Submitted by: Anand Sheth
I can be found at many of the local vintage and flea markets in the Bay Area, and I have been slowly collecting vintage ashtrays in various sizes and glazes. The V-shaped grooves are designed to hold your cigarette without letting it tip into the bowl. There's a fun anecdote about them - in the 60s when these were most popular, the Seattle Fire Marshal dubbed the ashtrays “safety” ashtrays and required public buildings in the city to use them. As an architect myself, recalling how much has changed over the last 60 years reminds me to consider how much will change over the next 60.