John Landis Mason
Born 1832 – Died February 26, 1902
Improvement in Screw-Neck Bottles
Patent No. 22,186
John Mason invented and patented the first glass jar with a screw-on cap in
From early human history, farmers searched for a method to keep food
from spoiling. Prior to canning, foods were dried, smoked and salted, or
soaked in sugar for preservation. Other methods of canning preceded Mason’s,
but did not provide long-term food preservation and were extremely
cumbersome. Mason, a tinsmith, developed a square-shouldered jar that
provided an airtight seal. The jar had a threaded neck and a threaded metal
cap that screwed down over a rubber seal to the jar's shoulder, creating an
airtight seal. The jars offered a more reliable method of preserving foods
and were an immediate success.
With the increased safety and convenience of canning, urban populations were
able to take advantage of fresh produce. The jars were affordable and
re-useable and allowed for preservation of garden or farm produce such as
tomatoes, pickles, fruits, and relish for use in the winter.
Mason jars were an integral part of food preservation for the next 100
years. Although canning decreased in popularity as refrigeration and other
forms of food preservation emerged, the Mason jar is still today the common
term for the fruit jar and used in home canning.
A native of Philadelphia, Mason was born in 1832 and becamea tinsmith by trade. Because most mason jars were produced by rivals after his patent expired in 1879, Mason did not become wealthy from his profitable invention. He died a pauper in New York City in 1902.