Indoor ashtrays

[Arran]

You still find ashtrays and no butts bins outside buildings today but before the smoking ban came into force there were a variety of ashtrays inside public buildings. I don't mean the small glass ashtrays on tables in pubs and cafes but the floor and stand mounted ashtrays. Does anybody have pictures of classic or interesting examples of them?

[Richard1978]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

I remember those bins like a metre high tube with a mesh covered ashtray on top.

[staffslad]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

My parents didn't smoke, so we only had basic glass ashtrays for use by occasional visitors who smoked. I do remember a relative had a stand ashtray with a pedal mechanism--like a pedal bin. You pressed the pedal with your foot and the ashtray opened so you could put your ash or cigarette end inside. Release the pedal and the ashtray snapped shut.

[Richard1978]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

I remember my parents used to have some shell halves to use as ash trays, along with some from when my Mum smoked.

One had the 3 wise monkeys on it, & I once dropped & broke. My Mum glued it back together but it spent the next few years on a shelf then put away in a cupboard before being thrown away in a clear out.

[battyrat]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

No pictures I'm afraid. However the old barber I go to still has an old barbers chair with an ash tray built into the arm of it rather like what used to be on the coaches years ago.

[Mulletino]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

we had heaps when my parents smoked. The metal ones on a stick so it was the same height as the chair, the one with a glass centre with a small tyre around it. The old heated and bent vodka bottle, The black plastic one with a silver metal old fashioned car on it. My grandparents had one where you pressed the middle down and the centrifugal force spun a disc which pushed the ash inside, and another where you pressed a button and the inside opened up to allow the ash to drop in.

[Richard1978]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

I've heard of those spinning ash trays but never seen one in action.

I remember there was some pot pourri for ash trays to cover up the smell of the smoke.

[marc]

Re: Indoor ashtrays



A spinning ashtray. My grandmother had one of these. IIRC, the bottom was a light green colour. It was well used.

[EddyP]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

I vividly remember those spinning ashtrays, they seemed to be much more popular 'back in the day'. I always seem to make a mess by spinning my grandfather's.

[Mulletino]

Re: Indoor ashtrays

Here's one of the "stick" ashtrays on the right of this pic of me and my brother.