Downton Abbey Inventions: A Nutcracker for Violet
- Debora Ellen Blodgett
- Dec 28, 2025
- 8 min read
The early 20th century is the setting for the beloved period drama Downton Abbey. During
the years depicted in this show, many inventions were featured as exciting modern conveniences. While we may take for granted such modern conveniences as electric lights, electric appliances, or telephones, these inventions were exciting new products when first introduced.
This article is part of a series of articles that will feature some of the inventions depicted on the show. For those of you who are familiar with the show, you may remember some of the scenes that will be discussed here. For those of you who have not yet seen the series, spoilers will be kept to a minimum. The focus, after all, is on the inventions.
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is an award-winning British period drama television series, written and created by Julian Fellowes. In the United States, it aired on PBS, as part of their Masterpiece Classic series, which aired in January 2011 and ran for six seasons. Over the course of the series, the time period depicted covered 1912 to 1926 and was set at the fictional Yorkshire England country estate, Downton Abbey. This historically accurate drama series followed the lives of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, and his family. Intertwined in the lives of the aristocrats were the domestic servants, who faced as many trials and tribulations as the family they served.[1] The series was largely filmed at Highclere Castle, the family seat of the current owner George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. [2]
A Nutcracker Christmas Present
Mrs. Isobel Crawley gives a gift to Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham.
Violet: "Oh, this is nice. What is it?"
Isobel: "What does it look like?"
Violet: "Something for getting stones out of horses' hooves."
Isobel: "It's a nutcracker. We thought you'd like it. To crack your nuts."[3]
Violet's Nutcracker
Violet did not recognize the purpose of this device. Although nutcrackers were not a new invention, Violet was probably unfamiliar with the device due to her social standing. Her staff served nuts already shelled.
Violet's nutcracker gift is presented in a box, probably with a flocked lining. It is likely composed of steel plated with sterling silver. Silver is a soft metal, so a nutcracker of solid silver would not be durable enough to crack hard-shelled nuts and, over time, would become marred or misshapen with use.
The design of Violet's nutcracker consists of two levers joined at one end. The handles are the levers and could be decorative as well as functional. Some nutcrackers could be quite fancy, especially if they were of the same design as to coordinate with an elaborate flatware set. It appears Violet's nutcracker is a single item and not part of a set. Historical catalogs reveal the range of nutcracker styles available during Violet's era.
In the 1866 Mappin Brothers catalog, six models of silver-plated steel nutcrackers were listed. These nutcrackers were sold individually and the styles were described as plain spire, plain fluted, plain shell, plain beaded, and elegantly fluted. The cost in 1866 was listed between 3 and 8 shillings, depending on style. (There are 20 shillings in a British pound). [4] In the Mappin catalog of 1881, two styles of nutcrackers were offered between 2 and 4 shillings. [5]
In addition to purchasing an individual nutcracker, this item could also be sold as part of a larger flatware set. This photograph shows a nutcracker as part of a fruit and cheese set. The silver handles of each piece match, creating a lovely elaborate coordinated set. [6]
Such decorative flatware sets served a specific purpose in aristocratic households. In Downton Abbey, the Crawleys host elaborate dinner parties where all the finest silver graces the table. [7]
Violet's nutcracker reflects a design that remained remarkably consistent throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries: two handles serving as levers to crack the nut. To understand how this simple, yet effective, mechanism evolved, it helps to examine early patented nutcracker designs.
Early Patented Nutcrackers
To say nutcrackers have a long history is an understatement. Metal nutcrackers date to at least the fourth century B.C. As with many early metal products, at first nutcrackers were hand-wrought metal. Later, as metallurgy advanced, metal was poured into molds.[8]
The following section examines selected late 19th and early 20th-century nutcracker designs, patented in the United States.
Philos Blake, Eli Blake and J.A. Blake of Connecticut received a patent in 1853 for their improved "Nutcracker." The invention consisted of an improved nut cracker that operated by breaking the nuts between jaws forced together by a lever. As most nutcrackers used lever pressure to compress the nuts, what made this improvement unique was the ability to regulate the extent of the compression.[9]
Lyman Clark of Connecticut received a patent in 1860 for an improved nut cracker with a stationary jaw and a movable jaw, forced down by a lever. It was suggested to be made of cast iron or other suitable metal. The device did not need to be attached to a table and, being ornamental in design, was appropriate for a dining or parlor table. It was likely this device was plated in silver, given it was designed for sitting upon a dining or parlor table. In keeping with the Victorian silver sets popular at the time, this would be a welcome addition to a well set table.[10]
A whimsical, yet practical, nutcracker was invented by Howard Tilden of Massachusetts. He received a patent for a combined tobacco-cutter and nut-cracker in 1866. The device consisted of a lever and toothed wheels which acted as a knife. The design featured a dog, with the ability to grip the nut between its teeth. The tail served as the operating lever. [11]
Nutcrackers were not always whimsical or decorative. Utilitarian designs were also patented. Charles Martin of Connecticut received a patent for an improvement in nut-crackers in 1876. The design featured a single pair of jaws that could accommodate various sizes of nuts. The upper jaw was adjustable to accommodate the nut size. The lower jaw pivoted, using the handle which acted as the lever.
It was likely that this device was made of steel. Given it was not designed to be decorative, this nutcracker would probably be relegated to use in the kitchen.[12]
Frank Humphrey of Massachusetts received a patent in 1878 for an improvement in nut-crackers. Another whimsical design, this device was in the form of a squirrel sitting upon its haunches. The nut was crushed by pressing the tail downward as a lever, which raised the squirrel's paws toward its chin. [13]
Henry Quackenbush of New York invented a nutcracker that comprised two levers joined at one end. The levers took on a cylindrical form. The serrated ridges held the nut to be cracked and provided the jaws needed to break the nut. This general design, with two joined levers, remained a popular design. It is very similar in design to the nutcrackers sold today.[14]
Henry Quackenbush invented another nutcracker that had the object of providing a spring for holding the levers in an open position and when grasped, caused both handles to act equally upon the nut. The spring consisted of a single piece of wire having a loop and two arms. The spring was affixed within a channel that helped the spring fit tightly. The ability for the handles to act in unison was what made this nutcracker different from others of similar shape.[15]
Antoni Konarki of New York received a patent in 1911 for his nutcracker design.
A feature of this nutcracker was that it could be easily operated with one hand. It was meant to be made of durable and strong metal. The serrated grooves held the nut securely and the coiled spring helped to apply sufficient pressure on the lever to crack the nut. [16]
Frank Neumann of Illinois received a patent in 1918 for his nutcracker design.
This design had a connector made of sheet metal that limited the spread of the arms and also provided a pocket for a coil spring that kept the arms spread apart. Serrated edges kept the nut in place and the two arms acted as levers to crack the nut against the serrated portion of the arms.[17]
By 1918, the nutcracker had evolved from crude medieval tools to specialized instruments reflecting both engineering progress and aesthetic refinement.
Concluding Thoughts
Nutcracker designs range from simple stainless steel models to ornate silver designs. While ornate nutcrackers are part of the silver flatware sets belonging to the wealthy, the simple designs are often used in modest households. Isobel's gift to Violet may have been impractical for a woman of Violet's social standing; however, as a beautiful silver gift, it memorialized their friendship during that 1919 Christmas celebration.
How to Watch Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey first aired on ITV in the UK and on PBS in the US.
It is now available on a variety of streaming services.
For More Information
Highclere Castle, family seat of the 8th Earl of Carnarvon
Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum
Sources
Trademark Information: Downton Abbey is a registered trademark in the United States, owned by Carnival Film & Television Limited, United Kingdom.
[1] "Downton Abbey," Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org : accessed 29 December 2023), para. 1-2.
[2] "George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon," Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org : accessed 30 December 2023), para. 1.
[3] "Season 2: Episode 9, Christmas at Downton Abbey," Downton Abbey, created by Julian Fellowes, 18 February 2012, Masterpiece Classic, Public Broadcasting Service, PBS (https://www.pbs.org : accessed 10 January 2024).
[4] "Mappin Brothers Illustrated Catalogue," 1866, Google Books (https://books.google.com : accessed 10 January 2024), p. 42-43.
[5] "Mappin & Webb's Catalog of Electro-Silver Plate. Table Cutlery. Plated Cutlery," 1881, Google Books (https://books.google.com : accessed 10 January 2024), p. 11.
[6] "A silver fruit and cheese service, Grachev, St Petersburg, 1908-1917," Russian Works of Art, Faberge & Icons, 2017, Sotheby's (https://www.sothebys.com : accessed 19 January 2024), Lot. 386.
[7] "Season 3: Episode 2" Downton Abbey, created by Julian Fellowes, 18 February 2012, Masterpiece Classic, Public Broadcasting Service, PBS (https://www.pbs.org : accessed 10 January 2024). Note, currently on PBS, episodes are combined.
[8] "The History of Nutcrackers," 22 July 2021, Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum (https://www.nutcrackermuseum.com : accessed 8 January 2024), para. 3.
[9] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 8 January 2024), Philos Blake, Eli W. Blake, and J.A. Blake, Nutcracker, patent no. 9,985 (1853).
[10] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 8 January 2024), Lyman A. Clark, Nut-Cracker, patent no. 26,885 (1860).
[11] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Howard Tilden, Improvement in Tobacco-Cutter and Nut-Cracker, patent no. 55,177 (1866).
[12] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Charles B. Martin, Improvement in Nut-Crackers, patent no. 174,142 (1876).
[13] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Frank A. Humphrey, Improvement in Nut-Crackers, patent no. 204,225 (1878).
[14] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Henry Marcus Quackenbush, Nut-Cracker, patent no. 404,016 (1889).
[15] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Henry M. Quackenbush, Nut-Cracker, patent no. 698,734 (1902).
[16] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Antoni Konarksi, Nutcracker, patent no. 1,003,917 (1911).
[17] "Patent Public Search," digital images, United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search: accessed 10 January 2024), Frank A. Neumann, Nutcracker, patent no. 1,282,278 (1918).
Copyright 2025 - Debora Ellen Blodgett
