Bubble pipe

Child blowing a bubble pipe, 1962

A bubble pipe is a toy shaped like a tobacco pipe, intended to be used for blowing soap bubbles.

Information

A vintage plastic bubble pipe

Most bubble pipes are made of plastic and therefore cannot be used for actual smoking. They are usually brightly colored, and sometimes feature fanciful designs including multiple bowls.

Children sometimes use bubble pipes in order to imitate the perceived look of adults. The toy is controversial because it is believed by some to encourage children to smoke later in life, similar to the controversy around candy cigarettes.

History

Seifenbläser by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

An 18th-century painting by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin shows a young boy blowing a bubble out of what seems to be a pipe.

Patent drawing

In 1918, John L. Gilchrist filed a patent for a style of bubble pipes that can be produced quickly and easily.[1] Bubble pipes were one of the first and original mass productions of bubble blowers that became popular so that kids could imitate an adult smoker. In the 1940s, the packaging of the bubble pipes were known to be colorful and decorated in a bright style.[2]

References

  1. https://www.google.com/patents/US1330701
  2. "History of the Bubble Blower". bubbleblowers. Retrieved 25 January 2013.

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.