra dirty” for your next cocktail with the Salt & Pepper Martini. Created by Michael Mcllroy in New York City, it features a saline solution and pepper garnish. Get the recipe here.

  

• Restaurateur, Danny Meyers, established the “Salt Shaker Theory” of management in his memoir, Setting the Table. The gist? Establish a clear standard, then apply gentle pressure to remind people how to meet it. Sharing the story of having to repeatedly put the salt shaker back to the center of the table, Meyers advises, “Wherever your center lies, know it, name it, stick to it, and believe in it.”

  

• When in Orange Country, California, get a homecooked meal at the Pepper Shaker Restaurant in La Habra. From breakfast to burgers to dessert, your heart and your belly will be full in their vintage diner vibe. Check their online menu for the special of the day!

  

  [Photos: M. Martinez, M. Goodall]

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