Early American Object Design: Retail Shopping Bag Dispensers from the 1800s

This object is a common site in U.S. supermarkets, at least in regions without plastic bag bans: This shopping bag dispenser has a predecessor that dates back to the 1800s. At the time, America was dotted with general stores or country stores, mom-and-pop shops that played Walmart's current role in local economies. By 1852, mass-produced paper bags had been invented. General stores stocked them in several sizes, to make carrying sundry goods more convenient for their customers....