Penny Licks
Beck Isle Museum, Pickering
‘Penny licks’ are small glasses that were designed to hold ice cream. Before the use of electric-powered freezers, ice cream was a very rare treat, often only eaten on holidays or in the homes of the wealthiest members of society.
But the design of these ice cream glasses is very deceptive. The heavy base helped to make them stable, but the thick glass made it difficult to see how very small an amount of ice cream they each contained. After eating, the glasses were returned, rinsed and reused by the next customer. Because they were very poorly washed (and in some cases, not washed at all), these glasses enabled germs to flourish and were probably partly responsible for spreading cholera and tuberculosis. They were banned from London in 1898 as focus switched to developing waffle cones.
They came in three sizes – two penny/tu’penny, penny, and half penny/ha’penny.
Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Watch the video to explore the object
Watch The Video With Subtitles
Is there anything you’d like to know about the object?
Why do you think these were popular during late Victorian times?
Why do you think ice cream wasn’t more widely available in Victorian times?
What other things do you associate or connect with a trip to the seaside?
Can you remember the first time you had ice cream, or were you too young?
What’s your favourite flavour?
Would you feel cheated by the amount of ice cream you would get in Victorian times?
In the Classroom
Role play
Complain to the seller about the small quantity of ice cream received, or concerns over cleanliness.
Hot seat
Interview a student in role as the ice-cream seller. Have they had a good day of custom?
Compare
Explore another item that stopped being used because of similar concerns: the stoneware drinks bottle.
Watch this time-travelling video
Discover the excitement of waiting at the station for a seaside holiday at the end of the 19th century. This short video was filmed at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in Pickering.
Watch The Video With Subtitles
Hands on History
These penny licks are on permanent display at Beck Isle Museum, Pickering. You’ll also find a ‘penny lick’ inside the Victorian Seaside loans box available from Scarborough Museums and Galleries and may wish to take part in their ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside’ workshop.
You can find out more about travelling to your holiday destination by rail at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and even ride the train.
Museum Location
