Milk Can Shakers: 1988-2000 (est)
Frankoma introduced this shape in 1988 well before the company changed hands the first time. The Milk Cans are the first of the millennium shakers. I estimate that Frankoma dropped the Milk Can shaker line by the year 2000. All of the examples in my collection have the red plugs. The change to white plugs came about 2000.
The milk can design continued a long standing connection with the dairy industry. In the mid-1930's John Frank designed containers for the Golden Guernsey Dairy for the marketing of cream. Those designs became the basis for the 93H guernsey shaker set of the early 1940's.
Throughout the 1980's Joniece Frank sold items with decals applied. When the Milk Cans arrived with their smooth sides they were prime candidates for this technique. The 1986 catalog lists 146 different decals one could order. When applied the decals were re-fired to 1500 degrees so they are well attached and durable.
The Milk Cans are big. I think of them as range sets. The hole pattern is a rectangular 6/4 group especially designed to nest around the handle design on the lid. Frankoma also used this hole set some on the colorworks shaker series.
The glazes offered by Frankoma for this design are the last of the old and the first of the new. We still see prairie green and brown satin from the early years, and we see mountain haze and teal from the later years.
In this time frame Frankoma was working hard to meet the demands of the modern customer by updating their offerings. The decals, the new glazes, and the Milk Can shakers are all examples of this effort.