New England Review: True Baltimore Survivors

“Pimlico Tobacco Works / Baltimore” snuff jar and associated broadside.

A COUPLE OF TRUE BALTIMORE SURVIVORS

Almost a year ago, I received an email from a bottle club here in New England, asking for information on a grungy tobacco or snuff type bottle that was unearthed in Texas. The bottle immediately caught my eye, as it was one that I have never seen before. After 40 years of playing with bottles, a new discovery is thrilling, to say the least! I started doing some research, and very little was found, other than an old broadside. I quickly contacted (through email) the owner of the bottle with the little information I had. No response, and this went on a few times, but the third time was the charm. They were a very small historical society in Texas, and were very excited to hear about how rare this dirty “PIMLICO TOBACCO WORKS / BALTIMORE” bottle was.

They explained receiving the bottle from a local land owner who found it in the side of a riverbank. Instead of discarding the old bottle, the land owner gave it to the county historical society, and they didn’t have any clue about it. Since this Baltimore-marked bottle (some 1300 miles away) wasn’t a local historical item, they said it might be for sale, which I was quite delighted to hear. Knowing the rarity of this item, I made a generous offer, which seemed a little overwhelming to them. It needed to be discussed with the board, and since we were in the midst of a pandemic, this meeting had to wait. Sigh.

After a few months went by, I decided to revisit this, and begin the discussions

USPS Express package with glass enclosed.

once again. This went on for a few more months, until I received a call from the president of the historical society, asking me if my offer was genuine, and how we might complete the transaction. A cashier’s check was sent and received, and the bottle was shipped via USPS Express, an “overnight” solution, ha!

Overnight turned into a week, and I was frantically contacting my postmaster for updates. Finally, he called me with good news / bad news. “Good news, the package arrived. Bad news, you don’t want to see it. I would suggest sending it back.”

Well, I accepted the heavily damaged box and said a prayer for a Monday morning miracle. If the box was kicked all the way from Texas to New Hampshire, it would look better than it did! I was elated to see that the shipper had a box within the box, and the item was well-wrapped. In the middle of the post office parking lot, a ray of sunshine shimmered off the snuff jar as it was removed from the tattered box. Dirty (as found), but the bottle made it unscathed. A true survivor!

The Pimlico Tobacco Works operated during the mid-19th century, out of the well-known 1790s Carroll Hunting Lodge. Original property owner Charles Carroll was one of the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the General Assembly, a United States Senator, and a very wealthy land owner. In 1857, Manuel Forsyth and Lewis Cole opened the Pimlico Snuff Mills & Tobacco Factory. The great flood of 1868 destroyed most of the factory, and probably closed the tobacco business. Shards of this snuff jar have been excavated around Baltimore, but there are very few, if any, known perfect examples.

This rare Baltimore survivor reminded me of another Baltimore survivor example, the “WALTERS & CO / BALTIMORE.” I have seen a couple of these bitters-type or whiskey-shaped bottles, and maybe only a half dozen good ones exist out there. This one was also found in the South, off the beaten path, in a junk shop, for a 99.9% discount. Yes, that would be for just a few dollars!

This one seems quite early, as it is open pontiled, lighter glass, and an earlier type sloping collared top. Ironically, one of the few other known examples was also discovered years ago in a junk shop in Virginia, also for a few dollars as well. I acquired that one, and it was eventually sold, residing in the Meyers collection. These bottles are quite important, especially regarding Baltimore history and culture.

William T. Walters, who lived in Baltimore, was educated as a civil engineer and

worked as a grain merchant, establishing himself in Baltimore as a liquor wholesaler. He eventually became interested in the coal and iron industry, and built his wealth through railroad investments.

Over the years, Walters became a major art collector and dealer. While abroad, Walters and his wife, Ellen, started acquiring works of art from artists, dealers and exhibitions throughout France, Switzerland, Italy and England. William and Ellen began building the collection that would become the Walters Art Gallery. This gallery, now referred to as the Walters Art Museum, is still in operation today.

As a side note, I would recommend spending a little more attention to the packaging of your bottles or glass for shipment. The process has become a little unstable, and more packages are arriving late, and in some instances, damaged like this one was. If not for the “box within a box” packaging, this bottle (which might be the only whole example) would be in pieces. It has survived for 160-plus years through thick and thin. That is not going to change on my watch.

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Michael George earlyglass@gmail.com

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Recently discovered rare Baltimore survivors!