Vol. 17 No. 4
www.FOHBC.com
Fall 2006
The official publication of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors
Bottles and Extras National Show in Reno A Big Success!
WANTED: ST. LOUIS AND ILLINOIS BOTTLES COLORED ST. LOUIS SODAS 1) C. Abel, St. Louis, olive green/citron/cobalt. 2) R&J Adams Druggist, cobalt/citron. 3) Beck & Zeisler, citron/green. 4) P. Bermingham & Co., citron/green. 5) Brandon & Feasby Camp Spring, citron/green. 6) J. Cairns & Co., cobalt/teal/citron/robin egg blue. 7) J. Cairns Block & Co., blue. 8) C. Timmerman & Block, citron/teal/blues. 9) D. Colver, all colors. 10) Mineral Water by Hassinger & OʼBrien, green/citron. 11) Hassinger & Petterson, green/citron/blue. 12) W. Hassinger & J. Petterson, teal. 13) D.H. Hedges, black glass. 14) E. Lester, cobalt/teal/robin egg blue. 15) McCloud & Wheaton Druggist Chemists, cobalt. 16) M&W, St. Louis, ten pin shape, aqua/teal/green. 17) G. McLean, citron/teal. 18) Mineral Water by John or J. Petterson, citron/teal. 19) C.W. Schliper Soda Water, teal/citron/blues. 20) C. Schields, citron/green/blues. 21) Sinnott & Smyth, cobalt. 22) C.H. Timmerman & H. Grone, teal/cobalt. Aqua St. Louis sodas: 1) Allen & Co. Champion Bottling Co. 2) Champion Bottling Co. 3) Doerner & Scharding South St. Louis. 4) Doerner & Scharding, Carondalet, Mo. 5) Henry Froeggʼs Italian Lemonade. 6) H. Grone gravitating stopper w/John Matthews on base. 7) B.R. Lippincott gravitating stopper. 8) Arch D. Matthews gravitating stopper. 9) T.I. Reighenbach. 10) Enno Sanders gravitating stopper. 11) St. Louis Bottling Co. 12) Wake & Co. 13) Jno. Weaver. 14) Wetter & Christen. 15) S&J Zeisler. 16)Mass & Schlisler.
Contact: THEO ADAMS 3728 Fair Oaks Dr. Granite City, IL 62040 Ph: (618) 451-5622 or (618) 781-4806 E-mail: hutchsoda@aol.com.
Illinois Sodas: 1) A. Yoerger & Bro, Alton, Ill., paneled/teal/citron. 2) A&F.X. Joerger, Alton, Ill., aqua/blob top. 3) H.E. Ruppert, Alton, Ill., aqua/blob top. 4) J. Weisbach, Alton, Ill., pontil & smooth base blob. 5) G.N. Clark, Belleville, Ill., pontil blob. 6) J.N. Clark, Belleville, Ill., pontil blob. 7) Joseph Fischer, Belleville, Ill., blob top. 8) J. Fisher & Rogger, Belleville, Ill., blob top. 9) Fisher & Abegg, Belleville, Ill., blob top. 10) A. Koob, Belleville, Ill., blob top/amber/aqua. 11) F. Stolz, Belleville, Ill., blob top pontil. 12) L. Abegg, Belleville, Ill., blob top. 13) L. Abeggʼs Soda Manufactory, Belleville, Ill., blob. 14) H.l Baierlein, Collinsville, Ill., blob top. 15) John Gundlach, Columbia, Ill., blob top. 16) Gross & Fleischman, Darmstadt, Ill., blob top. 17) Christ Gross, Darmstadt, Ill., blob top. 18) J.H. Sanders & Co., DArmstadt, Ill., blob top. 19) E. Schroeder, East St. Louis, Ill., cobalt/robin egg blue. 20) Darmstatter, Freeburg, Ill., blob top. 21) H. Burger, Frogtown, Ill., blob top. 22) C.H. Heiligenstein, Freeburg, Ill., blob top/Hutch. 23) Mueller & beck, Highland, Ill., blob top. 24) J. Amsler & S. Amsler, Highland, Ill., blob top. 25) Weber & Mueller, Highland, Ill., blob top. 26) F. Herrold, Mascoutah, Ill., blob top. 27) A. Koob, Mascoutah, Ill., blob top. 28) Chas. Fischer, Millstadt, Ill, blob top. 29) Bayet & Williams, OʼFallon, Ill., amber/aqua/blob top. 30) St. Jacob Bottling Works, St. Jacob, Ill., blob top. 31) St. Jacob b/w Wm. Noelsner Hutch, blob top. 32) L. Abegg, Waterloo, Ill., blob top. 33) Geo De Puyt, Waterloo, Ill., pontil/green/aqua. St. Louis Pontil Inks: 1) Snow & Quirk. 2) J.S. Dunham, St. Louis, pontil round. 3) R.B. Snow. Miscellaneous Bottles and Jugs: 1) Korf & Zeisler, St. Charles, Mo., blob top. 2) N. Holder Saloon, Brooklyn, Ill. 3) J.D. Freeman, pontil medicines. 4) St. Louis pontil medicines. St. Louis Ales and Ciders: 1) Levanʼs & Bro., amber/teal/aqua. 2) Call with other ones for sale. Illinois Ales and Ciders: 1) C. Lutt & Co., East St. Louis, Ill., olive green. 2) E. Schroeder, East St. Louis, Ill., green/aqua. 3) All bottles from Venice, Madison, Brooklyn & Granite City, Ill.
The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors
Bottles and Extras
Vol. 17 No. 4
Fall 2006
No. 168
Table of Contents Bottle Buzz................................................2 Recent Finds..............................................6 FOHBC Officer Listing 2006-2008............7 President’s Message...................................8
The Dating Game: Tracking Down the Illusive Monogram - Carl Conrad & Co., Olean Glass Works (Co.) and a Man Named O’Hara Bill Lockhart..................................38
Nasty Words and Nifty Whiskies Jack Sullivan.............................68
A New Idea for Ink Bottles - Paper Ed and Lucy Faulkner....................48
The Oldest “3-IN-ONE-OIL” Container Cecil Munsey............................75
Poisonland Mike Dickman................................50
Soda Fountains - Part III Don Yates..................................76
Nevada’s Top 25 Ralph Van Brocklin........................52
Diggin’ Tennessee Mike Barbara............................78
Random Shots Robin R. Preston............................58
Membership Information.........................82
The Picture Perfect Drug Store Joe Terry...................................72
Regional Reports........................................9 An Unlikely Find Barry L. Bernas.........................13 A New Find Barry L. Bernas.........................16 The Arabia Bottles Charles Harris...........................20 Reno, Nevada - August, 2006 - The FOHBC National Show - A Lucky Day! Ralph Van Brocklin (and others)...............................22
Classified Ads and Ad Rate Information...83 Cows on Potlids Bruce Pynn....................................62
FOHBC Show-Biz Show Calendar Listings............87
Veterinary Roundtable: Dr. F.K. Hubbard The Hunt for a Mystery Man Michael Smith................................65
Cover photo: Benecia colored bottle display by the Auburn 49er Bottle Club. Photos sent by Tom and Barbara Moniz.
WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT THE MAGAZINE? CHANGE OF ADDRESS, MISSING ISSUES, etc., contact the business manager: June Lowry, 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083; Ph: (816) 318-0160 or E-mail: osubuckeyes71@aol.com To ADVERTISE, SUBSCRIBE or RENEW a subscription, see PAGES 82-83 for DETAILS. To SUBMIT A STORY, send a LETTER TO THE EDITOR or have COMMENTS and concerns, Contact: Kathy Hopson-Sathe, Bottles and Extras Editor, 341 Yellowstone Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732 Phone: (423) 737-6710 or E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com BOTTLES AND EXTRAS (ISSN 1050-5598) is published quarterly (4 Issues per year) by the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. (a nonprofit IRS C3 educational organization) at 1021 W. Oakland Avenue, #109, Johnson City, TN 37604, (423) 282-5533; Website: http://www.fohbc.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Johnson City, TN 37601. Pub #005062. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bottles and Extras, FOHBC, 1021 W. Oakland Ave, #109, Johnson City, TN 37604. Phone: 423-913-1378. The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. assumes no responsibility for products and services advertised in this publication. The names: Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., and Bottles and Extras, are registered ® names of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., and no use of either, other than as references, may be used without expressed written consent from the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. Certain material contained in this publication is copyrighted by, and remains the sole property of, the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., while others remain property of the submitting authors. Detailed information concerning a particular article may be obtained from the Editor. Printed by Central Plains Book Mfg. Co., Winfield, Kansas 67156.
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Fall 2006
Bottle Buzz
News, Notes, Letters, etc.
Send Buzz Notes to: Kathy Hopson-Sathe at: kathy@thesodafizz.com or write: Buzz Notes, 341 Yellowstone Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732
September 18, 2006 My wife Elizabeth and I enjoyed a wonderful week in and around Elsecar, South Yorkshire, England when we attended the UK Summer National Antique Bottle Show in July. We wish to commend Alan Blakeman, his daughter Becky, Alan Key, and everyone else at BBR Auctions for a terrific show. The quality and variety of antique British glass were truly mind-blowing. The Codswallop Bottle Museum at the Elsecar Heritage Center is an educational treat for any bottle collector. It was great to see our friends David Van Loon and Richard Womersley (aka “The Grim Diggers”), Iain Gosling, and other English and Scottish collectors we have met at American shows. We made new friends with others who do not regularly attend bottle shows here in the States. Most notable were David and Christine Barker, who graciously invited us into their home to view David’s astonishing collection of sealed and dated black glass and other early bottles. David’s detailed knowledge of the pieces in his collection was most impressive. It was truly an evening my wife and I will always remember. On another evening, Steven Homewood shared stories and artifacts from his diggings…and then overwhelmed us by giving us a collection of bottlenecks he had uncovered! We also want to express our appreciation for the warmth and generosity of Alan and his staff. From the pre-trip accommodation advice via email, to the collective take-out supper in the BBR auction room, to the personal tour of the nearby Peak District, Alan and his “mates” were incredibly welcoming and congenial. We felt like we were part of the family! I sincerely encourage more American bottle collectors to do themselves the favor of experiencing the UK Summer National and English bottle-collecting in general. My wife and I cannot wait to go back next
year! We hope to see Jim and Janice Hagenbuch, Ralph Finch, Jonathan Melnick, and perhaps many new faces who wish to broaden their scope of early glass collecting. Yours truly, Cary & Elizabeth Adelman Chicago, Ill. cary@mcihispeed.net Greetings, We are a small mining supply office and we all dig /collect some kind of bottle or jar and don’t really know who to address this e-mail to. We take turns going to the post office and the one who happens to pick up the latest issue of Bottles and Extras gets to read through it first. We really think FOHBC is the best thing going for the bottle collector. Thanks for doing a great job. We just received the Summer issue and have a question. Where is the cartoon? We liked the addition of a little humor and were wondering what the ‘Digger Dudes’ had gotten into for this issue. What happened and who is the artist? Regards, Bob ‘Bimal’ Paul ‘Pontil’ Randy ‘Blob Top’ Hari ‘Hutch’ Such an interesting group of guys! And what made it more interesting is the name on the e-mail that sent it: John Akers. I blinked and looked again. Why? They had asked who did the cartoon - and the name of our elusive Summer issue cartoon artist is none other than: John Akers. What a coincidence! The Summer issue was packed from page to page - with no room for the cartoon, to our mining group’s dismay. I have assured them that a John Aker’s original will appear in this issue - and it does, in fact, two of them. Kathy
Bottles and Extras JAMES HARVEY YOUNG James Harvey Young, a social historian of American medicine who wrote engaging studies of fraud, dubious cures and health Quackery and later chronicled the birth of federal food regulation, died July 29 in Atlanta from complication of a stroke, according to his family. He was 90. Dr. Young, an emeritus professor of history at Emory University, wrote two volumes on the study of drugs and therapeutic devices of the sort once hawked at sideshows and through mail-order catalogs. In “The Toadstool Millionaires: A Social History of Patent Medicines in America Before Federal Regulation” (1961), he addressed the laxatives, tonics and other concoctions “often mixed with a strong dose of alcohol” that were popular in the 19th century and he profiled their salesmen. A second volume, “The Medical Messiahs: A Social History of Health Quackery in Twentieth-Century America” (1967) continued the trend and covered false cures for cancers and other illnesses. The book also touched on a subject that became the focus of Dr. Young’s work on the history and development of federal standards for food and medicines. Dr. Young looked at milk, oleomargarine, canned pork and beef as carriers of food-borne, and the public’s growing demand for regulatory control of food quality. The result was “Pure Food: Securing the Federal Food and Drugs Act of 1906” (1989), which examined federal oversight to the 1950s. Todd I. Savitt, a historian and a professor of medical humanities at East Carolina University, said Dr. Young “allowed us to smile at the past and its imperfections without deriding it.” In other work, Dr. Young wrote about the early history of Georgia. He was a former president of the Southern Historical Association. James Harvey Young was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He joined Emory as an instructor in 1941 and remained there his entire career. He served as chairman of the history department from 1958 to 1966 and retired in 1984. In 1982, the American Association for the History of Medicine awarded him its William H. Welch Medal.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
3 teachers, troop leaders and other educators to share a living view of San Diego’s history. Note: This is an excellent program that any of America’s numerous bottle clubs could produce in their program. For more information on the center, visit: www.sandiegoarchaeology.org
San Diego Archaeological Center offers hands-on learning By: Eleanor Roberts
EAST MEETS WEST: Eastern bitters king Ted Krist of Ohio, left, and Richard Siri met at the recent Rochester, N.Y., bottle show. Here they discuss an amber Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters that belongs to Richard’s brother, Ted. (The Cassin’s once held the record for the most expensive bottle sold.)
August 27, 2006 The Reno National show was the best show ever! Everyone seemed to be having a blast and many great bottles were changing hands I hear. I was at Denver in 2000 too and since then, I hadn’t attended too many shows. The Reno National was so well run - and at a great casino hotel. The room had super lighting and displays that made everyone drool. The quality of the bottles for sale was also better than could of been imagined. I was lucky to get two nice Hostetter’s Bitters to add to my colored collection at very reasonable prices. For some reason there were a lot of Hostetters in black and green and all shades and they were selling well! Blob top sodas from all over, not just Western but also in colors, were very popular it seemed, with many collectors looking at mine and buying some. Not as many were for sale as I had hoped though. This was the most fun of any show and has greatly renewed my interest and I hope never to miss another National show! To all who helped make this happen I want to say a BIG thank you! James Campiglia
SAN PASQUAL VALLEY – Wearing a pith helmet and a camouflage hat, two young explorers crept down the long corridors of the San Diego Archaeological Center on a recent Saturday and disappeared. A short time later, they were found digging through sand and uncovering stone tools, pottery and arrowheads in one of three “dig boxes” at the archaeology center, a kind of interactive museum on San Pasqual Valley Road, about 1 1/2 miles east of the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The center holds a collection of artifacts taken from more than 17,000 sites in San Diego County, providing a unique resource where students can pursue their interest in local history spanning more than 10,000 years. Activities such as the dig boxes, created originally as an Eagle Scout project supervised by the San Diego Archaeology Society and with the help of members of the San Diego Bottles & Collectible Club, also create lots of fun for visiting students. The boxes hold not only ancient artifacts, but also early examples of tribal pottery, along with old bottles, relics, and gold-rush-era treasure. When young explorers uncover something significant, they are given the chance to speak with a real archaeologist. The children are typically guided through a series of questions, including “what do you think this artifact is” and “how would this have been used” to enable them to understand what they have unearthed. To keep all ages interested, there are simple questions for the younger diggers, and questions that need a bit more thinking for older participants. The center also provides specialized education programs for students, as well as talks by visiting scholars. Through its Project Archaeology program, experts train
Baytown, Texas Texas has three different bottles considered bitters bottles, one from San Antonio, one from Navasota and last from Courtney, Texas. The first two are expensive and hard to find, but the one from Courtney is easier to get. I did buy all three the weekend of the Houston Bottle Show. There are three different Courtneys in different colors: amber is the most common, green is super rare and yellow is super, super rare.
The first bottle shown is the F. Stresau in amber, second is the F. Stresau in green and the third bottle is G & F Stresau in light yellow amber. Doyle Bailey dpbottleman@yahoo.com Note: Thanks to Doyle for sharing these with us. It is a shame I could not include these bottles in color, as they are beautiful examples, especially the last one - a lovely shade of yellow with a touch of amber. Contact me by email for thumbnails of the color photos if you would like to see them for yourself.
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The Stolen Bottles Story ...from Jeff Wichman A California bottle collector recently came home to a broken front door and ransacked house after a burglar had broken in while he was gone. The collector was stunned to find many of his prized bottles gone. He immediately called the police who took a report. The victim spent the night wondering how, why and, most of all, who? The story was just beginning. The victim of the multi-thousand dollar theft was left wondering how someone could have known he had a collection to begin with, let alone how he knew he wouldn’t be home. Also, how he could have been so brazen to kick in the front door with neighbors nearby. Had the thief been casing his house? He had to be a large man just to kick in the door. And maybe the scariest question of all, was he coming back? All these questions continued to bother the victim and, although he had little hope of seeing his bottles again, he called antiques shops in his area and contacted American Bottle Auctions (ABA), an antique bottle auction house in Sacramento, Calif. The owner of the auction house received an email listing of all the missing bottles the next week, which was followed up with a phone call from the victim. The victim explained the dread he was going through, trying to piece the puzzle together and his concern for other collectors; was this person going to strike again? American Bottle Auctions’ owner told him he would be on the lookout for any bottles that came their way. So, that was that, or was it? The next week the auction house owner had been down to Santa Barbara to check out a bottle collection. On his way back, he called his office and checked for messages. He was told a man had some bottles and wanted to sell them. He wrote down his phone number and called the cell phone. The man said he had been collecting bottles since he was a kid and was getting married. He said he needed to sell some bottles for a down payment on a house for his bride and himself. The owner asked him what he had for sale and the man mentioned a few pieces. The owner told the caller that he could meet him the next day, Saturday. He agreed that they would meet at ABA’s downtown office and see if they could strike a deal. The next day, the owner got to his office around 11:30 a.m. It was very hot out and he wanted to cool the office a little before his guest arrived. He walked into the office and the phone rang. It was the bottle seller, “Where was he?” the seller wanted to know. The owner responded that he thought the meeting was at noon. The seller agreed that it was and he was early. “Can I come up now?” he asked the owner. “Sure,” he answered, “I’ll come down and unlock the door.” In a couple minutes, the groom-to-be stood in the showroom holding a plastic tub filled with cloth-covered bottles. He sat the tub on a table and talked incessantly about the bottles, where he found them, how he had collected them all his life, he never stopped talking. The owner reached into the tub and pulled the first bottle out and uncovered it. It was a black Hostetter’s Bitters in nice condition. He then pulled out another, then another and,
within a minute, he knew what was going on. It all fit. This man didn’t know much about bottles for someone who collected them his whole life. And, more importantly, every bottle was coming back to the owner’s mind in the form of the list that had been e-mailed to him — the list of stolen bottles. The owner didn’t know what to do. How could he have been so stupid? The guy never sounded right, so why didn’t he have a plan? His first thought was to tell the guy he needed to talk to his business partner in private, so he walked outside and called his friend. He whispered to him that a guy was here with all the stolen bottles. His friend asked him what he was going to do. “I don’t know, that’s why I’m calling you!” he exclaimed. “Maybe you should call the police,” he said. “Well, yeah, but now? How can I with him here?” “Maybe I can call for you,” his friend replied. “I’ll think about it and call you back,” the owner finally whispered. He walked back in the office, looking into the seller’s eyes to see if he suspected that he knew these were stolen bottles. He didn’t appear riled. “Well,” he told the guy, “what you have here is about $2,500 worth of bottles.” The owner was still wondering what to do. He knew two things and only two things. One, he had to find out this guy’s name. Second, he couldn’t let him just walk out with the bottles. He couldn’t stand the thought of telling the victim he’d seen his bottles but let the guy go. After another couple minutes of continuous babble from the seller, the owner simply said, “The best I can do is $2,000.” The owner had thought about just buying them, but the seller had told him they were worth $45,000 on the phone the day before. Was this guy violent? He seemed okay. Dressed in white Dockers and a fairly dressy black shirt, he felt sweat accumulating under his own shirt now. If this guy is a criminal, would he get violent if the owner told him he knew the bottles were stolen? “Isn’t there some kind of rule that shop owners go by in these situations?” he thought to himself. The owner didn’t have much cash but decided to go ahead and see if the guy would take a check. “All I have is a check if you’ll take the $2,000. I couldn’t get cash until Monday,” he said. Wait a minute, the owner thought. He could maybe get the guy to come back and meanwhile have the police there waiting for him. But would he really want to get into that? What if the guy got suspicious? No, he thought, just hope the guy takes a check. It’s Saturday and he can’t cash it until Monday anyway. Besides, you can cancel the check before Monday and let the police know, meanwhile, he thought. “Okay, I’ll take a check,” the guy muttered. The owner was now feeling queasy, not knowing if he’d done the right thing or not. Then, one last idea hit him. Ask the guy for a drivers license and get his address. “If I type in your address on the check, they’re easier to cash,” the owner said to him nervously, wondering if he’d just blown it. “No problem,” the seller said, handing him his license. In a minute or
Bottles and Extras two, the guy was gone, the bottles were in the office and the owner was on the phone leaving a message with the bottle’s owner. Next, he called the police who said they would get back to him. He thought of canceling the check right away but then thought it would look too suspicious. “Besides, he can’t cash it until Monday anyway,” he said to himself. Later that night, the bottle owner called the auction owner and was delighted to learn his bottles had been recovered. “Did you get his name,” he wanted to know. “Not only his name but his address,” the owner replied. “Fantastic! I’ll get back to you after I talk to the detective who is handling the case,” he told the auctioneer. The next couple of days were filled with phone calls… calls from the police, the detective and all the ramblings that occur when something like this happens. The auction owner thought everything was fine until he found out that the check had been cashed that same Saturday. “Oh, well,” he thought. “I’ll get it back. Besides, if the thief didn’t cash it, there wouldn’t have been a crime,” he thought. Soon, he was identifying a picture of the thief… not an easy task with a three-year-old picture to go from. A call to the detective said that they were preparing to arrest the man. It seemed he might have a drug problem and had been involved in other incidents, not unlike this one. The detective was cautious about revealing too much information. A couple days later, when all the information had been confirmed, the detective called the burglar to tell him they happened to have a video of him breaking into the victim’s house. He told him that the neighbor had installed a hidden video camera on his front porch and he was easily identified from it. The thief bought the phony story, broke down and admitted everything. The detective had obviously done that before, it worked. They arrested him. They brought him to jail, where he is still staying, awaiting a deal with the prosecutor. The detective told the auction owner that they had recovered $600. But, he also said that it would be a while before he saw any compensation, since they couldn’t release any money until the burglar was sentenced. The victim agreed to pay the auctioneer the two grand and wait for the other money to be released. He had his bottles back (which were worth way more than $2,000) and, better yet, the culprit who invaded his castle was sitting in jail. This is a true story and it is being published for a few reasons… not the least of which is to let bottle collectors know that stuff like this is happening. Many collectors don’t think people would steal bottles since they have their own “fingerprint” in the bubbles and crudity inherent to antique glass. But thieves do take bottles and collectors should make sure they’re collections are secure and, most of all, insured. The owner of these bottles did have insurance, but he also had a $1,000 deductible. Still, not a bad investment since the thief left a number of much more valuable bottles behind for some reason. Another reason for this story is a question. What would you have done had you been in the place of the auctioneer?
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
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American Bottle Auctions Shatters World Record Rare Bogardus Glass Target Ball Brings $17,000
In the first of what may be the beginning chapter of the sale of the Alex Kerr collection of Glass Target Balls, a new world’s record was made with the first ten balls selling in an American Bottle Auctions (ABA) July 5th auction for a total of over $45,000. Alex Kerr was part of the famous Kerr Glass Company and had amassed a collection of fruit jars that would make a veteran collector blush. What was not entirely known was the extent of the treasured collection of glass target balls he had acquired over a 50 year, or so, span. ABA began learning this world class marksman, author, collector, and more importantly, researcher and historian had spent years-assembling information on target balls. Alex was a pioneer in so many ways, much like glass pioneers Charles Gardner and Helen McKearin. His interest in glass target balls surpassed that of even the most ardent collector. For those still wondering what a target ball was…they were approximately 3" round spheres, thrown in the air with a special contraption for the sportsmen, or marksmen of the day. Manufactured in the mid 1870s, they were only made for about 30 years, maybe less, as the clay pigeon became popular. One of the “throwers” from the 1870s sold for $3520 in the same auction.
very clear about what the piece was.” The previous record for a target ball sold at auction was over $14,000 (for a rare Sure Break ball). Regarding the world’s record Bogardus, the buyer continued, “I just wanted that ball. Everybody’s got his or her thing, we have a big thing for the Bogardus balls. I have some really nice Bogardus balls, but this is the one I didn’t have (one of two known examples, the other Bogardus ball is not nearly as clearly embossed). I think it’s a great looking ball. I would rate this Bogardus Gallery ball as the Holy Grail of Bogardus balls. On the whole, consider it the very top Bogardus. The Bogardus balls in general hold their value because of their appeal to other collectors. They all want a Bogardus.” Other balls that sold in the last American Bottle Auctions auction included a few near records…a Johnston target ball that is a rare and desirable “advertising ball”as well as a glass sphere that has more advertising than most billboards. “That Johnston ball (pictured on the right, sold for $7700) was a great ball, the sodium spot didn’t bother me at all,” said the top prizewinner. “It’s in-making and the imperfection was done originally. I would consider it right up there with the rarest balls ever found. In the top ten balls at least.” Another anonymous bidder who won the hobnailed Bogardus had this to say
about the auction, “I think the auction was great, the duration of one week of bidding is more than enough. The only thing I would do differently is announcing it a little earlier.” Regarding the prices, he said “I think the prices were totally realistic, which shows an exceptional strength in the target ball market.” On the record setting Bogardus, “I expected it to go for more money.” American Bottle Auctions also set a world’s record for the most ever paid for any bottle at auction. In 1995, they sold a Bryant’s Stomach Bitters for $68,750. American Bottle Auctions website can be found at www.americanbottle.com .
FYI Notes
American Bottle Auctions talked to the winner (who wished to remain anonymous) of the record setting ($17,000 with buyers premium) Bogardus bottom embossed ball (pictured above) and he had this to say, “I thought it was a very well run auction. It was on the Internet the right amount of time and the streaming videos were an excellent touch.” The buyer added, “It was very descriptive (the website description), it was
Embossed BOTTLE MADE FOR HUTCHINSONS PATENT SPRING STOPPER (in circle slug plate) with no other embossing anywhere came up on eBay recently. Seller described it as: hand blown; hand applied blob collar; aqua; 6 1/2" tall; a dug bottle with some haze and surface wear; only damage is a ding vertical in top of lip. This bottle still has the original wire loop stopper. A sample bottle? After 18 bids, it ended for $201.
I am not sure how often one of these comes up on eBay, live auction or otherwise, but this one needed no description, - only the photo. This light yellow olive “Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters bottle” attracted about a dozen online bidders as well as live auction floor bidders - to bring her ending price to $9000 (+ 20% BP). (It was an online bidder who won her.)
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Recent Finds In the Summer issue of Bottles and Extras I reported a previously unknown half-pint coffin flask which had been dug by Gary Ingle in Ukiah, California. This flask is embossed E. H. HANJES & BRO / EH&B monogram / ELLIS & JONES STS / S.F. Review of the San Francisco directories show no listings for the Hanjes family prior to 1880. In the 1882 directory we find E. H. Hanjes selling cigars and tobacco at 305 California Street through 1885, when the listing changes to Eide H. Hanjes. In 1886 E. Herman Hanjes is noted as a clerk for Eide H. Hanjes and in 1887 the listings change to include August F. Hanjes with Edie H. Hanjes as Hanjes Bros, selling groceries and liquors at the SW corner of Taylor and O’Farrell. Edie H. also has maintained his separate establishment dealing in cigars and tobacco at 305 California. In the 1888 and 1889 directories, the listings remain the same except that the establishment on California Street now has the address 305 1/2. This is significant because overlapping the period of time that Edie H. Hanjes had a tobacco business at this address, John C. Fitschen had a liquor saloon and later a retail liquor outlet at the same address (see photo). 1890 is significant because the firm name changes to E. H. Hanjes & Bro, the partnership changes to Edie H. and Herman E. Hanjes and the address changes to 332-334 Ellis Streets. This corresponds to the flask found in Ukiah. (At this time, August F. Hanjes remains involved only in the establishment at the SW corner of Taylor and O’Farrell, a business he maintains through 1899.) The partnership of Edie H. and Herman E. Hanjes lasts only through 1892. In the 1893 directory, Edie H. is now the proprietor at 332-334 Ellis Street, as well as maintaining the business in cigars and tobacco at 305 1/2 California Street. He is no longer listed at the California Street address after this year, but maintains his business in groceries and liquors at an Ellis Street address through 1905. The earthquake of 1906 apparently ended his business. Starting in 1893, Herman E. Hanjes is found in various professions – laundry, bartending and clerking. John C. Fitschen is found at the 305 California Street address from 1880-1887 and at the 305 1/2 California Street address in directories from 1888 through 1905. He is listed in the restaurant business at a Mission Street address in the years following the earthquake. Ralph Van Brocklin
Bottles and Extras
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Federation of Historicial Bottle Collectors
Business & News The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors is a non-profit organization for collectors of historical bottles and related collectible items. Our primary goal is educational as it relates to the history and manufacture of historical bottles and related artifacts.
FOHBC Officers 2006-2008 President : Carl Sturm, 88 Sweetbriar Branch, Longwood, FL 32750-2783; Phone: (407) 332-7689; E-mail: glassmancarl@sprintmail.com First Vice-President : Fred Capozzela, 1108 Ritger St., Utica, NY 13501; Phone: (315) 724-1026; E-mail: fcapozzella@hotmail.com Second Vice-President : Richard Siri, P.O. Box 3818, Santa Rosa, CA 95402; Phone: (707) 542-6438; E-mail: rtsiri@sbcglobal.net Secretary : Ed Provine, 401 Fawn Lake Dr., Millington, TN 38053; Phone: (901) 876-3296; E-mail: ed.provine@thyssenkruppelevator.com Treasurer : Alan DeMaison, 1605 Clipper Cove, Painesville, OH 44077; Phone: (440) 358-1223; E-mail: a.demaison@sbcglobal.net Historian : Richard Watson, 10 S.Wendover Rd., Medford, NJ 08055; Phone: (856) 983-1364; E-mail: rewatson@bellatlantic.net Editor : Kathy Hopson-Sathe, 341 Yellowstone Dr., Fletcher, NC 28732; Phone: (423) 737-6710; E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com Merchandising Director : Kent Williams, 1835 Oak Terr., Newcastle, CA 95658; Phone: (916) 663-1265; E-mail: kent@altarfire.com Membership Director : Gene Bradberry, P.O. Box 341062, Memphis, TN 38184; Phone: (901) 372-8428; E-mail: genebsa@midsouth.rr.com Conventions Director : Wayne Lowry, 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083; Phone: (816) 318-0161; E-mail: JarDoctor@aol.com
Business Manager / Subscriptions: June Lowry, 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083; Phone: (816) 318-0160; E-mail: osubuckeyes71@aol.com Director-At-Large : John Pastor, 7288 Thorncrest Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301; Phone: (616) 285-7604; E-mail: jpastor2000@sbcglobal.net Director-At-Large : Sheldon Baugh, 252 W. Valley Dr., Russelville, KY 42276; Phone: (270) 726-2712; Fax: (270) 726-7618; E-mail: shel6943@bellsouth.net Director-At-Large: Cecil Munsey, 13541 Willow Run Road, Poway, CA 92064-1733; Phone: (858) 487-7036; E-mail: cecilmunsey@cox.net Midwest Region Director : Ron Hands, 386 Spring Grove Dr., Tallmadge, OH 44278, E-mail: rshands225@yahoo.com Northeast Region Director : Larry Fox, 5478 Route 21, Canandaigua, NY 14424; Phone: (585) 394-8958; E-mail: brerfox@frontiernet.net Southern Region Director : Edwin Herrold, 65 Laurel Loop, Maggie Valley, NC 28571; Phone: (941) 923-6550; E-mail: rbitters@mindspring.com Western Region Director : Bob Ferraro, 515 Northridge Dr., Boulder City, NV 89005; Phone: (702) 293-3114; E-mail: mayorferraro@aol.com Public Relations Director : James Berry, 200 Ft. Watershed Rd., St. Johnsville, NY 13452; Phone: (518) 568-5683, E-mail: max@klink.net
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Fall 2006
Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors
President’s Message Fall 2006 The list of new officers is published in this issue (on the preceeding page). I would like to thank all of you who took the time to vote. The vote was near to one third of the membership. I would also like to thank the new officers who ran for office. As you can see, we have some new faces in our directorship. We, the elected officers, are all committed to serving you, the collectors. If you should have any thoughts, either good or bad about the FOHBC, let us know. We may just be able to clarify our stand or perhaps even change it for the better. My email address is listed above. If you try to email me I have a spam blocker that will try to stop you. So, please put FOHBC or BOTTLES in the subject line and I will be sure to read it. If you contact any of the other FOHBC officers and feel that you weren’t properly taken care of, please let me know the details. The National Show in Reno seemed to go off very well. The site was fabulous with great lighting and plenty of room in the aisles, which appeared to be full both days. All available tables were filled and there were fantastic displays. A lot of the western bottles never do get displayed in the east. I can understand why, I did not display this year because of the distance involved. It requires a lot of work to get a display together, plan how you want it to look and then transport it to the site. When you see a display at ANY show, thank the displayer for going to all the trouble to set it up. Each displayer deserves it.
Awards given at the banquet were as follows: Best Newsletter: 1-”Ohio Swirl” - Ohio Bottle Club, 2. “The Whittle Mark” - L.A. Historical Bottle Club 3. “Jersey Shore Shards” - The Jersey Shore Bottle Club. Best Original Research / Information Article 1. “Battery Insulators, Oil Insulators and Cloride Accumulators” - by Charlie & Sandi Irons. 2 “Beech-Nut Packing Co.” - by Bill Heroth. 3. “Jacob Welsh/Welch” - by Bill Koster. There were no submissions for the Elmer Lester Award or the Best Show Flyer. The Board of Directors voted at the meeting in Reno to make Bottles and Extras a six issue (bi-monthly) per year magazine. We hope to start this with the January issue. This means that the magazine may be slightly smaller but you will get two additional issues per year. Kathy, our editor, will need more articles if we are to continue in this manner. So, please think about writing an article for publication in the magazine. If you think you cannot write an article, send me a rough outline of what you have and I’ll either smooth it out or get it to someone who can. You will get the credit for it, but we will help you. Our Conventions Director had two proposals for the 2007 National Show. Collinsville, Ill., just across the river from
President : J. Carl Sturm 88 Sweetbriar Branch Longwood, FL 32750 (407) 332-7689 glassmancarl@sprintmail.com
St Louis, Mo., was selected because of the great loading/unloading and parking situations. The board felt that these outweighed the slightly lower cost of the Knoxville, Tenn. proposal. The dates of the Collinsville show are the 17th to the 19th of August, 2007. Wayne Lowry also has two tentative proposals for the 2008 EXPO in the Northeast Region. They are York, Pa., and Hartford, Conn. There also was mention of another site somewhere in New Hampshire. However, nothing is firm at this time. For those members who have computers, I have recently found a Government sponsored URL which has a wealth of information. It is the Bureau of Land Management’s Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website. This site has information on the following areas: Dating, Typing Shapes, Glassmaking, Colors, Lip Finishes, Body & Seams, Bases, Fragment ID’s, References, & Links. While it is primarily geared toward the newer collector, it is an interesting read and extremely well done. Let me know what you think of it. Go here to get there: www.blm.gov/historic_bottles/index.htm. Don’t forget the Federation site on the Internet as it can be a help to you in finding show dates and connecting with other collectors. You can even put your own club’s show date on without having to send in a written request by using the online form. Start at: www.fohbc.com and use it for yourself or your club’s benefit. “Dig hard or buy wisely and watch your collection grow.”
J. Carl Sturm
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006 The IAB June meeting Show and Tell Highlights: This meeting’s theme was Central Iowa bottles (and fruit jars) and some great bottles were displayed. The tables were full of great bottles and several new bottles for the book were brought forward. Chuck Erb brought a beautiful yellow amber Keystone pint fruit jar, which he bought at a Norm Heckler Auction and a Humeston, Iowa tag sale find, a stoneware wax sealer jar debossed “L.T. STUART & Co., BLAKESBURG, IOWA.” Don Faas brought a large number of soda bottles both crown top and hutch sodas from Des Moines. Included in the hutch sodas were: “Geo. Conradi & Co.,” “Spencer & Buttler,” “ENTERPRISE,” “DE FRANCE & GASKELL,” and two “F.HARBACH,” (clear paneled base and aqua). Don’s Des Moines crown tops included: “Seth Butler,” “PONCELE,” “IMPERIAL,” “F.HARBACH,” “Geo. E. Bryan,” “ABC” (two variants), “L. STOLL,” “AMERICAN ISRALY BROS.,” “D.M. STEAM,” “PURITAN,” “E.F. WEBER’S” and “WEBER’S,” “G. GEUTFRUND,” a straight sided Des Moines Coca-Cola, and a crown top “J.B. Hahn” from Carroll, Iowa. Reggie Shoeman brought drugstore bottles from digging – a “J.R. ADAMS, DRUGGIST, LYONS, IOWA,” an “A.R. TOWNSEND, DRUGGIST, BOONE, IOWA” and an unlisted variant “G.H. WELSH, PIONEER DRUG STORE, BOONE, IOWA.” Clyde Jones brought six different shades of crown top soda bottles from Newton, embossed “M.L. Lewis & Co.,” also a “M.L. LEWIS & SON, NEWTON, IOWA” hutch soda, and a “CHERRY BLOSSOM” soda from Newton. Jerry La Baume brought a blob soda embossed “CHR. E. KLEIS, DUBUQUE, IOWA.” Keith Watson brought a soda bottle embossed “ROYAL PALM SODA, Coca-Cola, Ottumwa, Iowa,” and a “DR. PEPPER, Des Moines, Ia.” Kevin Williams, the club’s new Vice President, showed some of the 132 bottles recently dug in the former Morrison, Iowa depot privy. Tom Southard brought some great colored drugstore bottles from central Iowa. He brought a teal green “Harlan Bros., Kirkwood House Drug Store, Des Moines, Iowa,” a light teal green “McBride & Will, Drug Co., Marshalltown, Iowa” (a large one), also an amber “Mc Bride & Will, Druggists,” an amber “J.W. Hatton, Druggist, Carroll, Iowa,” an amber “Crown
Midwest Regional News
Joe Coulson 10515 Collingswood Lane Fishers, Indiana 46038 (317) 915-0665 jcoulson@leaderjar.com
Howdy again, everybody! It’s been a hot time in the Midwest this summer. The theme has been picnics, cook outs and ice cream socials. Read on to see what some of the Midwest clubs have been up to… (and as always, send those newsletters and hand-written news items in – we would love to hear from you and would like to share your news with others) Antique Bottle Club of Northern Illinois The club’s president is Dan Puzzo. The last meeting of the ABCNI was a picnic at the home of John Wilson on July 15 th. There were 13 members attending and a great time was had by all. They consumed brats, sausage, salads, sweet corn and all the trimmings. Everyone got to see all of John’s great collections, and following the meeting everyone was invited over to John Puzzo’s home to see his collections. Dorothy Furman had a few pictures of her bottle winnings from the Lake County Fair in the ABCNI August newsletter. She took a first in milks and a third. She also took a second and a third in collectible bottles. Dorothy was also fortunate to take 15 other firsts this year in Antiques and Collectibles! Iowa Antique Bottleers The IAB reported in their July newsletter that they are producing a 2006 IAB club bottle. Apparently the club has been doing this for several years. Don Faas reported that the bottles are not yet manufactured, but should be available in a few weeks. Don displayed the mold that will be used for this bottle. It will be an aqua-colored ink bottle. Inscribed on it will be “IAB 2006 Est 1967” – design of an ink bottle with a quill in it – these towns’ names will be on it – Marhsalltown, Council Bluffs, Toledo, Burlington – in commemoration of Mike Burggraaf. The mold has numerous vent holes drilled into it. The club also reported that the 19672006 IAB membership booklet is done and was available at their June meeting for pick up. The IAB is a charter member of the FOHBC!
9 Drug Store, Near Depot, Marshalltown, Iowa, R.H. Waite” with a crown, a green “J.H. Pickett, Family Chemist, Oskaloosa, Iowa,” a teal and amber “City Drug Store, J.L. Winsett & Co., Druggists, Nevada, Iowa,” a teal and amber “A.R. Townsend & Co., Druggists, Marshaltown, Iowa,” and an amber “S.E. Briggs, Druggist, mortar and pestle, Est. 1867, Nevada, Iowa.” Mike Magee mostly brought stuff he had dug recently, two “Hansen’s Drug Store, Des Moines, Iowa,” a “City Drug Store, J.H. CANON. MUSCATINE, IA,” an unlisted variant “Reppert & Co., Dispensing Pharmacists, Muscatine, Iowa,” and a very large damaged “Monrad’s Antiseptic, Face And Hand Lotion, Monrad Company, Des Moines, Iowa.” The IAB July newsletter contained a listing of city directory entries (related to Iowa bottle history) that Mike Magee found recently at the State Historical Library. These entries answer more questions on known bottles. Kevin Williams had another wonderful digging story in his column, “The Digger’s Scoop.” Maybe in a future column we can reprint some of these! Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club The KABC had been busy planning their cookout on Aug. 23rd at the Oshtemo Township Park (just west of Kalamazoo, Mich.). Their announcement read: “Hamburgs, Brats, Hot Dogs, Buns, Relish, Drinks (pop), Plates, Cups, and Plastic Dinnerware are all furnished! You may bring your favorite dish-to-pass. Also bring your favorite spouse, significant other, or even grandma! Don’t miss the fun! Bring your best summer bottle finds!” Now that sounds like a fun event to attend… Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club The MAFJBC just had their Summer Show and Sale in July at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, Ind. Father Patrick Wilhelm won the “Most Educational Award” with his display of Ball Perfection fruit jars with original closures. These jars had several rare variations of the original glass topseal lid, including a blue Muncie lid and a milkglass lid. Norman Barnett received both the “Dealers’ Choice Award” and the “People’s Choice Award” for his display of unusual ways for sealing jars. These are all early jars with original closures. Norm’s specialty is collecting early closures. Tom Caniff (editor of The Fruit Jar News) gave a short dissertation on the history of the Perfect Seal jars and
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their cousins (Instant Seal and Fresherator). These jars were sold in department stores in the 1940s. Tom does a fantastic job researching fruit jar history and making it available to the current and future generations of collectors. Rev. Phil Robinson announced that his Jar Museum in Muncie, Ind. is for sale. The asking price is $300,000 (there are over 4,000 jars). Phil said that David Rittenhouse would be taking over the jar closure parts business at some point in the future. Father Patrick Wilhelm stated that he tries to make every effort to avoid missing this twice-yearly show because of the opportunities the show regularly affords for acquiring really good fruit jars – sometimes expected and sometimes real surprises. Just such a surprise was the BALL PERFECT MASON “FIERY CROSS” jar that he took home to New Jersey from the July show. The Ball / Minnetrista fruit jar museum has had the broken base of a FIERY CROSS jar in its exhibits for over 30 years, but until now it appears that no complete jar has ever been found. Father Patrick is wondering what will turn up at the next Muncie show in January. Ohio Bottle Club The July issue of the Ohio Swirl reports that they had a well attended meeting (62 members). Adam Koch repeated a warning previously given by member Bill Koster: “Do not go privy digging by yourself.” Adam said that veteran digger Bruce DeSantis recently was in Wheeling, West
Virginia in a 12-to-13-foot hole, when it collapsed and buried him over his head with sand. His two digging partners immediately jumped in and rescued him. He’s okay, but said that when he was covered, he absolutely could not move any part of his body. The club was relieved to know that Bruce is all right. The program for the OBC’s July meeting was “Bitters Bottles,” introduced by Adam and presented by Ted Krist. Adam said that this club is fortunate to include top collectors in many fields who are willing to share with the club. Ted Krist is one of the top bitters collectors in the country. Ted said that few bottles can match bitters for varieties. These bottles, made from 1822 to 1906, contained alcohol with roots and herbs. There were a lot of stomach bitters; most claimed to “cure” just about everything. The 1906 Food and Drug Act, and later, Prohibition, wiped out these companies. James Thompson is the person who categorized bitters, with 5,000 and more known bitters. Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham wrote an excellent book, BITTERS BOTTLES, and later a supplement to it. Ted looks at color, form, condition – the shape of the bottle, the strike crispness, and if embossing is bold or weak. He said that most collectors look at the character of the bottle; most like whittles, bubbles, wobbly lips – the cruder the better; he (unlike some others) doesn’t mind stains. Damage does affect the value of the bottle, but he’ll live
with some damage if the bottle is rare. Ted presented a beautiful array of bitters bottles, starting with Figurals: Indian Herb Bitters, amber; Vegetable group – corn, amber, very scarce; Reed’s Bitters – “lady’s leg,” amber; Seaworth’s Bitters from Cape May, New Jersey, rare (16-35 known); Fish Bitters – clear (he also has this one in six other colors); Old Homestead Wild Cherry Cabin Bitters with clapboard, amber; and Berkshire Bitters, pig, 1873-1888, amber. Ted also showed Barrel Bitters: Old Sachem Bitters, in green, pink, aqua, and butterscotch, all in the rare category; Roback’s Bitters, olive, only 6-15 examples. Regional Bitters: Mexican Bitters, rectangle, extremely rare, with less than six known; Constitution Bitters, Western New York, olive yellow; Ted also brought the Benders Bitters Semi-Cabin, with no logs, no shingles, amber – the only one known. The last category was Civil War Bitters: Stonewall Jackson Bitters; Traveler’s Bitters (Traveler was Robert E. Lee’s horse); and Barlow’s Great Gun Bitters, cannon, amber. Ted showed more bitters bottles than listed here. He said that he likes the word “Bitters” embossed on the bottle. He does not dig; he said he’d have to dig a million privies to find one of these. He started collecting in 1978, but now bitters are harder to find. All the club members in attendance applauded their thanks for this presentation!
since 1905. This does not give us the bragging rights about local old embossed bottles that advertised our town businesses. Oh yes, we have the “Best By A Damsite” Coca-Cola bottle and several dairy embossed milk bottles, but we are limited in strictly Las Vegas bottles. At one time, we had access to digging in the old abandoned mining sites, ghost towns and RR beds, and the city dumpsin central Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns most of Nevada and were we once dug, is now posted. We had a dilemma as how to keep this band of enthusiastic bottle diggers intact. The comradery that had developed in 1965 had to be preserved. And preserve we did! We encouraged our members to show and tell the other 101 members the other collectibles we were so engrossed in
collecting. Our current club roster of applications show that we have at least ten full-time collectors of Nevada bottles, sodas, figural bitters and whiskeys, and canning jars. The Las Vegas Club has been a member of the FOHBC since the earliest days of 1965.
Western Regional News
Dottie Daugherty 3901 E. Stewart #19 Las Vegas, NV 89110-3152 (702) 452-1263 ddandlv@aol.com
Las Vegas Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club The Punkin Seed, Dottie & Dick Daugherty, editors Greetings from Las Vegas. When I sit and read the beautiful and colorful Bottles and Extras magazine, I wonder how does B&E fit into our Las Vegas club. We are probably 90% different from other collector clubs, not only in the Western region, but in all of the U.S. We are a young town here in Southern Nevada. We have been in existence only
Bottles and Extras
Today we are mostly the “extras” in Bottles and Extras To give an idea of where the LV extras are, we have 101 members who live here in the LV area, three members in Hawaii, ten members in California, three members in Arizona, two members in Ohio, one in Colorado, two in Illinois, four in Utah, two in Vermont, three outside of LV, but in Nevada. Our collecting interests are: Desert Sands and Pinto Pottery (Nevada pottery), casino collectibles, canning jars, ashtrays, coins, postcards, cruets, primitives,
Bottles and Extras kerosene lamps, lanterns, sun-colored glass, Heisey glass, Zippo lighters, comic books, sports cards, dolls, black cats, old purses, buttons, beads, coin-operated machines, toys, nodders, cookie cutters, flo blue, foot warmers, watches, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, liquor decanters, Victorian bar pins, RR collectibles, records, napkin rings, dog tags, baggage claims, Depression glass, insulators, butter pats, chamber pots (yes, I said chamber pots), guitar picks, banks, Fostoria, hat pins, vintage jewelry, Nevada collectibles, old advertising tins, bottles, signs, etc. And many more things, too many to list. The above is so lengthy that I know the readers will not absorb all the named collectibles that we collect since antique bottles were put off limits to us locally. Some of the early members are still adding to their shelves and cabinets thanks to shows, eBay, malls and Bottles and Extras. Our meetings have guest speakers and displays that cover many areas of our collectibles hobby. One speaker who collects shaving items displayed his old razors, blades, etc. Another one showed hsi early Miller Beer bottles and told the history of the Miller Brewing Company. Another time, we had a display and speaker who talked about electric cash register moving signs. Another time, we had piggy banks. Another time, fishing lures. We had a speaker from The Southern Nevada Historical Museum talking about the collectibles of early Las Vegas. A favorite program was about advertising toys. We are diversified and we are a club that keeps the fun in collecting. Our club meets every month of the year, except December when we have a Christmas dinner where each and every member brings a toy for tots that we take to the Marines for their annual distribution of “Toys for Tots.” Be sure to mark your calendar January 19-20, 2007 when we once again present our annual show with the best of collectibles and the best of collectors. See our ad in this issue of Bottles and Extras. ABCC of Colorado Dump Diggers Gazette, Donald Hunt, editor With envy, we can report some information that was in the summer edition of this Colorado club, “A Club Dig.” At a site that couldn’t be revealed until final plans are made, The Lake County Commissioners have granted permission to the ABCC to have a Club Dig on a small parcel of County land very close to
Fall 2006 Leadville. This dig is scheduled for late August and only club members will be allowed to participate in the actual digging activities and sign-in forms will be required of all who attend. The Leadville area is beautiful at that time of year and you do not even have to dig bottles to enjoy the scenery. The newsletter says, “start making plans to free up your calendar and get some fresh air and exercise at 10,000 feet above sea level.” Yes, we envy the Colorado club for having the area available to take part in club digs. Good luck! Golden Gate Historical Society The Corker, Darla Antone, editor This club is on hiatus until October. Their summer newsletter included an explanation of one of the colors that are not seen too often in our bottles. “Had any trouble with describing colors lately? You aren’t the first! What color is PUCE?” Many people have looked at a puce-colored suit, dress, or old antique bottle, and exclaimed at its drabness. Few people know of the word’s origin. Marie Antionette was showing off a new gown and her husband, Louis XVI, exclaimed in digust, “It’s the color of a flea.” Soon all of Paris was pleading for garments of the color that the King had baptised “puce,” which is French for “flea.” This color was duplicated in glass bottles and still remains with us today, and is described as brownish-purple. Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club The Whittle Mark, Randy Selenak, editor Many articles make their appearance in this club’s newsletter that are submitted by Blaine G. He appears to have all the earmarks of a real dedicated club member. Every editor dreams and hopes for this kind of participation. Dar Furda presented a program with displays to show some of her hometown collectibles of the rural upstate New York. Pictures, plaques, documents, advertising and her explanation of her ancestors’ farm and milk business, and the glass milk bottle collection that could date back to 1917. Her article ends with a nostalgic note that reads: “For all my research on the dairy business and the area in which I grew up, and my later years of collecting ink bottles, I have a plan to be buried in the Parma Corners Cemetery that was established in 1808, where my relatives are buried. I had my marker placed in that cemetery last summer. My marker has an antique ink bottle and
11 quill engraved on it.You might note that I am a bottle lover right to the end and beyond.” Blaine G. reports: “I recently participated in a privy dig in downtown Long Beach. This was the site of an old building that would be demolished. I researched the site using the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. Sanborn maps are an invaluable tool to find out what was on the site years ago. From 1867 to present, Sanborn made some fifty thousand maps that cover just about every major city in the U.S. (http://www.lapl.org) A current library card is required to view on line.” The Las Angeles Club has been approached by Ted Leonard from the Travel Channel to accompany the L.A. Club on a future dig and photograph and report for his TV program. Show date was Sept. 9th, Arcadia, Calif. - the site of the L.A. Historical Bottle Club’s show. For info on next year’s show: Don Wippert, 818-346-9833 or Dick Homme, 8185/362-3369. Oregon Bottle Collectors Association The Stumptown Report, Bill Bogynska, editor If you wonder “where the colors went?” you can be assured they are in Oregon. In reading the excellent minutes kept by this club secetary (the man of many hats), it is evident that the members whole-heartedly take part in the theme of the month at the meeetings. Some bring one-colored bottles that was the theme selected, others bring two- or three-, and best yet, one member brings a box full of the appropriate colored bottles named as “theme of the month.” We have read about the various shapes of the Palmer green bottles; green Emerald Oil; green Piso’s Cure; green perfumes; green ales; apple green Ball Perfect fruit jar; lime green Swayzee’s Improved Mason jar; teal green drug store bottle; emerald green Lipman Wolfe drug bottle from Portland; pontil sage green Harrison’s Columbian Ink; teal green Brewer Drug Company from Salem; olive green Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Root Kidney & Bladder Cure; amethyst insulator; blue milk glass barber bottle; blue glass bug trap; cobalt Wakelee’s Camelline; Casper Whiskey in two different shades of blue; cobalt Skookum Root Hair Grower; cornflower blue poison; cobalt Owls; sapphire blue seltzer; cobalt blue perfume; rose color seltzer from J.G. Fox, Seattle; green barrel ink. These owners of the colored bottles will
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return to reporting in September, and I bet they will have gathered more rainbow colors for their collections. Phoenix Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club The A to Z Collector, Arlene Bright, editor While the Phoenix Club was planning their summer vacation, one member reminded the members of a new car-related museum which is at Sanderson Ford on 51st Avenue in Glendale. It is not open to the public, but private showings can be arranged. Part of the display is cars, and part of related items, plus toys, soda signs and a Coke collection. Bryan Grapentine’s article on “Collecting Western Soda Bottles” contained a detailed explanation of ACL (Applied Color Label) crown top bottles that were widely used by the 1940s. Paper labels on those crown top sodas did not wear well and came off when immersed in water. The fired-on painted labels were durable, did not wash off and allowed advertising, pictures and colored graphics. Most ACLs came on clear glass, but a few can be found on amber and clear glass. ACLs with pictures are the most interesting, desirable and valuable. If this intrigues you, look for bottles with pictured labels of Indians, cowboys, pioneers, birds, animals and geographic features. In taking a hint from Cecil Munsey’s comment, “Save this ACL information for your grandkids. They are the next generation of collectors of our past in glass.” We’ll be hearing from Arlene and the
rest of our Arizona neighbors when their summer hiatus is over. Reno Antique Bottle Club Digger’s Dirt, Helene Walker, editor The Reno Club was treated to an exceedingly enjoyable program lately. Mike Peters, with his wife Ruby, drove from Auburn, Calif. to show the club their collection of bottles, artifacts and steamship china that was recovered while scuba diving How’s that for acquiring bottles for your collection? If there’s a way, a collector will find it! San Diego Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club The Bottleneck, Mike Bryant, editor President Terry Monteith always offers an interesting front page synopsis of his club, its members and their doings. He tells us that editor Mike Bryant has finished, and has published, a nice little book about the ghosts of the Whaley House, located in old town. Although short in length, it is packed with historical facts about the Whaley House. See Mike for a copy. He’ll even autograph it for you. Tom Knapik did an outstanding job to bring to the SD meeting a slide show of bottles in the four and five digit dollar figures. Another good program was presented to the club by Ed Lowe, whose name is synonymouse with insulators. July and August had no meetings. We’ll see you in the cool.
Bottles and Extras San Bernardino County Historical Bottle & Collectibles Club’s Bottle Nooz At a regular meeeting, the club enjoyed David Grossberg and Michale Hecht speakers on handwriting styles, writing instruments and accessories, papers, inks, autographs and forgeries. History can sure be interesting when it is presented in a fun way as these speakers did. The explanations of pens and how each type influenced penmanship was unique and gave all a sense of being to the period. David and Michael could have talked for an easy two hours and not repeated the same information. Sounds like a program all clubs would enjoy! This club is still smarting from the treatment they experienced from the hotel where they have been holding their annual show for years. The old story of new owners, and botched paperwork, higher fees, and not so friendly talk, caused the cancellation of their 2006 show. With no immediate new site found, they might have to wait until 2007 to have their next show. These seem to be more common happenings everywhere. We are being priced right out of show facilities. But there is an answer somewhere - and San Bernardino will find it. This ends our reports from the Western region. Until the next issue, and after the holidays are over, good luck in your seeking and remember to KEEP THE FUN IN COLLECTING Dottie D
Editorʼs NotePad The Martha Stewart Show Looking for Collectors The producers at The Martha Stewart Show have asked ACC to help them find collectors to possibly appear on their show. They are interested in collectors who have an interesting story to tell, and unusual or interesting collections to talk about. If you have someone who you feel would do a good job of representing your club, please send us their contact information and why you feel they would be a good candidate. Send to: Info@Collectors.Org
Megan Show Seeking Young Collectors The new NBC Megan Mullally Show (remember Karen from Will & Grace), is looking for young collectors to appear on the talk-variety show which started September 18. The producers want young collectors who are really “in to” their collections, excited about them, and have personalities! They are not so much interested in the traditional collecting area, i.e. coins, stamps, sports cards, but a bit more unusual. For example, we know of the kid who has a huge collection of vacuum
cleaners, and the boy with an impressive collection of string holders. If a young collector in your club comes to mind, let us know as soon as possible. We would like to pass on as many candidates as we can, plus we are continuing to get more of these types of requests as the media becomes more and more fascinated with the whole collecting area. E-mail: Info@Collectors.Org
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
13
An Unlikely Find!
shapes on the outer surface of the vertical neck.
By Barry L. Bernas You Just Never Know! According to separate listings in the Fruit Jar Annual and Red Book 9, the unmarked jar that goes with the glass cap carrying the date October 24th, 1905 is considered to be “not available” and “scarce.”1 In the last decade, I’ve only seen four of these jars.2 But yet, on a Friday afternoon in early May 2006, I came across twelve others in the Featherstone Square Antique Mall in Woodbridge, Virginia. Per the store’s manager, Rose Ksanznak, this stash had several more mates which she didn’t purchase at a dairy farm auction west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. How could a dozen of relatively uncommon packers jars go unnoticed for so long? When acquired by Ms. Ksanznak, some of these containers had paper labels on them which were hand dated in the 1960s. Inside several of them were home grown spices that had long since desiccated. Obviously, the former Pittsburgh area owner liked these odd vessels and put each to good use in her kitchen. Now thanks to this women’s interest, two sizes of a jar unknown to most collectors have been preserved. The Jar in General The jars in this group are quite unassuming by nature. They are clear in color, mostly unembossed and cylindrical in shape. Their uniqueness centers on the characteristics found in the design and make up of their finish. As far as I know, only two sizes of this container have been documented to date.3 In addition to the two new finds, this article will introduce you to one more. The Finish - Design Traits As I just mentioned, there are several underlying elements which made this region distinctive. These are: 1) a threaded area that is canted ever so slightly inward from the top of the neck to the lip; 2) no side seams throughout the threaded area; 3) a protruding vertical neck with side seams; 4) a continuous thread with a width of 1/16th inch or less that merges into the neck and 5) a “differential thread” that increased in outward limits as it spiraled downward
over the jar’s sloping threaded area before merging into the top of the neck. Of note, the five attributes I just reviewed are indigenous to several packing vessels made to be sealed by other glass covers conceived by William B. Fenn. These basic traits appear on the machine made SIMPLEX in a diamond and FLACCUS BROS. STEERS HEAD FRUIT JAR embossed models as well as the smooth lip, unembossed Sunshine packing container from the Illinois Glass Company. 4 The Finish - In Particular The dozen jars that I came across in Woodbridge plus the others that I’ve seen have at least three different styles of finishes among the examples. A picture of the each one can be seen in Figure 1. On the left-hand specimen or style 1, there is a 1/32nd of an inch wide thread that winds around the threaded area over four times before merging into the top of the vertical neck. This last component of the finish on this jar (neck) extends outward from the threaded region. On its outer surface are four geometric forms. Two are on one side of the neck with the other two directly opposite their mates on the backside of the same container part. These objects are composed of two triangular panels angled outward from the neck while resting flat against the vertical backdrop. The middle version or style 2 has a 1/ th 1 nd 16 inch wide thread vice one that was /32 of an inch in width. It goes around the threaded area for more than one turn (not four) before merging into the vertical neck. The same four triangular objects are present on the outer surface of this jar’s neck. The right-side version or style 3 has a 1 /16th of an inch wide thread which goes around the threaded region a little over one time. The difference between style 2 and this one is the absence of the four geometric
The Rest of the Jars Figure 2 contains a picture of the five jars in this series. As you can see, these packers’ vessels are straight sided. None of them have any embossing on their front or back regions. And each one has a cup bottom mold kind of base. The labeled example on the far left is 6 3/8th inches tall (without the cap). It has a style 3 finish and is 3 ½ inches in diameter. On the underneath side is a circular valve mark that is 3/4th of an inch wide. This jar holds twenty-seven and one-half ounces when filled to the lip.5 The second model in from the left is the first of my Featherstone discoveries. It is 6 7/8th inches in height. The finish under the cap on it is a style 3. Its diameter comes out to be 2 11/16th inches. On the base is a 5 th / 8 inch in diameter valve mark. This rendition can hold sixteen ounces at the lip. The middle specimen is the second of my Woodbridge finds. Its height is 5 7/8th inches. This version has a style 2 finish underneath the glass cover. Ten other counterparts from the Virginia antiques mall had a style 1 closure. The pictured jar is 2 5/8th inches in diameter. On the base is found a 5/8th inch in diameter circular valve mark. Of interest, three of the ten style 1 associates to this vessel have a crudely scripted ½ inch tall number within the valve mark. The digits 1 and 5 have been encountered. The central jar in Figure 2 has a capacity when filled to the brim of thirteen fluid ounces. The labeled model positioned second from the right is 5 1 / 8th inches tall and 2 5/8th inches wide. It has a style 2 kind of finish inside the all glass sealer. On the underneath segment, there is a 5/8th inch in diameter valve mark. The maximum capacity of this sample is twelve ounces.6 The fifth model appears on the right in Figure 2. This smaller previously unreported edition is 4 3/4th inches in height and has a style 1 finish. Being 2 5/8th inches in diameter, there is a 5/8th inch wide circular valve mark on the base with a ½ inch tall, crudely scripted 3 inside of it. When filled
Figure 1
Style 1
Style 2
Style 3
14
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006 Figure 2
to capacity, this jar holds eleven fluid ounces. Are There More Sizes Yet to be Found? A theoretical estimate can be made for the existence of other capacity jars in this series. The chart in Figure 3 illustrates what I mean. The three columns are titled according to the known finish styles on this model of container. The five sizes I talked about are placed in this line-up without a parenthesis. Those digits encased by this grammatical symbol represent the jars in that finish type and size which may be awaiting discovery. If my hypothetical exercise has any merit, there are many more packing vessels of this group still to be found and catalogued. The Cap for these Jars The cover for the aforementioned packing containers is attributed to at least three patents issued to William B. Fenn.7 A top and side view of it is depicted in Figure 4. Mr. Fenn’s cap has been reported in only two sizes. The smaller one has an outer diameter of between 2 9/16th and 2 11/ 16th inches. The larger example has been measured at 3 1/4th inches across the center. The former model is 13/16th of an inch
Figure Figure 33 Style 1 (?) 11 (12) 13 (?) (16) (?) (27 ½) (?)
Style 2 (?) (11) 12 13 (?) (16) (?) (27 ½) (?)
Style 3 (?) (11) (12) (13) (?) 16 (?) 27 ½ (?)
tall. Its 1/4th inch long bracket-shaped band juts out from the outer skirt just above the cover’s bottom edge. At the top of this band are eight log-shaped, 3 / 16 th inch wide grippers equally spaced around the outer skirt. So far, this cap fits the eleven through sixteen ounce jars seen in Figure 2. For the latter specimen, the same measurements are computed on the corresponding external features. Besides the outer diameter, the only difference between this version and its smaller family member is the number of vertical ribs around the outer skirt. On the bigger sample, there are twelve grippers. The larger version is seen on the twenty-seven and one-half ounce edition of container in Figure 2. Either example of this 1905 patented cover has embossing on its top surface. The most prevalent style has the phrase WARM CAP SLIGHTLY TO SEAL OR UNSEAL - in capital letters aligned around the outer edge of the top of the cap. Inside of it on three separate lines is an inscribed abbreviation and date - PAT’D OCT 24 1905 - in large alpha-numeric characters.8 A more in depth review of this variety of all glass sealer and its variations will be accomplished in another article.
Are the Jars in Figure 2 “Sunshine” Jars? There seems to be some confusion in the collecting public about this issue. At least in my mind, there is some haziness on the matter. Or maybe, I’m the only one that is puzzled! See what you think. Most fruit jar personalities refer to the containers in Figure 2 by the name “sunshine.” Dr. Julian H. Toulouse seemed to have started this practice in his seminal work - A Collectors’ Manual FRUIT JARS. In this 1969 book, the author associated the containers in this article with a different jar (SUNSHINE JAR) from the Illinois Glass Company. Off and on for the next thirty plus years, the same nickname (sunshine) has been applied simultaneously to both groups of jars by subsequent drafters of fruit jar manuals. 9 This continuing situation has confounded me. Outside of the patentee, I don’t believe there is any other direct connection. In the Spring 2006 edition of Bottles and Extras, I presented what I thought was convincing evidence there was a Sunshine jar and that it was made and marketed by the Illinois Glass Company.10 This example corresponded solely with the first listing of a “SUNSHINE JAR” in Julian Toulouse’s tome. If you look at the measurements, jar characteristics, closure design and sealing specifications for the Illinois Glass Company’s designated Sunshine jar, you will see that these vary substantially from those detailed for the series of packing containers in this article. This in itself leads me to conclude that the Figure 2 vessels aren’t “sunshine” jars. In my way of looking at this matter, the jars in this article should be considered distinct from the Sunshine packing container made by the Illinois Glass Company. Henceforth, any further association between to two should be severed. What Company Made the Jars in Figure 2? If my evidence about the Sunshine jar was as convincing to you as it was to me, then what firm could have made the jars in this article?
Figure 4
Bottles and Extras The electrotype in Figure 5 offers one possibility. It comes from a Federal Glass Company advertisement which appeared in the 1907 edition of Thomas’ Wholesale Grocery and Kindred Trades Register. Along with this extract was the promotion’s wording which follows directly. “‘The Federal Jar’ The Only Sanitary All Glass Jar on the Market NO RUBBER OR METAL USED TO SEAL THIS JAR Pronounced by all who see it to be without an equal. The seal is comprised of chemically pure mineral matter. If used properly perfect satisfaction is guaranteed. The most simple and effective seal ever made. Jars made in all glass…Federal Glass Company, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.”11 Even though it comes down to an individual judgment based on personal observation, I think the sketch of the “The Federal Jar” from the Federal Glass promotion aligns nicely with the pictures of the jars in Figure 2. What quickly caught my eye was the profile of the all glass cap in the Federal ad. The cover had a broad band at the bottom of the outer skirt just like the ones in Figures 2 and 4. In similar fashion, the vertical grippers were log-shaped and began their ascent upward at the top of this broad band. These features started to
Figure 5
Fall 2006 convince me that the October 24th, 1905 marked caps were the production models of the sealers depicted in the 1907 Federal sales pitch. When I turned to the outline of the container in the same advertisement, its sloping shoulder, cylindrical shape and unembossed motif immediately directed my attention back to the jars in Figure 2. In my opinion, the left-hand example in that box is a near perfect match for “The Federal Jar” in Figure 5. Summation Right now, the only hint that the containers in Figure 2 came from the Federal Glass Company is a single shred of evidence that requires the interpreter to make a definitive judgment based on it. Besides the fact that William B. Fenn was in the Columbus area when the ad was published, there isn’t any other trail to follow in order to answer the question, “What company made the packing vessels in this article?” For now, I maintain the jars in this account are examples of “The Federal Jar” from the Federal Glass Company of Columbus, Ohio. Only time will prove my assessment to be right or wrong. Regardless of the manufacturer, there are now five sizes of what I call the “Federal Jar” known to exist. With Figure 3 as a guide, there may be others out in “hobbyland” just waiting to be recognized. Can you help bring these other models out of hiding? If you have information on more “Federal Jar” sizes, finish styles or cap variations, I’d enjoy seeing and discussing your data. Also, if you have a Federal Glass Company product catalog or brochure from the 1906 through 1910 years, I’d appreciate hearing from you if “The Federal Jar” is shown and described within it. BLB Endnotes 1 The Guide To Collecting Fruit Jars Fruit Jar Annual Volume 11 - 2006, Jerry McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 162 and The Collector’s Guide to Old FRUIT JARS, Red Book 9, Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr., P. O. Box 5417, North Muskegon, Michigan, pg. 307. 2 The Label Space The Book, Tom Caniff, Phoenix Press, A Division of Fruit Jar Annual, Jerry McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 141. This
15 reference pictured one model. I own two others and missed out on another on eBay. 3 The Label Space The Book, Tom Caniff, Phoenix Press, A Division of Fruit Jar Annual, Jerry McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 141; Fruit Jar Rambles, Tom Caniff, Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, June 2004, pgs. 6-7; and The Collector’s Guide to Old FRUIT JARS, Red Book 9, Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr., P.O. Box 5417, North Muskegon, Michigan, pg. 307. 4 Perfection Glass Company, One of Many Glass Houses in Washington, Pennsylvania, Barry L. Bernas, 239 Ridge Avenue, Gettysburg, PA, 17325, pg. XXXII and Another Glass Cap and Jar Inspired by William B. Fenn, Barry L. Bernas, Bottles and Extras, Spring 2006, pgs 54-55 and 57. The thread width on the SIMPLEX, FLACCUS and Sunshine models is 1/8th of an inch vice 1/16th or less. 5 The Label Space The Book, Tom Caniff, Phoenix Press, A Division of Fruit Jar Annual, Jerry McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 141 and Fruit Jar Rambles, Tom Caniff, Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, June 2004, pgs. 6-7. Both references carried the same picture of this jar. The photograph I used in this article was graciously provided by Tom Caniff. Also, the measured capacity of the pictured jar was kindly furnished by him as well. In his Fruit Jar Rambles article, Mr. Caniff referred to this jar as having a capacity of “quart-size.” As a point of note, the twenty-seven and onehalf ounce capable container in this article is the same “quart-size” one in Tom Caniff’s excellent article. 6 Fruit Jar Rambles, Tom Caniff, Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, June 2004, pgs. 6-7. The jar pictured second from the right in Figure 2 originally appeared in Mr. Caniff’s article. 7 Fruit Jar Patents Volume III 1900-1942, compiled by Dick Roller, Acorn Press, Paris, Illinois, 1996, pgs. 180-182; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAM B. FENN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO. CLOSING DEVICE FOR VESSELS. Application filed March 28, 1906, Serial No. 308,383. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 12, 1907. No. 843,670 and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAM B. FENN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO. RING FOR SEALING JARS AND THE LIKE. Application filed April 16, 1906, Serial No. Continued on Page 17.
16
Fall 2006
Another New Find By Barry L. Bernas
Tylersport Show You never can tell when a new find will make its presence known! My most recent discovery was made at the above event. By way of a lead-in, I had struck up a conversation about the May 3 rd , 1904 patented screw cap with Richard Dalton at the South River, New Jersey get-together in early February 2006. After letting me examine and measure a SIMPLEX in a diamond top embossed glass sealer that was on a FLACCUS BROS. STEERS HEAD FRUIT JAR marked container on his sales table, Mr. Dalton said he had more closures of this type at home. He offered to let me inspect them at a future date. Of course, my hope was that an unreported variation would be among his examples. The rendezvous site was the Tylersport, Pennsylvania show in mid-March. Upon arriving on a rainy Sunday morning, I met Richard at his table. As promised, he brought seven models of William B. Fenn’s closure for me to look over. After a close review of each one, I determined a seventh shape for this style of glass screw cap had been discovered. Hope Materializes In 2005, I proposed a methodology for identifying and cataloging a closure made to the May 3rd, 1904 patent specifications.1 At that time, I’d uncovered only five outer patterns for this sealer. For ease of identification, these were given the nicknames: Flaccus-like (now Flaccusesque), jeweled crown, curved crown, domed crown and hat. Later in the same year, I came across another motif. When I updated the cataloging process in my book about the Perfection Glass Company, I called this one a domed hat.2 Now about a year later, a seventh version has come to light. In both the article and book, I made the comment that there must be more group, class and category variations of this screw cap out in the collecting public just waiting to be found. This statement of mine seemed to be spot on the mark because since I made it, two new outer profiles and a fifth embossing type have been found and documented.3 Thanks to hobby enthusiasts
like Richard Dalton of Brick, New Jersey, the knowledge base about this glass cap continues to expand. Kin of the Curved Crown The standard profiles for a curved crown model can be seen in Figure 1. Underneath the gripping tools on the screw cap, the outer skirt either ascends nearly straight up from the bottom edge until about the two-thirds of the way up point, curving upward thereafter until its apex (top model) or the same portion of the skirt moves up on more of a slant until the curve inward begins at the two-thirds juncture (bottom model). Regardless of the underlying design
Bottles and Extras these stop abruptly right at it. The outer skirt on this variation has a vertical 1 / 16 th inch long addition at its uppermost segment. This feature is clearly visible on the sealer in Figure 2. Instead of the ribs stopping short of this section as is the case with the domed crown model, this example has the tip of each gripper blended into the side of the vertical segment. Due to this unusual characteristic, I’ve chosen to call this new outer motif a truncated curved crown. More Details The inner surface of this version of a truncated curved crown has a raised circular plane in its center. This would place it within Group II. See Figure 3. Between the base of its inner skirt and
Figure 3
Figure 1 characteristics of outer skirt, the side wall of the closure serves as the foundation for the ribs. Its contour gives the distinctive bended inward molding at the top of each rib. Also, this part of the sealer permits every gripper to reach over the top surface of the cover as seen on both examples in Figure 1. The seventh shape is pictured in Figure 2. As you examine it, you will notice right off that the underlying shell of the cover resembles the upper sample in Figure 1. But there is where the similarity ends. Unlike its mates in Figure 1, the ribs don’t jut out over the cap’s top surface. Rather,
Figure 2
the slanted rise to the plane’s side wall is a 1 th /4 of an inch wide smooth surface. On the examples in Figure 1, this circular area is either flat or slightly angled. However, on the seventh profile, the same location has about a forty-five degree slant to it, making it much different than its other curved crown counterparts. The interior plane rises out of the inner surface of the sealer on an inward angle to a height of 3/16th of an inch. At the top is a circular slanted downward area. The angled inward portion is 5/16th of an inch wide. At the center of the plane’s top surface is a raised semicircular shaped ring. The interior diameter of this flat surfaced geometric form is 7/8th of an inch. The cover in Figure 2 is 13/16th of an inch in height. The initial top surface is comprised of a 1/8th inch wide flat ledge. Inside of it is a two tiered circular design with embossing on each layer. Along the top of the first is the inscribed phrase PAT.APLD.FOR. Markings around the opposite side spell out the words - Trade Mark Registered. In the center of the second tier is the trademark of the Perfection Glass Company - SIMPLEX in an elongated
Bottles and Extras diamond. Sixteen ribs are aligned on the outer skirt. Figure 4 has a picture of the front.
Figure 4 Looking at the Perfection logo, the diamond is 7/8th of an inch tall and 1 3/16th inches wide. This would give it a small designation. Capital letters embossed on the top surface are 3/16th of an inch in height. The
An Unlikely Find Continued from Page 15. 311,904. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 12, 1907. No. 843,740. 8 The other less frequently seen model has the phrase - WARM SLIGHTLY TO SEAL OR UNSEAL - embossed in capital letters around the edge of the outer top surface of the cover. Of course, it the center of this instruction is - PAT’D OCT 24 1905 - on three separate lines. 9 The Standard Fruit Jar Reference, Dick Roller, Acorn Press, Paris, Illinois, 1983, pgs. 281, 348 and 417; The Fruit Jar Works
Fall 2006 cursive ones are slight smaller at 1/8th of an inch. A capital V is the middle component of the character M in the word SIMPLEX. The bottom edge of this example of closure is rounded. It has an inner diameter of 2 5 / 16 th inches which means it closes a fourteen, sixteen or eighteen ounce packing container. Using my self-developed methodology, a catalog listing for this pattern of glass cap would be as follows: II - 7.2.3.2 a.3.b.3.c.2.d.1.e.16.f.2. Could There Be More? I think the answer to this self-posed question is yes. Surely we can’t have exhausted the possibilities for this sealer at this early date. With more searching, I’m optimistic that over time other varieties will be discovered and reported via this venue. Can you help me increase our file of information about this fascinating all glass closure? BLB
Volume II, Alice Creswick, published by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr., North Muskegon, Michigan, 1995, pg. 102, 126 and 147; The Collector’s Guide to Old FRUIT JARS Red Book 9, Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr., North Muskegon, Michigan, 2001, pgs. 307, 360 and 404; and A Collectors’ Manual FRUIT JARS, Julian Harrison Toulouse, Thomas Nelson & Sons, Camden New Jersey and Everybodys Press, Hanover, Pennsylvania, 1969, pg. 301. 10 Another Glass Cap and Jar Inspired by William B. Fenn, Barry L. Bernas, Bottles
Barry L. Bernas 239 Rodge Ave. Gettysburg, PA 17325
17 Endnotes 1 Cataloging Process for the FennDesigned, 1904 Patented, Screw Cap, Barry L. Bernas, The Guide To Collecting Fruit Jars Fruit Jar Annual Volume 10 2005, Jerome J. McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630-1501, pgs. 4-20. 2 Perfection Glass Company, One of Many Glass Houses in Washington, Pennsylvania, Barry L. Bernas, 239 Ridge Avenue, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 17325, pg. VIII. In this book, I renamed the Flaccus-like model. Its new moniker is Flaccusesque. 3 The First SIMPLEX Screw Cap, Barry L. Bernas, Bottles and Extras, Winter 2006, pgs. 30-31.
and Extras, Spring 2006, pgs 54-55 and 57. 11 More On The Federal Jar, Dick Roller, Fruit Jar Newsletter, 607 Driskell Street, Paris, Illinois 61944, pg. 905 and Fruit Jar Rambles, Tom Caniff, Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, June 2004, pgs 6-7.
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Fall 2006
Bottles and Extras
The Arabia Bottles September 5, 1856
By Charles Harris Ooltewah, Tenn. 37363 relicnut@bellsouth.net I know that this might look a little like an advertisement, but really it’s not. I just got back from Kansas City, Missouri and had a chance to go see the Arabia Museum. I have been hearing about this museum for years and finally had a chance to visit it after a four-hour “out-of-my-way” excursion. We had gone to Branson, Mo., for our annual American Collectors of Infant Feeders (ACIF) Baby Bottle Convention, which put us within striking distance of Kansas City. The Arabia was a double side-wheeler steamboat that sunk on the Missouri River very near Kansas, Mo., the present Kansas City. She was 171 feet long, 29 feet wide, and drew 4 3/4 feet of water, allowing her to carry 222 tons of cargo and passengers. Heading upriver on September 5, 1856 she hit a large walnut tree snag that penetrated her hull, quickly sinking her. All the passengers had enough time to get off the ship as she sunk in somewhat shallow water, leaving the superstructure exposed. In fact, all of their baggage was also recovered and brought ashore that afternoon and left there during the night. Sometime after dark fell this baggage was
all rifled of any valuables of which it contained. None of these personal belongings were ever recovered. As the Missouri River gradually changed course, the resting place of the Arabia was lost to all except a few locals. The first successful attempt to recover her treasures was in 1897 when a team of treasure hunters out of St. Joseph, Mo., managed to dig down to her deck. They were trying to recover the supposed 400 barrels of Kentucky bourbon that she was thought to be carrying and they actually penetrated her deck in three different locations. All they managed to find were hats, shoes and boots, so they gave up and let her rest. Over the years there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts at salvaging the cargo of the Arabia. The next attempt was made in 1988 by three men, a restaurant owner, a heating and air conditioner man, and a construction man. What a grouping for a big recovery job! With the help of a big bank loan the project was started — not one federal or state dollar was involved — imagine that. The site was located in two hours with a magnetometer and the big equipment was
Three different decorative scroll whiskey flasks, a bottle of cosmetics, 1,000s of Indian trade beads, and the total money recovered: 26 cents (two silver dimes, a silver half-dime and an 1856 large cent), representing the total of monies recovered.
Some Wedgwood dinnerware and 72 of the decorative scroll whiskey flasks in three different sizes and at least three different color shades.
brought in. At a depth of 16 feet the water began seeping in from the water table and then the site began to flood. Twenty large pumps and diesel engines were brought in and the pumping began to the tune of 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel per week for the remainder of the project. The deck of the Arabia was contacted at the 45 foot level and the recoveries began to emerge from the muck — all 200 tons of them. I know that my wife, Teresa, was hoping to find some baby bottles or invalid feeders in the museum, but none were to be found. Evidently they were not needed on the frontier in 1856. Remember pliable, vulcanized rubber, used in the nipples, was
Writing instruments and ink bottles. Master inks behind, a cobalt blue umbrella ink and other ink bottles and ink wells. Writing pens are in the bottle to the left. Dishes of all types and styles in the far background.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Unknown bottles of medicine to the left, Mexican Mustang Liniment to the right. not invented till about twenty years before. On the frontier breast feeding was still the norm. As a result of this disappointment, I’m going to stray from the baby bottle theme of my articles a little and look at some of the food bottles that were being shipped into the frontier of this great country. After all, the adults had to eat. First of all, I might as well mention that the 1897 attempt was all for naught,
Cathedral pepper sauce bottles with table knives as a backing. They are embossed “Western Spice Mills.”
because the 400 kegs of Kentucky bourbon were not to be found on the Arabia. As far as kegs of alcohol are concerned, only one keg of Ale was actually found. Yes, there were some boxes that contained gin, wine, cider, champagne, cognac and sherry, but no kegs of Kentucky bourbon. The bottles and jars recovered contained primarily foodstuffs for the frontier housewife and most likely the very few of the better restaurants that existed on the frontier. When recovered from the muck, most of the bottles were sealed with various sizes of corks. Because of the fear of the corks shrinking and exposing the contents to the risk of bacterial growth as the corks dried after 132 years of submersion, the recovery team coated every one of the cork seals with melted canning wax and placed the bottles in cold storage at 36 degrees F. The real delicacies were the bottles of brandied cherries, both light and dark, that had traveled over 6,000 miles from France so pioneers could make cherry pie. They traveled by steamship to New York, then by train to St. Louis, before being loaded on to the Arabia. Merchants sold these bottles of Brandied Cherries for $1.50 per
Three more of the decorative scroll whiskey flasks with some of the French perfume bottles in front and a dish full of Indian Trade Beads.
19 bottle. Ten days later on Jan.7, 1989, one of the first boxes to be opened was marked, “Assorted Pie Fruit, Price and Littic, Baltimore.” In this box there were the bottles of gooseberries, blueberries, rhubarb, apples, cherries, and blackberries. These were all in round necked cylinder bottle made of both clear and green glass. Some of the prettier bottles were the “Cathedral” pepper sauce bottles, so named because the panels looked much like the stained glass Gothic cathedral windows so common on the European continent. Attempting to compete with the English delicacies, the American companies designed and used these beautiful Cathedral bottles. The pepper sauce was badly needed because of the inadequate cold storage during the 1800s. This lack of cold storage caused the meat to deteriorate quite rapidly and the early Americans used the pepper sauce and other spices to flavor the meat and cover up the rancid taste. These tall pepper sauce bottles were in wooden boxes stuffed with sawdust and marked “Western Spicemills Pepper Sauce, St. Louis.” These bottles are also embossed in the Cathedral window panels with “Western Spice Mills” sauce. As Greg Hawley describes in his book, Treasure in a Cornfield, on many days the finders could not resist the temptation of “pot holing” or moving to a different part of the side wheeler and spending a day checking a new area rather than staying with their systematic search pattern. On one of those days they first opened a crate of footwear, stating, “If this footwear ever comes back in style, we’re set for life. “The next box was more to my liking: three gorgeous, white stoneware pitchers manufactured by Wedgwood. With darkness closing in, we hoisted the day’s final box from the cargo hold and gently set it on the main deck. When we lifted the lid, we discovered beautiful ‘Cathedral’ bottles containing bright green pickles. Each bottle carried an oval label made of lead foil which read, ‘Sweet Pickles, Wells Provost & Co. 215, 217 & 219 Front Street Wholesale Depot, New York’.” “The pickles looked good enough to eat and Jerry Mackey proved it. Taking his knife, Jerry sliced off a small chunk of pickle and popped it into his mouth. A few chews and one swallow later, Jerry smiled and said, ‘They’re sweet pickles, and they are great’.” Another fascinating recovery were the bottles of perfume that were heading for
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Bottles and Extras
Left: To the right are various sizes of Cathedral pickle and relish jars, shot glasses (bottom side up), fronted by ink bottles and a Maguire Druggists St. Louis, Mo. standing in front of the plate. Right: Green Cathedral Pickled Relish bottles. On all of the bottles you can see where the corks have been dipped in a canning wax solution to keep the corks from drying out, which would have allowed bacteria to enter the contents. the frontier to make the women palatable to their men. They were still sealed and full. Right after the recovery they opened two dissimilar bottles and inhaled a tapestry of floral aromas. After 132 years under the water, mud and sand the fragrance continued to permeate. This was a moment that the Treasure Hunters would never forget. They even sent samples to technicians at International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc. (IFF) in New York City. One of the fragrances, upon being analyzed, proved to contain: aldehydes, mimosa, marigold, jasmine, muguet, rose, narcissi, moss, vetivert, sandalwood, musk, and orris. With IFF’s help the scent has been
reproduced and may be sampled at the Arabia museum. Then cases of medicines were also recovered, most unmarked, but some of them were in embossed bottles, declaring their origin and contents. Some of these were: Castor Oil; Nerve and Bone Liniment, Maguire Druggist, St. Louis, Mo.; Mexican Mustang, Dr. D. Jones Expectorant; and some small round pills of an unknown substance in small round tins. Also after lunch on Jan. 9, 1989, an amazing find of bottles was located and recovered. It consisted of cases of superb examples of decorative scroll whiskey
flasks. They were blue and green bottles packed in straw. The box was marked, “Christian Ihmsen and Sons, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.” As stated in the book, Treasure in a Cornfield, Mr. Hawley states, “These decorative scroll whiskey flasks originated in the 1830s” and also mentioned an article by Ralph Finch in which he stated that “practically every glasshouse along the river made them.” Today collectors are willing to spend thousands of dollars for some of these once common bottles. “Pristine examples, such as those found aboard the Arabia, are virtually unknown. Trapped in the bowels of this steamer and
Left: Assorted Pie Fruit. These round cylinder bottles contained gooseberries, apples, blackberries, cherries, blueberries and rhubarb. Right: To the left are some of the embossed Western Mills Spice sauce Cathedral pepper sauce bottles. To the right are some of the Cathedral bottles of Sweet Pickles with the lead foil seal still attached that reads “Wells Provost & Co., 215, 217 & 119 Front Street, Wholesale Dept. New York.” Jerry Mackey said that still tasted good.
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Left: Case Gin in the square bottles. They are a little shorter and fatter than those normally encountered. Not quite sure of what the round bottles in the back are. Right: The bottle on the left is a Dr. J. Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters; next is the Maguire Druggists, St. Louis Mo.; the rest are Cosmetics bottles. Notice that some of them were already shaped to attract women’s attention. surrounded by mud, the glass remained pure and unblemished.” By counting the examples of this bottle in the museum displays I can say that there were at least 90 of them recovered. After talking to one of the conservators at the Arabia museum I found out that only about 70 percent of the recoveries are on display. She estimated that it will take at least another 20 years to finally preserve all of the 200 tons of recovered treasures. Also, it’s worthy to note that the bank notes were paid off in full about ten years ago.
Left: On the top shelf left is Mexican Mustang Liniment; next is Maguire Druggists, St. Louis Mo. in two sizes and to the right are Nerve & Bone Liniment bottles. The bottom shelf is full of the famous Castor Oil bottles. Right: On Dec. 29, 1988 next to the stoves previously found was “a long narrow box containing 24 yellow stoneware canning jars. Accompanying tin lids displayed a brass label stamped with the words ‘R. Arthur, Patent, Jan.2, 1855.’ The user filled the jar with fruits or vegetables, then pushed the vertical edge of the lid down into the wax-filled groove, which created an airtight seal.” This may well have been a predecessor of the “Potter & Bodine’s Air-Tight Fruit Jar Philada.” Patented April 13th 1858 that also used a tin cap into a wax seal in a groove.
Left: Three dark brown “Lady’s Leg”-style Stomach Bitters bottles. Except for the lack of embossing, they are very similar to the later Schroeder’s Spice Bitters bottles as found on another sunken steamship, the Bertrand. Right: Pickled Relishes in yet another green Cathedral bottle.
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RENO, NEVADA - AUGUST, 2006
The FOHBC National Show - A Lucky Day! By Ralph Van Brocklin
The crowd began, then quickly increased to standing room only by the time the doors opened for those eager to get the first peeks. Awesome… great… fantastic… best show in years… These were some of the superlatives which were continually iterated to me over the course of the 2006 FOHBC National Show in Reno, August 18-20, 2006. And, under the guidance of FOHBC Conventions Director Wayne Lowry, Show Chairman Marty Hall and members of the Reno Sparks Club, the accolades were hardearned and well-deserved! This was the first National Show held in a Western state since the 2000 EXPO in Denver and the enthusiasm for having a show in the West was readily apparent in the crowd attending. It has been a while since I have seen crowds at the door for early admissions in a “non-EXPO” event, but they were there for this opening. 287 early admission and 315 general admission tickets were purchased. There were no chants of “storm the doors,” but the aisles
were instantly filled once the doors opened. Preliminaries The preliminaries to the actual show always include a meeting of the FOHBC Board, a membership meeting and a banquet the day prior. Significant Board actions this meeting included a vote to move into a bimonthly publication of Bottles and Extras, beginning in 2007, and announcement of Collinsville, Illinois, as the site of the 2007 National Show. York (Pennsylvania), Hartford (Connecticut) and Manchester (New Hampshire) are under consideration for the 2008 EXPO. Banquet With Richard Siri as the featured speaker, no Western collector would be surprised to learn that the 2006 FOHBC Banquet had the largest attendance ever.
122 collectors were treated to a talk that focused on the Hostetter’s Bitters Company and the roughly 190 variants Richard has in his collection. Spanning the period from pontiled to screw top closure, the variety is amazing! No, they are not all just $5.00 bottles— If you had the opportunity to see some of Richard’s or the light pinkish one owned by Bill Schwarting and featured as a one bottle display at the 2002 Syracuse National, you’d certainly understand why! Portions of Richard’s collection of Hostetter’s bottles and advertising have been displayed at Western shows in the past and the grouping is always a feast for the eyes! At the banquet, the Federation was pleased to present awards to a variety of authors and clubs and to a very special member who has been instrumental in assisting with membership and in the
The highlight of the banquet was featured speaker, Richard Siri (L). The banquet crowd listened intently as Richard spoke of the Hostetter’s Bitters Company and its variants.
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Fall 2006
success of our publication, Bottles and Extras. Receiving the President’s Award for his contributions was Bill Baab, of Augusta, Georgia. Awards presented: - President’s Award - Club Newsletter Contest First Place Second Place Third Place - Authors Contests First Place Second Place Third Place
Bill Baab The Ohio Swirl, Phyllis Koch – Editor The Whittlemark, Randy Selenak – Editor Jersey Shore Shards, Rosemarie & Dave Tripet – Editors “Battery Insulators, Oil Insulators and Chloride Accumulators” - Charlie & Sandi Irons “Beech-Nut Packing Co.” - Bill Heroth “Jacob Welsh/Welch” - Bill Koster
Saturday Morning – Seminars and a Flask Sale Collectors were treated to a wonderful I have previously tried to scrawl down all grouping of seminars this year, presented of his suggestions about how to research by some of the preeminent collectors from for my book on Western flasks and three the West and, in one instance, from the quarters of it has always ended up eluding East! Robin Preston made the flight out my frantic attempts to scribble the from Philadelphia and was gracious enough information down. I even went to the to give an authoritative presentation on length of purchasing a digital recorder prior collecting Pre-Prohibition shot glasses. Our to the show only to get engrossed and didn’t readers will recognize his name from the get over to the seminar room to leave the Bottles and Extras column “Random recorder. Well organized and well presented are the comments I heard! Tom Shots.” As has been the case at the last three probably wishes I had been there, as he’ll FOHBC Shows, choosing which seminar now have to continue to field questions to attend became the biggest problem. And, from me every time I get stymied in my that led to the only complaint I heard… research efforts! The 10:00 presenters were Stan Paher ‘why can’t you spread the seminars out and (Reno), who gave a talk “Western Nevada not have them overlap?’ Good question — Ghost Towns and Mining Camps” and difficult answer… the Federation likes to Ralph Finch (Farmington Hills, Michigan) offer a nice variety of seminars, but the only who lectured on target balls and associated non-competing time slot available when collecting. Ralph’s talk was entitled everyone is at the show venue is the “Taking Aim at America in the Late 1800s.” morning that the show opens. So, unless Rounding out the 11:00 slot was Robin the seminars are held the day prior (which Preston’s seminar “Pre-Prohibition Shot limits the number of collectors who might Glasses: An Unabashed Account of One attend), held during the show (tried at Collector’s Obsession,” in which he Denver to the complaints of many) or held detailed the history of shot glass in competition with the preview for the auction on Saturday evening, collectors manufacture, the change in value the may have to continue to make the hard glasses have recently undergone and the use choices! Not meaning to make light of the of the databases on www.pre-pro.com in issue… We are still happy that we were able researching one’s glasses. I was able to look in on some of the to provide the Reno attendees some hard seminars in this time slot and the slide choices in each time slot! presentations demonstrated the topics Speakers at 9:00 included Jess Jones beautifully. Anyone fortunate enough to (Belmont, California) who gave a have see Ralph Finch’s display at Grand presentation entitled “American Round Rapids last year would have seen some of Bottle Mineral Water and Soda Bottles” and the most stellar pieces of “Wild West Show” Tom Jacobs (San Francisco) who lectured material and target balls imaginable. on “The Art of Historical Bottle Research.” This writer’s greatest regret this show Anyone not fortunate enough to have seen was being so wrapped up in the Western them in person would have been treated to flask get-together and sale that I was not some very nice pictures of them during this able to attend Tom’s talk or get it recorded. seminar.
23 The final grouping of presenters (11:00) included Ken Salazar (San Francisco), Bill Ham (Lakeport, California) and Eric McGuire (Petaluma, California.) Each of these collectors is readily known in the West for their ardent love of Western glass and their willingness to share their expertise. Ken Salazar gave a very nice presentation “Early Pontiled Western Sodas,” showing the result of years of digging in “The City” and years of chasing this category of bottle. I understand that the examples he shared were absolutely gorgeous! Bill Ham is widely known to collectors of bitters, having revised and updated For Bitters Only (Carlyn Ring), publishing it as Bitters Bottles and adding an additional book Bitters Bottles Supplement. His presentations on bitters bottles demonstrate an intense love of the category blended with suggestions on how to research and photograph. Eric McGuire’s presentation was entitled “The Beginnings of Glass Manufacturing in the West” and I understand that it was stellar. Another presentation I hated to miss (but, Marty Hall probably would have shot me if I had not gotten my display up!) Flask Get-Together and Sale Specialty meetings are often a facet of the National Shows. This year the only such gathering was a get-together of Western flask collectors who were treated to the opportunity to purchase 118 clear pumpkinseed, coffin, shoofly and Olympiastyle flasks from my collection. Decision to hold such a gathering was made in order to allow collectors to visit and discuss their collections, to try and entice some collectors to attend the show who might not have otherwise done so, and to avoid mass confusion if the bottles were put out on tables in the show. Apparently the decision was a sound one— 21 individuals registered to buy and a number of other collectors were in and out of the room at various times. The visiting was over once the preview period of 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. drew to a close, however. After that, the buying instinct took over and the sale ran a quick course. Happy buyers from Eureka, Nevada City, Sacramento and San Bernardino in California and another from Oregon took home bottles from their locales. Several others bought multiple flasks that fit into their more generalized collections. It was
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Flask Get-together and sale, where 88 of the 118 clear pumpkinseed, coffin, shoofly and Olympia-style flasks went to new homes. nice to see Wayne Larson (Phoenix Arizona) whom I had not seen in a number of years and even nicer to see him happily packing out a couple of “saloon”-embossed flasks. Highlights of the sale included: - Mint Saloon, Marysville pint pumpkinseed $535.00 - Fred Dunck, Napa City pint pumpkinseed $560.00 - F J Corbett, San Mateo pint pumpkinseed $585.00 - H. Otersen, San Francisco ½-pt pumpkinseed $590.00 - Pilot Bar, San Francisco pint pumpkinseed $620.00 - Club Saloon, Rawlins WY ½-pint shoofly $685.00 - WT Wilson, The Tivoli, Mendocino pint pumpkinseed $820.00 - Billy Winters Log Cabin, Portland ½-pt pumpkinseed $1395.00 Many of the bottles went to new homes at the posted minimums, giving everyone a chance at some bargains. 88 of the 118 bottles changed hands. Displays One of the highlights of the show for many was the opportunity to see some outstanding displays. I was extremely impressed by the displays at Syracuse in 2002 and Grand Rapids in 2005, but this was — hands down – the best group of displays I have ever seen at a show! For many, the display of bottles with brilliant opalescence entitled “Benecia Glass – Nature’s Tiffany,” represented the epitome of the displays. This display was a joint effort of 49’er Historical Bottle Club
members Dan Bell, Mike and Karen Peart, Barbara and Tom Moniz and Mike Lake. The display was well-designed, with signage detailing information regarding the history of the area surrounding the Benecia mud flats, the digging which took place there and the process which leads to the lovely staining known as “Benecia effect.” In an antique cupboard were some of the nicest examples of this glass which I have laid eyes on in 25 years of attending Western shows. To the left of the display was a very appropriate case for displaying another grouping of bottles — a “treasure chest”! At the risk of sounding like I am hyping the displays, I have to say that not only do I feel this show had the best group of displays I’ve seen, but this may very well be the best overall display I’ve ever seen, with educational merit, attractive design and layout and wonderful bottles. Gene Baker, of Shaver Lake, California, summed the display up nicely, calling it a “work of art!” The other group effort was a display entitled “The Best of The West.” In a series of back-lighted panels were many of the top specimens of the top bottles from the West. Tom Jacobs displayed a number of his early San Francisco beers, including a champagne top Nick Zuck with embossed eagle, a champagne top A. Capelli with embossed stag and almost yellow examples of the Goeppert Beer Steam and Philadelphia beers. A panel of eight stubby half pint Swan Brewery XXX Ales (with embossed swan) in different colors and a half pint W.B. Co S.F. (with embossed sun) added even more eye candy for the beer collector. Medicines were well represented in the display, with Dale Mlasko contributing a
blue and a green Dr. Henley’s Indian Queen Hair Restorative. These rare Hair bottles were joined by light cobalt and dark cobalt examples of the cone-topped Fish’s Infallible Hair Restorative. Add to that a unique large size cobalt Pratt’s Abolition Oil and three examples of Indian TraQuillaugh’s Balsam Dr. R. Parker SF (in copper, copper puce and green!) and you’ve seen some of the Best of The West in that category! One of the most appealing panels was for the bitters category. A panel of five Wonser’s bitters included a bluish square, examples of the Dr. Wonser’s USA Indian Root Bitters in amber, green and aqua and an aqua square. The green example of the USA Indian Root ranks near the top of all Western bottles, not merely the Western bitters! Other bitters in the display included a wonderful teal colored Lacour’s Sarsapariphere, a green Wideman and Chappas ladies leg from Marysville and a nice green M. Keller from Los Angeles. Some nice squares, and a bottle classic in form for a Western bottle, the aqua cylindrical fifth Chalmer’s Catawba Bitters, rounded out this area. Fifths… Did I mention fifths? What a great selection of these in the whiskey category!!! A panel devoted to Gold Dust whiskeys certainly caught the eye. Then there were all of those cylinders in the Top 25 list. A green Evan’s and O’Brien, a Laurel Palace, a Marx and Jorgensen, a green Thos. Taylor Virginia N. and an olivecolored Jockey Club in one panel… Green and aqua Teakettles in another… And, then a green S. T. Suits and a green Pride of Kentucky adjacent. Incredible! Flasks… The Nevada bottles in the display, which included several bottles from
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Benecia Glass – Nature’s Tiffany: This display, illustrated in the top three photos, represented the epitome of the displays, a joint effort of 49er Historical Bottle Club members Dan Bell, Mike and Karen Peart, Barbara and Tom Moniz and Mike Lake.
^ Best of the West: Green Pride of Kentucky, green S T Suits and green Thos. Taylor fifths included in this panel of Choice Western fifths.
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The Best of The West display below showcased beers, medicines, bitters, fifths, inks and other bottles from “the West” from the collections of many Western collectors to make an impressive display.
Dale Mlasko looking over the Van Brocklin Western Flask Display, which would transfer to him at the conclusion of the show. >
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Above: Best of the West medicines. Below: More Best of the West. Top Nevada inks. >
Below: A nice mixed panel with Dr. Wonsers Bitters, Fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Infallible, Chalmers Bitters. Next, it is a panel of Best of the West sodas. < Kevin Isihikawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display of colored sodas drew attention at the show.
Bottles and Extras the Top 25 of Nevada survey (see article this issue), included the only flask in the display— the one of a kind The Crystal, a nice amethyst tinted flat flask from Reno. Other bottles from Nevada included a nice Geo. P. Morrill Apothecary Virginia City, a large size The Owl Pharmacy Co Seven Troughs (with embossed owl) and examples of each of the three R.L. Higgins Virginia City inks — the green cone, the amber master and the aqua master. The flasks were there, just not in the Best of The West Display. Why not??? Because I agreed to put in a separate display of prime examples from my collection! 39 bottles were presented in this display, including three clear picture pumpkinseeds (Kolb & Denhard SF with embossed stag, Iron Front Neff and Duff Austin with embossed longhorn’s head and Brearley & Uniacke Reno with embossed owl.) These clear flasks are all very rare, but the yellows and greens of the colored flasks are what captured the audience! Typically found in amber shades, this display represented 20 years of continual upgrading and many of the finest examples of any given flask currently known. The collection was a joy to put together and it is now being enjoyed by new owners and good friends Dennis Eastley of Nevada and Dale Mlasko of Oregon. Russ Umbraco provided collectors with an extensive array of Cyrus Noble collectibles, including early Crown Distilleries and Lilienthal cylinders, flasks, shot glasses and advertising. Several early lithographs accented the whiskey receptacles, but the eye-catcher to this writer was the display barrel containing embossed and labeled examples of the flasks associated with this concern, including the clear coffin and pumpkinseed flasks and all the variants of the amber flasks. This display was so extensive that it was impossible to focus on everything. It took the trained eye of Robin Preston to spot the labeled in the bottom Hawaiian shot glass from Lovejoy and Company in this display, a glass which I had no idea existed. Two displays dealt with Nevada collectibles. Bob Ferraro shared examples of Nevada souvenir china and examples of all of the known Nevada stoneware items (the Winnemucca mini jug from C B Brown & Co, the James Gioga Goldfield jug, the H. Marcotte jug from Ely, the Lowell & Pringle Virginia Nevada Territory crock and the Rochester Short Line ginger beer
Fall 2006
More Best of the West: Gold Dust whiskey fifths.
Bob Ferraro shared examples of Nevada souvenir china and examples of all of the known Nevada stoneware items
Most Educational and People’s Choice Awards went to Dennis Rodgers for his Cathedral Pickles display.
San Francisco Milks - Ken Morrill
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28 from Lower Rochester.) Ron Bonmaritto’s display featured two absolutely killer Nevada signs, including a painted on glass sign for Benton’s Livery and Stable (displayed with a boxed example of Dr. J M Benton’s Liniment, number 14 in the Top 25 of Nevada survey) and a brass corner sign for The Crystal, the Reno firm which gave us the amber cylinder at number 5 in the survey and the clear flask ranked number 12. Other Western displays included Len Gratteri’s display of back bar bottles, a super collection of San Francisco tin-top milks put together by Ken Morrill, a beautiful grouping of Western poisons and an exceptionally nice display of Pacific Congress sodas by Willy Young. John O’Neill offered up a dynamite collection of Napa sodas, nicely arrayed and presented with some advertising signs, a very nice early calendar and shipping crates. Rounding out the displays with a strictly Western theme was a display by David Hall entitled “Western Glass Manufacturing Co – Denver.” This company is well known to Colorado collectors for the “belt buckle” mark on the base. The company was in production from 1900-1909 and items presented in this display included flasks, beers, a wonderful assortment of Hutchinson sodas and a couple of pickles. The pickles in Dennis Roger’s display predated those in the Western Glass display by a few decades. His display, “Cathedral Pickles,” featured a variety of cathedral pickles with colors ranging from aqua to amethyst, to dark green and into blue and amber. This display was extremely well received by show attendees, receiving both the Most Educational award and the People’s Choice Award, awards presented to single-exhibitor displays. One of the most intriguing of the displays was a grouping of twelve bottles presented by Show Chairman Marty Hall. Entitled “Swirls, Streaks and Striations,” it was a lovely example of different bottle forms and colors with the common thread of swirls of different colors of glass running through the bodies of the bottles. Lovely! From Reno Bottle Club members came two additional displays - “Wellman Products Co” was a nice grouping of bottles, tins and advertising signs presented by Don and Opal Wellman. Walt and Helene Walker shared a wonderful and colorful display of cone, umbrella and teakettle inks that drew considerable attention.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Western Glass Mfg. Co., 1900-1909, display by David Hall.
Pacific Congress sodas by Willy Young.
Lilienthal & Co., San Francisco, 1871-1895, display.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Swirls, Streaks and Striations by Marty Hal.
Colored fruit jars - Darrell Plank
Napa Sodas - John O’Neill
Wellman Products Company - Don and Opal Wellman
< The ladies at the registration table await the crowd.
29 Color was certainly not lacking in the displays of John Slowiak (“Fire Grenades”), Kevin Ishikawa (“Colored Sodas”) and Darrell Plank (“Fruit Jars”). John’s display included 16 grenades in a variety of colors and forms presented in a fire alarm case. It included the ever popular California Fire Extinguisher with the walking bear pictured. Comprised of colored hutches and tenpin sodas, Kevin’s display never fails to capture attention. For the jar collector and the non-jar collector, alike, one could not help but focus on the display of Darrell Plank! Talk about color and rarity - this display had it! Although I knew that I liked what I saw, I had to call on June Lowry for help in describing what he had. Five-figure jars abounded and among the rarities were five jars considered unique: an olive Lyman, cobalt Independent, amber Protector, amber Woodbury Improved and amber Potter & Bodine. Others of note… Amber Van Vliet Improved, cobalt Mason’s 1858, cobalt Hemingray, cobalt Mason’s CFJ Improved, cobalt Lightning, cobalt Canton Domestic, amber Millville, amber Airtight barrel and cobalt Millville. Now that’s a lot of cobalt!!! Auction One of the appealing facets of the National Shows is the inclusion of an auction for show attendees. In a world where live auctions are rapidly disappearing, it has been the Federation’s pleasure to provide a yearly tribute to this type of sale. The auction has been graciously called by Norman Heckler for the past several years. With his absence this year, and the inability to secure an auctioneer with a Nevada license to run the sale, decision was made to have the items for sale available for inspection and conduct a silent auction. When circumstances caused the auctioneer originally slated to run the sale to step out, Randy Driskill and the staff of bottleauction.com stepped to the fore and ran the sale for us. Placed in the difficult position of trying to garner consignments and get the sale up and running in only a couple of months, their effort is to be applauded. In order to have an adequate number of consignments, the Federation allowed reserves, an opportunity typically not extended. Although it did assist in bringing in the necessary items, it also resulted in a lot of items going unsold and a little
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frustration on the part of the buyers present at the sale. That and a few other procedural glitches will be worked out between now and the next Federation auction, should it be conducted in a similar format. A total of 56 lots were presented for live and internet bidding. Among the notable items selling at the auction were: Lot #7: Preston’s Veg. Purifying Catholicon Portsm NH, $897.50. Lot #8: Sweet & Boies Drug Co Turlock Cal, 8 ounce green, $357.50. Lot #18: Dr. Renz’s Herb Bitters (large letters), yellow-green, $ 1550. Lot #21: GIV-14 Masonic/Eagle, light green ½-pint, $1800. Lot #22: Dr. Leon’s Electric Hair Renewer, dark amethyst, $300. Lot #28: Geo. Benz & Sons Appetine Bitters, sample size, $600. Lot #36: Distilled Soda Water of Alaska, hutchinson soda, $650. Lot #37: Compound Extract of Manzanita, op Sacramento med, $900. Lot #38: Dr. XX Lovegood’s Family Bitters, $3500. Lot #43: Wormser Bros. San Francisco, golden amber barrel, $2000. Lot #46: GX-4 General Taylor/ A Little More Grape, $2800. Lot #53: GV-2 Success to the Railroad, olive green, small lip bruise, $4000.
Bottles and Extras
Russ Umbraco’s Cyrus Noble Whiskey display.
The Show Collector Finds, Comments and Observations The comment “What a show!” by Garth Ziegenhagen of Oregon seemed to sum up the general feelings of collectors I spoke with about their experiences in Reno. There were even folks who expressed to Show Chair Marty Hall that they felt that the show was entirely too compressed, time-wise— now when was the last time that you heard that??? Up to a year prior to the date of the show I was hearing enthusiasm from Western collectors about holding this show in Nevada. The large attendance demonstrated that enthusiasm and for the 180 dealers taking the show capacity 266 tables, all the collectors flooding the hall made the show a tremendous success. Sales were brisk. Collectors and dealers, alike, were beaming. I heard from a number of collectors comments similar to that of Gene Baker of Shaver Lake, California who advised “I want to compliment the members of the
2006 FOHBC Banquet and Guest Speaker: Richard Siri By early 2002, Richard had already “Hats off” to Richard Siri, - the Federation’s new 2 nd Vice President. amassed what was more than likely the Richard was also the guest speaker for most significant collection of Hostetter’s the 2006 National Show Banquet and west of the Mississippi when provided a very informative talk on one approximately four years ago, he added of his many collecting specialties, - considerably to that collection by purchasing another collection of Hostetter’s Bitters. Hostetter ’s Bitters bottles are Hostetter’s numbering close to 100 certainly something that many of us, different examples from fellow collector whether young or old, new collector or (and childhood digging friend of mine!), advanced, can relate to. They are found Bob Skibbe of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Even if you don’t collect Hostetter’s in all parts of the country and can range in value from a few dollars to several bottles or even bitters, you certainly thousand dollars for a few of the extreme would have appreciated, and the folks rarities. Richard is one of the foremost in attendance at the FOHBC Banquet authorities on these bottles and has certainly seemed to appreciate Richard’s garnered what is likely the most talk and his knowledge and passion for significant grouping of Hostetter’s ever collecting these interesting, if somewhat ubiquitous bitters bottles. assembled! John Pastor Above: Richard is welcomed to the podium by incoming FOHBC president, Carl Sturm.
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National Bottle Show Committee – Marty Hall, Wayne and June Lowry, et al. — for a great job done. The show was well organized and reflected many, many hours of work. The folks who dedicate this amount of time for our hobby deserve all the praise they can get.” I certainly agree— the efforts of these individuals and all of the members of the Reno-Sparks Club led to a show which was well organized and,
consequently, smooth flowing. Dealer entry was easy and displays went up quickly and efficiently. In large part due to starting registration the day prior to the show, the usual panic of trying to get folks ready to enter for early admissions was avoided. Smooth! I was particularly taken by a comment from Audie Markota of Sacramento about how this show had the feel of the old shows
Wayne Lowry (FOHBC Conventions Director); Marty Hall and Willy Young (Show Chair and Host Club Representatives) 2006 FOHBC Show – A short synopsis I was very impressed with the quality and variety of bottles available at the FOHBC 2006 National Show. It was exciting to see such enthusiasm on the part of collectors and my overstuffed bags (and box) of bottles that accompanied me on the long plane ride back to Michigan will provide testimony to the fact that I had a good time buying and found some very nice items to add to my collection. In addition to several nice flasks and a wonderful pattern molded example from Ohio, I was able to find a couple of whiskeys, a nice medicine and a few other assorted items of interest. Conversely, as a result of being limited in the number of bottles I could safely carry on the plane, my sales table offerings were somewhat limited. However, I was pleasantly surprised in the number of items that I did sell at the show and that in turn helped to make room for some of the aforementioned purchases! It was nice to visit with a number of friends that I do not often get a chance to see and it was also nice to get
acquainted with some folks that I had not previously had the opportunity to meet. I had a pleasant conversation with Betty Zumwalt who was at the show selling copies of her informative and well-researched book, “Ketchup, Pickles, Sauces, 19th Century Food in Glass.” Other authors with books at the show included Bill Ham, Steve Abbott, and Jeff Wichman (please forgive me if I have missed anyone). What helps to make a Federation National or EXPO Show special are the numerous informative educational seminars and many, varied wonderful displays. The 2006 National was most impressive in this regard and I hope that you will take the time to check out the photos and to read more about these later in this issue. Thanks to Wayne Lowry, FOHBC Conventions Director; Marty Hall, Show Chairman, and to the rest of the Show Committee and especially to all of the dealers and collectors who helped to support this endeavor and to make it such a tremendous success! John Pastor
31 where collectors took the time to visit and it was more than just a ‘get the item and go’ crowd. This sentiment had a lot of company—Dale Mlasko of Medford, Oregon, opined “The show was one of the best I have attended for the fellowship, as well as the killer glass.” And, Sheldon Baugh of Russellville, Kentucky, indicated that the banquet afforded he and his wife “the time to meet old friends, as well as making new,” including Audie and Peck Markota! John Pastor indicated “I was very impressed with the quality and variety of bottles available…my overstuffed bags (and box) of bottles that accompanied on the long plane ride back to Michigan will provide testimony to the fact that I had a good time buying and found some very nice items to add to my collection. In addition to several nice flasks and a wonderful pattern molded example from Ohio, I was able to find a couple of whiskeys, a nice medicine and a few other assorted items of interest.” Nice bottles and other items certainly did abound at the show. It is a testimony to the show that Midwestern collectors such as John found items that fit into their collections. Tom Knapik, who is an ardent collector of Saratogas, added one of which there are less than five known examples (Tucker S30B with monogram). He was not totally oblivious to the Western glass, however, adding a Western bitters which many would drool over— a dark green, crude and iron pontiled Catawba Wine Bitters. Seller James Campiglia made him one happy collector! There were some outstanding bitters available at the show. Eastern bitters included a nice assortment of barrels, including a variety of colors of the Old Sachems, Greeleys and Bourbon Whiskey Bitters. There were also some nice cabins scattered throughout the show, and I sent a whittled Keystone barrel home with Jeff Burkhardt. Don and Bonnie McLane offered a beautiful aqua vertical Greeleys and I believe that that is the one that a broadly grinning Gerry Forbes took home to Carmel with him. At least two Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters bottles found new homes at this show, leaving the new owners and dealers Roger Terry and Ted Siri happy. Roger’s went to collector Warren Friederich, who also added a very nice yellow-green Lacour’s offered by Robert and Vince Sierra. For those who may not know Warren, he is a collector who put together
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The Glassmasterʼs Show My show: This was only the second west-coast show I’ve had a chance to attend and I was not sure what to expect. Western shot glasses usually sell at a premium so I had low hopes of adding to the collection, but I was greatly looking forward to meeting collectors who I’ve talked to via e-mail for many years but never looked in the eye. As it turned out, I was greatly impressed by all aspects of the show! The hotel was well-situated and very comfortable, and I ended up returning there after traveling in California for two days prior to flying back East. I also secured a room at $25 per night less than show rates using internet discount sites, so it turned out to be a relatively inexpensive stay. The show itself was, without doubt, one of the best I’ve ever attended – perhaps even better than the Baltimore show, which routinely sets the bar for clubs on the east coast. I was greatly impressed by both the number and quality of vendors, always the hallmark of a great show. There was much to look at, and even after having made the rounds at least 20 times (no exaggeration), I was still finding more things to look at. I was there to buy shots and I was astounded by both the number available and by the condition of virtually everything on offer: with few exceptions, the glasses were mint or very close to mint. The range of glasses available forced some tough choices, but I still came home with an even dozen to
add to the collection and a couple more to bring home as traders. My major coup was an etched label-onthe-bottom Cyrus Noble from Crown Distilleries in San Francisco. I’d never seen one of these until Ken Schwartz introduced me to his e-collection a couple of months ago, and never dreamed of finding one for myself. The best part was it cost me about one sixth of what I might have expected to pay for it on eBay! Ken Schwartz was a formidable opponent in the hunt for shots and he beat me out on a Cupid Pure Rye by
just 30 seconds. Ken also managed to land an unlisted label-under (Old Jeff C. Taylors) shot from Portland on the way down to the show, along with a handful of other rare glasses. Kudos are also due to the collectors who organized the displays. I was trying to snatch some good photos of Cyrus Noble relics that feature in Russell Umbraco’s collection, when the owner came over and introduced himself to me. It turned out that three of the shots on the display table were from Hawaii, two of
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them label-unders. Russell was most gracious in allowing me time to retrieve my tripod, camera, and lighting assembly and then watching as I took photographs of his precious glasses as they balanced precariously on a chair on a dolly in front of a closed door. We both had a very nervous moment when two dealers tried to barge their way in via the blocked door past a security guard, but all turned out well in the end and I got some great pics. Many thanks, Russell, you’re a TRUE gent. My post-show: I spend a breathtaking day in the Ken Schwartz Temple of Glass, located in northern California, less than four hours drive through pine-covered hills from Reno. If you’ve never visited Ken and didn’t take this opportunity to enjoy his and his wife’s warm hospitality, then shame on you, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Ken showed me rare $40,000 amber whiskies and even rarer $50,000+ flasks and regaled me with tales of collecting and collectors he has known. Bottles I can take or leave, but the 500+ advertising signs hanging from the walls and ceiling of the Temple were difficult to ignore. But shots are my thing and Ken has around 900 of the rarest of the rare. I fondled about half of them, lusted after the rest (and all can shortly be viewed in the databases at www.pre-pro.com), and escaped the Temple after about ten hours, still in a feverish sweat. Many thanks to Ken and his wife, and I can’t wait to go back for the twicein-a-lifetime experience! Robin R. Preston
Fall 2006 a super grouping of Western square bitters back in the 1990s and then got engrossed in other areas of collecting— it was great to see him at a show, again! Ted Siri had quite a show selling, for not only did he sell a Cassin’s, but he also sold a The Genuine N. Grange Sole Agent For Pacific Coast flask (the only known undamaged example of this variant) and an amber California Club House fifth. Both of these are top notch Western bottles and Ken Schwartz certainly had to be happy on his drive back to the “Ken Schwartz Temple of Glass” (see insert on the left with Robin Preston’s comments about his experiences there following the show.) Over-and-above the flasks being made available from my collection, this show was an excellent one for availability of flasks. I certainly would have been pulling my wallet on multiple occasions had I not made the commitment to sell my amber union oval and strap flasks! Walking through the door was a beautiful variegated amber Jesse Moore (offered at $7500.) I am not sure if it sold, but it certainly would have in normal circumstances. Unfortunately for the seller, these were not normal circumstances… It took me 7-8 years to acquire my first Jesse Moore flask— there were four at this show and at least three of them sold! My friend Ivan Oakeson (Salt Lake City) took home a very nice one from Roger Terry’s table at a price unheard of at the bottles peak 4-5 years ago. Also walking into the show was a half pint Peruvian Bitters flask offered by Mike Parrish of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the time since I had originally seen it he had hand-cleaned much of the frosting and it really looked nice. He and I were supposed to get together so that I could introduce him to a couple collectors who might have interest, but we did not again make connection. I would have to think that it sold to someone in the show. One other amber flask stands out in my mind— Pete Hendricks had dug a halfpint King & Lowry amber strap flask from Butte, Montana. It had the original rubber inside screw thread stopper, generic and from a London manufacturer. For examination only, was a very rare half-pint amber coffin embossed John S. Bowman & Co Old Comet Bourbon S.F. I had known of the existence of this bottle for several years and I certainly appreciated the owner bringing it in for me to see! My additions at this show included a very rare Gilroy, California, pumpkinseed
33 embossed Riley Brown Liquors Gilroy, Cal. and five clear coffin and pumpkinseed flasks from my friend Gary Ingle. Gary brought one of the really unique pieces in the show in with him—a glazed over Albany slip ovoid jug stamped Sacramento Pottery. This super piece went to the happy home of John O’Neill. Overall, the offerings in stoneware were limited. Tom Chambers had a nice table of mini jugs , but many had repairs. I was fortunate to purchase a Monroe, Oregon mini from my friend Dale Mlasko, as well as one amber and two green Gaslight Ammonias. Rounding out my purchases were three Cutter fifths from Jack LaBaum. For a Nevada show, I did not hear of a lot of great Nevada items changing hands. Bob Ferraro did indicate success (hard to do when you have the Nevada collection he has!) advising “I felt that my greatest acquisitions consisted of finding two unknown variants of a Reno pharmacy bottle, both in near mint condition. Also, I was able to buy three large medicine bottles in pristine condition from Eureka, Nevada. Besides these items I added two Nevada hunting licenses, several Nevada trade tokens, an early Nevada bottle opener and two different Nevada milks.” Ken Edward of Carmel, California, summed the show up as “fabulous” and added “my sales were strong and all categories sold well. The brisk sales kept me at the table more than I would have wanted but I still was able to pick up a few choice items. I brought home two pontiled pickles (a cathedral and a teal W.D. Smith), a canary-yellow Binningers and a Stockton Port Wine Bitters.” Summary When you have a happy bunch of collectors and a satisfied group of dealers, you’ve run a great show! This was a welllighted, comfortable venue for what proved to be an expertly conducted show. Show Chairman Marty Hall’s comments speak for every collector and dealer at the show, “I was extremely pleased with how well things went with the show. I have never seen so many great bottles in all categories at a show before. At least 50 people told me it was the best show they had ever been to — and some of these folks have been attending shows for 35+ years.” Ralph Van Brocklin
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Helene and Walt Walker shared a nice selection of cone and umbrella inka.
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Early on day two of the show.
And the crowd continued on into the day.
Auction Lot #7: Prestonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vegetable Purifying Catholicon Potion, Portsm, N.H. ended for $897.50. Auction Lot #36: Distilled Soda Water Co. of Alaska Hutchinson soda, $650.
The photographs illustrating the Reno, Nevada National show were provided by Ralph Van Brocklin, Robin Preston and June Lowry. Tom Moniz provided photos of the Benecia display and Randy Driskill provided photos of the auction bottles.
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John Slowiakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire grenade display.
Auction Lot #46: GX-4 General Taylor / A Little More Grape. $2800
Fall 2006
Auction Lot: #28: Geo. Benz & Sons Appetine Bitters, sample size. $600
Auction Lot #21: GIV-14, Masonic Eagle in light green, 1/2-pint. $1800
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Auction Lot #37: Compound Extract of Manzanita, op Sacramento. $900
Auction Lot #53: GV-2, Success to the Railroad in olive green. $4000
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Auction Lot #22: Dr. Leon’s Electric Hair Renewer in dark amethyst. $300
Auction Lot #18: Dr. Renz’s Herb Bitters (large letters), yellow-green. $1550
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Auction Lot #8: Sweet & Boies Drug Co., Turlock, Calif., 8-ounce in green. $357.50
Auction Lot #38: Dr. XX Lovegood’s Family Bitters. $3500
Auction Lot #43: Wormser Bros. San Francisco, golden amber barrel. $2000
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This shot glass made its new owner proud as a peacock.
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Bruce Silva, from Oregon, had two tables of offerings.
Above and below: The Benecia Colored Bottles display from the Auburn 49er Bottle Club was beautiful indeed.
Jim Dennis, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Western Whiskey Merchant,â&#x20AC;? poses behind his table at the show.
During the auction, the bottles were offered on tables off to the side for viewing.
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THE DATING GAME:
Tracking the Elusive Monogram Carl Conrad & Co., Olean Glass Works (Co.), and a Man Named OʼHara By Bill Lockhart, Pete Schulz, David Whitten, Bill Lindsey and Carol Serr It all started out innocently enough when David Whitten asked if anyone knew which company made bottles for C. Conrad & Co. In attempting to unravel the mystery, we discovered a monogram that was very similar to the one on the base of the Conrad bottles. However, the attempt to isolate the connection between the two monograms only deepened the enigma. Over a period of time, we have created and rejected several hypotheses before reaching an acceptable conclusion. Although Carl Conrad was neither a brewer nor a bottler, he contracted with Anheuser-Busch, then the brewers of St Louis Lager Beer, to brew and bottle his beer for him. Conrad advertised his beer as “the Original Budweiser,” and there seems to be no doubt that his was the first use of that name on the American market. Although he was only in business for about six years, his use of embossed monograms on export beer bottles assured him a place in the history of manufacturer’s marks. There is currently a dispute between Anheuser-Busch and Budejovicky Budvar of the Czech Republic about which company has the right to the name “Budweiser.” The name, itself, derives from a Czech town, Ceske Budejovice, or Budweis (in German). Although AnheuserBusch claims rightful use of the name due to its import to the United States in 1876, Budejovicky Budvar maintains its right to the title because the name was used in Czechoslovakia for years prior to that. There is little doubt of the Anheuser-Busch claim (see below for a discussion of the date): Carl Conrad and his wife both confirmed that they transferred the name and rights to Anheuser-Busch as part of the January 15, 1883, bankruptcy (Plavchan 1976:72-73).1 For more details about the case see Lee (2006). CC&Co monogram (1876-1882) Let’s begin with an enigmatic reference. Toulouse (1971:117-118) illustrated the
simple initials “C C Co” and associated them with Carl Conrad & Co. He dated the alleged mark at 1876-1883. We have been unable to find a single bottle with this mark, and it appears that he probably intended to describe the CC&Co monogram, that is actually found on Conrad’s Budweiser bottles, from references sent to him. Toulouse apparently obtained his information from Thomas J. Carroll. Carroll wrote at least two letters to May Jones about the AB-connected manufacturer ’s mark and about Carl Conrad’s involvement with Anheuser Busch (Jones 1963:[19-20]; 1964:[16]), and Toulouse was a part of Jones’ glass collectors’ network. Another letter with the same information about Conrad (and much more) was written in 1967 and published by Berge (1980:114-115). Toulouse likely obtained his information from the 1967 letter, prior to its publication by Berge. Carroll wrote that “the letters CCCo appeared on the bottom of the bottle. This type of bottle was in use from 1878 to 1883” (Berge 1980:114). Jones (1964:[16]) quoted Carroll as stating the mark was “C.C.C & Co.” The mark is more correctly described as a CC&Co monogram. Conrad did not actually manufacture containers but contracted with an established glass house (or various companies) to make each bottle embossed with his name on the side and his monogram on the base (as well as generic bottles with the monogram on the bases). All the examples that we have observed are export-style bottles. Toulouse’s beginning year, 1876, probably referred to the year Conrad returned from Germany (Toulouse said he went to Germany in “the mid1870s”) and teamed up with Anheuser. Although Carroll (Berge 1980:114; Jones 1964:[16]; 1968:13) noted that Conrad registered the Budweiser trademark (#6376) in 1878, three sources indicate that Toulouse was correct about the beginning
year. The Oakland Tribune (10/19/1876:3) advertised “Budweiser, Milwaukee, Culmbacher, Boca and Lager Beer” as being sold in California in late 1876. Of even greater importance is Conrad’s trademark application, itself. It actually included three trademarks: “Carl Conrad & Co.”; “CC&Co”; and “Budweiser,” although all were shown on paper labels [Figure 1]. The trademark was not registered by the Patent Office until 1878, but the application text specified that the trademarks had all been used since January 1876. Finally, Plavchan (1976:72) set the date at 1876. Plavchan’s history of Anheuser-Busch is one of the best. The Toulouse end date for the mark is the date of Conrad’s insolvency; however, since Conrad declared bankruptcy on January 16, 1883 (New York Times 1/17/ 1883), it is unlikely that any bottles were made for him in 1883. A more likely end date would be 1882. The reason for the dissolution is worth some discussion. Baxter (1998:4) hypothesized that Conrad was forced out of business because of the bottle shortage in the West. Beer and other bottled products were shipped long distances by wagon under difficult conditions. Because of this, the empty bottles became an important commodity. Miles (1986:78) confirmed this during an earlier period, when he noted that “teamsters could purchase a dozen bottles of liquor in Missouri for four dollars each, drink the contents along the way, and trade
Figure 1: Paper Neck Label with C. Conrad & Co. Monogram (eBay)
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the empty bottles for six dollars worth of produce each in New Mexico.” Thus, virtually all bottles were reused. It is particularly true of the Southwest that a proliferation of bottles was directly tied to the arrival of the railroad (see Lockhart 2001 for a more complete discussion of this phenomenon). For breweries to profit from container sales, it was important that most bottles be returned. Unfortunately for the original bottler, the bottles were often not returned to the owner (the brewery) but continued to be refilled by competitors at the point of sale. The railroads alleviated the problem to some extent, but there were still many remote areas where bottles continued to be valuable well into the late 1880s or even later. Baxter’s argument that Conrad may have lost so much money on bottles that he was forced into bankruptcy thus is plausible. Baxter’s hypothesis, however, fails to explain why other brewers remained in business under the same circumstances. A New York Times article (1/17/1883) noted that Conrad’s bankruptcy was due to overextension, although bottle loss may still have played a part. The New York Times (1/17/1883), however, offered an alternative explanation. According to the Times, the very success of Conrad’s venture led to its demise. Conrad had grown so fast that he “erected new buildings on Sixth Street, entered them, and established branch houses throughout the country.” Because “their branch houses were so scattered they found it impossible to get in collections as rapidly as they were needed.” Although “collections” probably referred to money, Baxter’s hypothesis may also have contributed to the overall problem. At the top of the list of Conrad’s principle creditors was Anheuser-Busch, although Adolphus Busch informed the paper that Conrad’s assets were expected to be sufficient to cover the debt. A meeting of the creditors on January 22, however,
showed that Conrad’s assets would actually be about $140,000 short of meeting bankruptcy (New York Times 1/23/1883). The mark, however, may be more difficult to place than the cause of bankruptcy. May Jones (1964:n.p.; 1966:6; 1968:13) was the first to identify the monogram as belonging to C. Conrad & Co. She showed four very slight variations of the mark (mostly with accompanying letters and numbers), including one where the mark was surrounded by Xs. Ayres et al. (1980:10-11) followed Jones in identifying the mark as belonging to Conrad. Wilson (1981:114) showed beer bottle bases with this mark in connection with Ft. Union (1863-1891) but failed to identify the maker. Herskovitz (1978:11) stated that he found “69 bottles with the ‘ CC C O ’ monogram of Carl Conrad Company, a firm that produced and bottled beer for Anheuser.” Herskovitz recorded accompanying codes of A-L, “2 dots,” or a single numeral, “1.” We have now accumulated 14 photos of bottles with the CC&Co monogram including both those with the “ORIGINAL BUDWEISER/C. CONRAD & CO” embossing on one side and examples without body embossing. Ayres et al. (1980:unnumbered pages) illustrated the CC&Co monogram in greater detail, including a serif on the upper termination of each “C” and a serif-like embellishment centered in the “C” curve. Baxter (1998:4) showed drawings of four variations of the bottles with at least two variations of the CC&Co monogram embossed on their bases. On one style, each “C” also had a serif. One bottle illustrated by Baxter is amber in color (all other reported Conrad Budweiser bottles – and ones we have observed – were aqua) with no embossing on the sides and no ampersand in the monogram. This is likely the OGCo monogram (see below). All OGCo monograms we have seen are faint and easy to misread.
Wilson (1981:3, 6) showed two bottles embossed with C. Conrad & Co. labels on the side and CC&Co embossed on the base. In addition, the bottles were embossed with D. O. C.2 on the heels. We discovered an additional CC&Co-marked bottle, with the D. O. C. mark, in the TUR collection. The D. O. C. mark was used by D. O. Cunningham from 1880 to 1931 (see Lockhart et al. 2005 for revised dates for marks). Therefore, Cunningham made Conrad’s bottles within the last two years prior to Conrad’s bankruptcy. Between eBay photos, bottles owned by group members, secondary sources, and bottles we have observed in collections, we have determined that the CC&Co monograms fall into two broad categories, each with sub-variations. The major variations center around the presence or absence of serifs on each “C” in the logo (Type I and Type II). The sans serif marks (Type I) are subdivided according to the centering of the logo. One style has the logo centered on the base (Style A). These are further subdivided into logos with no accompanying numbers (Variation 1) and those above single-digit numbers (Variation 2). A sub-variation of Variation 1 has “D O C” embossed on the heel (see above). Style B has the logo positioned above the center of the base. Serif logos (Type II) are also divided into two styles. Style A has a serif atop each “C”; Style B has serifs along with embellishments at the center of the “C” curve. Only one example of Style B is known, but Style A has several examples, each with a single letter below the logo (although a single example has no letter but has an embossed short line offset below the mark).
Figure 2: CC&Co Monogram, Type I, Style A (eBay)
Figure 3: CC&Co Monogram, Type I, Style B (eBay)
Figure 4: CC&Co Monogram, Type II, Style A (Lindsey)
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Type I – Sans Serif Logos Style A – Centered Logos [Figure 2] Variation 1 – Logos with no accompanying numbers Sub-Variation – “D O C” embossed on heel Variation 2 – Single-digit numbers below the logos Style B – Logos at top of post mold lines [Figure 3] Type II – Serif Logos3 Style A – A single serif atop each “C” along with a single letter or number below the logo [Figure 4] Style B – Serifs plus embellishments at the “C” curve (Figure 5, also see Figure 1) We were unable to find any relationship between the various logo styles and whether or not the bottle was embossed on the side with “ORIGINAL BUDWEISER/C. CONRAD & CO.” [Figure 6]. Bottles with side embossing are found with both serif and sans serif logos. However, a possible sequence of manufacture may be created (although any of these could overlap): ca. 1876-1878 logo on base; no side embossing; no heel mark 1878-1880
logo on base; CONRAD & CO/ORIGINAL/ BUDWEISER/PATENT No. 6376 on side; no heel mark
1880-1882
logo on base; CONRAD/ BUDWEISER on side; DOC heel mark
According to the Anheuser-Busch sources, the company “acquired rights to bottle and sell Budweiser” in 1883, the year
Figure 5: CC&Co Monogram, Type II, Style B (TUR Collection)
Conrad declared bankruptcy (AnheuserBusch 2003; Carroll in Berge 1980:114; Jones 1964:[16]). Carroll noted that Conrad “eventually became an employee of Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association” (Jones 1964:[16]), although he was unclear about the time period. Conrad did not actually assign the trademark to Anheuser Busch until 1891, and the “CCCo (sic) insignia and the name C. Conrad & Co. remained on the [paper] label until around 1920” (Berge 1980:114). Ayres et al. (1980:11) followed the lead of Jones (1964:[17]) in dating the mark’s use from 1876 to 1891, evidently in the belief that Conrad continued using the mark after his bankruptcy. We have found no evidence to support the use of the embossed monogram after the 1883 bankruptcy and suggest that the researchers misread the Carroll information. Discussion and Summary The CC&Co monogram is clearly associated with Carl Conrad and his company that procured (but did not manufacture) bottles for beer actually produced by Anheuser Busch. Bottles embossed with the Conrad name and logo may have been made as early as 1876 when Conrad first began producing Budweiser. Since the CC&Co monogram is also found on bases of o t h e r w i s e unembossed export beer bottles, the bottles may have been used prior to those embossed with Budweiser. In all p r o b a b i l i t y, manufacture of the bottles with the embossed m o n o g r a m stopped abruptly at the end of 1882 to coincide with C o n r a d ’ s bankruptcy in January 1883. All bottles with the C C & C o Figure 6: Original monogram that Budweiser Bottle we have (Lindsey)
Bottles and Extras examined or found on the internet were topped by applied finishes, dating them most likely to the 1873-1896 period (See Lockhart 2006b). The OGCo Monogram Wilson (1981:114) also showed a monogram that was very similar to the one from Carl Conrad & Co and was also found on beer bottle bases. This mark had a “tail” on the lower part of the initial “C” to form a “G”; the ends of the central “C” had been joined to form an “O”; and the ampersand (&) was removed [Figure 7]. Visually, the marks are very similar, almost identical to a casual glance. Both marks were also embossed less distinctly than was common on the simpler letter marks of the time period (ca. 1875-1891). A final similarity was the inclusion of small Xs surrounding the Conrad logo (Wilson 1981:114) and a similar scattering of Xs on an OGComonogrammed bottle OGCo Monogram recorded in the database for the San Elizario bottle pit (Lockhart & Olszewski 1994).4 The mark with Xs was also recorded by Jones (1968:28). She observed it on both bottle and jars and noted the color of the containers as “clear azure blue.” The mark is identical to the one identified by Toulouse (1971:400) as belonging to the Olean Glass Co. of Olean, New York, although the date ranges do not match (see below). The CC&Co monogram was shown by Wilson (1981:114) on “blue” (light blue or aqua) bases with letters below the logo or with no accompaniment. The OGCo logo was presented by Wilson (1981:114-115) on amber bases with four Xs around the logo, two Xs above it, or numbers above the monogram [see Figure 8].
Figure 7: OGCo Monogram (TUR Collection)
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In the discussion about the Conrad monogram (above), we noted several variations. Upon careful examination, all of the examples show several distinct differences between the Conrad and OGCo monograms. The Conrad marks have consistently wider letters. This is most noticeable in the central “C” of the Conrad mark in comparison to the much narrower “O” in the center of the OGCo logo. None of the five photographic examples of the OGCo monogram have serifs. A final notable difference is in the placement of “o” in “Co.” In all OGCo marks, the lowercase “o” is between the two terminations in the gap of the “C.” However, in all but two cases, the Conrad logo has the “o” distinctly inside the final “C.” The exceptions are both Type I, Style A, Variation 2 (see above). Although the designs are very similar, dating remains confused. Conrad’s known years in business are from January 1878 to January 1883. Olean did not begin business until 1883 (see below) and remained open until 1913. This indicates that the monograms were not contemporary, although the earlier monogram may have inspired the later one. To further confuse the issue, there was a second Olean Glass Co. from 1929 to 1935. Toulouse (1971:400) identified the OGCo monogram as belonging to the second company and dated it at “circa 1929 to 1942.” These dates are belied by the presence of bases with the monogram at Fort Union (1862-1891) and the San Elizario excavation (ca. 1880-1887). 5 According to Ayres et al. (1980:31-32), the monogram, should be dated 1887 to 1915, an assessment probably based on manufacturing techniques. The OGCo monogram was also shown
on the base of a groove ring wax sealer fruit jar by Creswick (1995:165). It matches the one found on beer bottles [Figure 9], and the time period for this type of jar fits the known timeframe for the company. She identified the maker as the Olean Glass Co. (Works) and dated it 1887-1915.6
Figure 8: OGCo Monogram with “x” Marks (San Elizario Collection)
Figure 9: OGCo Monogram on Fruit Jar Base (Creswick 1995:165)
Summary To summarize our look at the OGCo mark, it was in use much earlier than the dates (1929-1942) given by Toulouse (1971:400). The mark was almost certainly used before the 1890s as shown by its presence at Fort Union and San Elizario (probably used before 1886). Bottles with the OGCo monogram from both San Elizario and the TUR collection at Tucson, Arizona, have two-part, applied finishes. Applied finishes on export beer bottles are now known to have been used between 1873 and ca. 1896 (Lockhart 2006b). The comparisons and contrasts also need to be reviewed. The major differences are that the CC&Co-marked bottles are uniformly a light blue (or aqua)7 in color, while the OGCo-monogrammed ones were recorded in both blue and amber. Serifs are present on some CC&Co bottles and absent on OGCo examples. The “o” in “Co” is inside the “C” on the CC&Co mark but is between the tips of the “C” in the OGCo mark. However, the monograms look remarkably similar, especially without close examination. They are both formed from elongated, thinly, embossed letters, and both are found on blue or aqua bottles. Each is sometimes accompanied by small “Xs” above or surrounding the logo. Both the similarities and differences may be coincidental or may be significant, but neither is conclusive.
41 The Olean Glass Company (Works) In an attempt to synthesize these disjointed facts, we wrote the Olean Historical and Preservation Society, Olean, New York. The query was undertaken by Eileen M. Smith who “spent hours and hours ... at the local library” looking through Olean newspapers. Her results were enlightening. [Note that everything not cited in the follow section came from Smith.] Samuel W. Pancoast an experienced glassworker from Millville, New Jersey, formed a corporation and built the Olean Glass Works in 1883.8 The factory shut down after less than a year but was operational again a year later (1884). This, too, was short lived, and the plant remained idle until 1887. Unlike the earlier incarnations, this plant survived and continued to grow into the early 1890s. In 1893, the plant opened a new “eight-ring continuous tank” bringing the total plant capacity to 19 rings (Anonymous 1908). Fire destroyed the factory in 1894, causing a reorganization of the company. The company incorporated in November 1894 (New York Times 11/25/ 1894; 1903 company letterhead) with Samuel W. Pancoast as president and members of his family as most of the principal investors. According to Smith’s research, the plant was rebuilt by 1897, although the completion could have occurred sooner. According to the Era Blue Book (Anonymous 1900), the firm was known as the Olean Glass Co. by 1900 and was making bottles. The 1903 letterhead listed “prescription ware, flasks, wines, beers, minerals, sodas. etc.” in “crystal, amber, and blue” colors. It showed factories in both Olean, New York, and Port Allegany, Pennsylvania. By 1905, a company in Olean (probably Olean Glass Co. – see above) had installed “seven machines, making vaselines, inks, shoe polish and pint and half pint milks” (Anonymous 1912:1). These were some of the early semiautomatics. Unfortunately, we have not found the exact date for the installations. This was one of only five factories in the United States to make milk bottles by machine in 1905. Olean was also listed as making milk jars in the 1907-1908 and 1909 Thomas Registers (19071908:799; 1909:1101). In 1907, Olean made “Prescription; Beer; Wine; Soda; Brandy; Packers’; [and] Preservers’” ware, along with fruit jars. At the same time, Acme made “Prescription;
42 Beer; Soda; Wine; [and] Brandy” bottles (Thomas Register 1907-1908:159, 799). In 1909 a factory in Olean (probably Olean Glass Co.)9 operated 13 semiautomatic machines making “vaselines, inks, etc.” (Hayes 1909:1). In 1913, the Acme Glass Co., a relative newcomer to Olean, New York, bought the Olean Glass Co. An article on machine manufacture in 1913 noted that the Acme Glass Co., Olean, New York, made “prescription, beer, liquor and water (i.e., soda)” bottles, vials and flasks. The same article noted Olean Glass Co. plants in Olean and Port Allegany, Pennsylvania. The Olean plants made a general line of bottles by both mouth-blown and semiautomatic machine technologies (Anonymous 1913:953). Acme apparently continued to run the Olean plant under the Olean name for a while, possibly until all existing contracts were filled. The Olean listing continued in the Thomas Register until 1915 (1915:578). Acme built a new plant in 1927, but it was sold at auction two years later (1929) to local interests who renamed the plant the Olean Glass Co. The Olean announcement “assured a continuance of the same prompt service and the high quality packers’ ware [that customers] have been receiving in the past” (Olean Glass Co. 1929:430). Thatcher Glass Co. purchased the capital stock of Olean in 1935, although it announced that the Olean plant would continue to manufacture “containers for beer carbonated beverages, cider, foodstuffs, oils, polishes, proprietary medicines and vinegars” (Anonymous 1935:574). This opened up an entirely new venue for Thatcher. However, the Olean plant seems to have retained its own identity until Thatcher acquired complete ownership in 1943 (Anonymous 1944). Toulouse (1971:400-402) was fairly accurate in his history of Olean Glass Co. (Works). He identified the original company as in business from 1887 to 1915, and the second company in operation from 1929 to 1942. However, he identified two marks, the OGCo monogram and an OG monogram as being used by the second company and O G W as being used by the first. Summary The first Olean Glass Works was in business intermittently from 1883 to 1913, although the time period for the use of “works” and “company” is unclear.
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Bottles and Extras
However, few bottles were made prior to 1887. The second Olean Glass Co. operated from 1929 to 1943, although it was effectively controlled by Thatcher after 1935.
the base of a fruit jar with a Lightning closure that he dated ca. 1900. We have found no other reference to an O G mark. The mark could have been an OC from the Oneida Community (see below).
OLEAN According to Teal and Wallace (2005:96, 109, 149), the name Olean was embossed on the heel of a Jo Jo pint bottle from the South Carolina Dispensary. They identified the company as the Olean Glass Co.
OGCo Monogram The OGCo monogram was used during the late 19th century, and, if it were used by Olean, it might date from as early as 1883 (see Figures 7 and 8). It is found on fruit jars and beer bottles that were made during that period (see discussion above). However, there are problems with the Olean identification. According to Smith’s newspaper research, the plant made a general line of bottles by 1892. However, the name was always recorded in the early days as Olean Glass Works. Local newspapers referred to the company by both names (Co. and Works) in the 1890s, and the name had changed to the Olean Glass Co. by 1900. However, this does not tell the full story. Early records for the company are scarce. Many companies in the 19th century had different names for factory and the owner. Based on the use of both names during the 1890s, it is possible (even likely) that the Olean Glass Co. owned the Olean Glass Works. Toulouse (1971:400), however, was correct that a very similar mark was used by the second Olean company. We have observed a pint whiskey flask embossed on the base with the OGCo monogram in a circle. The mark is somewhat indistinct, but it appears to be a bit different from the older monogram and is much smaller. This new logo is not only surrounded by a circle, it also seems to have lost the “o” in “Co.” The flask bears the “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS THE RESALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE” warning (required between 1933 and 1964) and was machine made. The bottle, therefore, must have been made during the second Olean period, 1929 to 1942.
OG Monogram Jones (1965:[22]) first identified this mark in print as belonging to Olean; however, she failed to add any dates. Toulouse (1969:229) dated a Mason jar with an OG monogram embossed on one side ca. 1929-1939. In his second book, Toulouse (1971:400) accurately identified the OG monogram as being used by the second Olean company, and dated the mark from 1929 to 1942. Creswick (1987:154) noted that the “trademark patent #271,692 was issued on June 17, 1930, to the Olean Glass Co., Inc. Olean, N.Y.” The text of the trademark registration indicates that the mark was first used on October 1, 1929, and consisted of the monogram in a circle [Figure 10]. Giarde (1980:75) showed the mark both by itself and in a circle, although he followed Toulouse’s dates. We have seen an example of the circle mark on a motor oil bottle from the 1930s and on a Wilken Whiskey bottle [Figure 11]. Although Thatcher gained control of Olean in 1935, the plant continued to operate independently as demonstrated by a 1938 Olean ad (Glass Packer, November 1938). Because Olean continued to operate as its own entity until 1943, the Toulouse date of 1942 for the last use of the Olean monogram is likely correct or very close. Scholes (1941:129) also showed this mark as being used by Olean in 1941. OG Toulouse (1969:229) noted this mark on
Figure 10 (L): OG Monogram (Patent Office Drawing) Figure 11 (R): OG Monogram (Serr)
O. G. CO. I. We have an example of the O. G. CO. I. mark on the heel of a Hutchinson-style bottle [Figure 12]. The container had what Elliott and Gould (1988:35) identified as
Figure 12: O G Co I Heelmark (Lockhart)
Bottles and Extras the “classic Hutchinson top” used by 1890. Thus, we can tentatively date the bottle as being made after 1890. The Olean Glass Works/Co. was in business during three time periods – 18831884; 1887-1894; and 1894-1913 – with the term “Company” used more frequently in extant literature toward the final incarnation. A Hutchinson-finished bottle with the “classic” top could have been made during either of the latter two periods when the company was in business (see Elliott & Gould 1988:35-36 for a discussion of the “classic” finish). Because the company’s incorporation was in 1894, the mark should be dated between 1894 and 1913. OGW Although Toulouse (1971:400) attributed the O G W mark to the Olean Glass Works, Tim Higgins, a long-time collector from California, assigned the mark to the Oakland Glass Works, Oakland, California [Figure 13]. The company was in business for about one year in the early 1880s, and the mark was embossed on the bases of whiskey bottles in fifth, pint, and half pint (union oval) sizes as well as various pharmaceutical shapes, square bitters-style bottles, and demijohns. The colors of the bottles vary, and all have applied finishes except for the half-pint flasks, which have tooled finishes. The only embossing on any of the bottles is the manufacturing marks on the bases. It is possible, of course, that the mark was used by both companies, but the consistency of the known bottles bearing the O G W mark – and that most, if not all, have been found in the far West – suggests that it was only used by the Oakland Glass Works. Bottles found east of the Mississippi, however, may indicate that both companies used the mark. More empirical study needs to be done.
Fall 2006 Oneida Community. Founded in 1838, in Putney, Vermont, the Oneida Community was an early experiment in communal living and industry. The group moved to Oneida, New York, in 1847 but later dissolved the community, reorganizing in 1881 as a corporation, formed to sell the farm products that had become well known in its earlier days. The community remained in business until at least 1912 but was absent from listings in 1915 (Caniff 2005:8). Oneida packaged its products in jars embossed with an OC monogram and occasionally just the initials O C [Figure 14]. At least some of the jars were made by the Putnam Glass Co. and had the PUTNAM mark on their bases. At some point, the community began using paper labels that incorporated a slightly different OC monogram (Caniff 2005:8). Creswick (1995:165) also showed the O C mark on an “old style Lightning seal” fruit jar. The Other “Os” Because the identity of the OGCo mongram’s user is not positively known, we must seek other possible candidates. Only a very few glass company initials fit the OGCo logo, and most may be eliminated quickly due to dates in business or types of glass manufactured. The short list below is as comprehensive as the sources allow. Ohio Glass Co. (or Works), Bellaire, Ohio (at least 1877-at least 1879) The Ohio Glass Co. or Works (also called the Cassell after its owner) was leased to the Bellaire Goblet Co. in 1879.
The Oneida Community OC Monogram The OG monogram could easily be mistaken for the OC monogram used by the
Figure 13: OGW Mark (Lindsey)
Figure 14: Oneida Jars with OG Marks (Creswick 1995:165)
43 The plant was also listed as making lamp chimneys, lamp globes, and lampware in 1877 (Lehner 1978:21). We currently know nothing else about this plant. Ohio Glass Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1802-1804) The type of glass manufactured by this company is unknown (McKearin & McKearin 1941:587; Toulouse 1971:402); however, the early dates for the company eliminate it as a possible user of the OGCo mark. Omro Glass Co., Omro, Wisconsin The Omro Glass Co. planned to build a plant in Omro in December 1852. There is no evidence that the plant was actually built, although materials were gathered. A factory was actually built in Omro in 1870 and operated until 1876. The plant produced window glass (Reilly 2005). Ontario Glass Co. (1899-1903) According to Creswick (1995:272), the Ontario Glass Co., Kingsville, Ontario, Canada, was in business from 1899 to 1903. Although she did not specifically state the type of glass made, the company almost certainly made fruit jars. Oriel Glass Co. (1897-1899+) The Oriel Glass Co. was listed in the St. Louis, Missouri, city directories from 1897 to 1899 and was possibly in business later. The factory was probably small as it had the minimum listing (not bold, not complex, no accompanying ad). Osage Glass Co., Independence, Kansas (1905-1911) Paquette (2002:55) briefly mentioned the company but gave no details. Julie Gosnell, Museum Coordinator for the Independence Historical Museum, Independence, Kansas, researched the company at our request and provided a brief history. On November 25, 1905, the Osage Glass Co. produced its first run of glass. The plant manufactured window glass. The firm was last listed in 1911 and may have been purchased by the National Sash and Door Co. The company was never known to have made bottles nor to have used a manufacturer’s mark. The O’Hara Glass Operations O’Hara and Craig (1796-1804) James O’Hara and Isaac Craig became partners in 1796 10 to form a glass
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manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The plant made window glass, clock faces, tableware, flasks, pickling jars and other hollow ware in the first coal-fired glass operation in the U.S. Craig moved west and dissolved the partnership in 1804 (Innes 1976:8-11, 18, 28; Knittle 1927:6, 209-215; Van Rensellaer 1969:172-174). The factory was leased by Eichbaum, Wendt & Co. from 1798 to 1800, when O’Hara & Craig resumed operations (Welker & Welker 1985:40).
Exposition in 1875 displaying pressed glass (Innes 1976:51, 71; McKearin and McKearin 1941:606). 13 Along with its award-winning tableware, the plant made high quality table bottles, including toilet bottles of amber glass, bitters bottles, and water bottles (Creswick 1995:280; Innes 1976:67, 433, 486). The O’Hara Glass Co. became Factory L of the United States Glass Co., a conglomerate of 18 glass producers, on July 1, 1891. U.S. Glass sold the O’Hara plant to Park Bros. & Co. in 1893 (Carnival Glass 2004; Welker & Welker 1985:98).
Pittsburgh Glass Works With Craig’s departure, O’Hara became sole owner of the Pittsburgh Glass Works. Between 1804 and 1810, O’Hara made jars, flasks, porter and claret bottles and produced “glass for chemical experiments” by 1809 (Innes 1976:88, 206). O’Hara died in December 1819, and Frederick R. Lorenz leased the firm and finally bought the operation in 1825. A series of other owners managed the factory into the late 19 th century (McKearin and Wilson 1978:6264). The firm may have also been referred to as either the O’Hara Glass Works or the O’Hara Glass Co. or both, but O’Hara was certainly not an official name.
Discussion The original company operated by James O’Hara was in business too early to have made the OGCo or Conrad bottles. The O’Hara Glass Co., operated by James B. Lyon, however, had initials to fit the OGCo monogram and was open during the correct time period to have made both the Conrad bottles and those embossed with the OGCo logo. However, there is no indication that the company ever made beer bottles of any sort, nor any other form of “common” container. All of the O’Hara products were noted for high quality. At this point, we have been unable to establish a connection between O’Hara and Lyon or any reason why Lyon chose the name.
O’Hara Glass Works and O’Hara Glass Co. Sources give two accounts of the founding and timeline for the O’Hara Glass Co., a completely separate company from the factory operated by James O’Hara (discussed above). McKearin and McKearin (1941:606) and Creswick (1995:280) noted that James B. Lyon & Co. established the O’Hara Glass Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1848. The firm made flint glass tableware in pressed, blown, cut, and engraved forms. However, an ad from the 1888 Pittsburgh city directory gave a different history of the company. According to this version, the factory grew out of the old Hay & McCully plant, established in 1829 and operated by a series of owners. By 1849, Wallace, Lyon & Co. had gained control, with James B. Lyon & Co. not operating the firm until 1852 (Creswick 1995:285; Hawkins 2004; Welker and Welker 1985:97).11 Regardless of the early history, Lyon “incorporated” the business in 1875 as the O’Hara Glass Co. and became the corporation’s president. 12 The firm exhibited at the Pittsburgh Industrial
Other Pittsburgh Glass Companies with “O” for a First Initial O’Hara & Robinson The company was only listed in 1866 and 1867. Michael O’Hara and J. H. Robinson owned the Iron City Glass Works. The factory made “Black & Green Glassware, Window Glass, Druggists’ Ware, Bottles, Flasks, Demijohns, &c.” The advertisement noted that the company paid “particular attention to Private Moulds.” The firm was probably an outgrowth of O’Hara, Schulze & Co., listed at the same address in 1865. Unfortunately, there are no later listings for the firm (Hawkins 2004). O’Leary, Mulvany & Co., O’Leary, Beck & Co., and O’Leary Bros. & Co. O’Leary, Mulvany & Co. operated the Birmingham Flint Glass Co. from ca. 1832 to 1845. Little more is known about the company, although we can deduce that they made colorless glass products. O’Leary, Beck & Co., manufacturers of window glass, began operations about 1880 but were listed as O’Leary Bros. by 1882. In 1885,
Bottles and Extras the firm was O’Leary Bros. & Co., and the business was last listed in 1893 (Hawkins 2004). Oriental Glass Co. The Oriental Glass Co. made glass tableware from 1891 to 1918 (Hawkins 2004). Mold Makers and “Signatures” During the 19th century, very few glass houses made their own molds. Glass company histories show that it is unusual to find a glass plant with its own moldmaking capacity during that period. Thus, it is likely that many glass houses used the same mold maker to produce the molds they needed. It is possible that some of the individual mold engravers included their own “signature” on baseplates they made. Toulouse (1971:537) discussed the possibility of the use of the mold-cutter’s “signature” in connection with Nuttall & Co. from 1872 to 1913. Although Nuttall & Co. was an English company, the time period is similar to the possibilities we cite below. We suggest that a likely candidate is the “x” marks found on baseplates of some amber and aqua beer bottles from the ca. 1875-1890 period. A possible mold maker’s signature consisted of small Xs in conjunction with two different monograms. The CC&Co monogram found on the bases of Carl Conrad’s Budweiser bottles were occasionally accompanied by one or more Xs around the outer edges of the base. May Jones (1964:n.p.; 1966:6; 1968:13) showed the Conrad logo surrounded with four, more-or-less-evenly-spaced Xs. An OGCo monogram was also accompanied by similar Xs, including patterns of two Xs above or four Xs surrounding the logo. In addition to the accompanying Xs, both monograms are remarkably similar. A Possible Explanation A Midwestern mold-cutting company employed an engraver who cut baseplates for glass houses. He may have specialized in creating or cutting monograms. Around 1876, this engraver produced a plate (or series of plates) for Carl Conrad using the CC&Co monogram, “signing” his work with small Xs. The number of Xs on a plate might indicate the number of those plates he had made. We will never know for sure
Bottles and Extras At some point, another engraver made some of the plates without the Xs. The glass house making the bottles may have changed mold-cutting companies; the foreman may have given the task to another worker; or the original engraver may have terminated his employment. The use of the Xs vanished. It is also possible that the time periods involved were reversed – the X signatures may have been on the later bottles. Around 1883, the engraver received another task of creating a monogram for the Olean Glass Co., the management company that owned the Olean Glass Works. Olean may even have requested an OGW monogram but conceded that the OGCo monogram was superior in style. Again, we will never know for sure. However, the monogram was applied to Olean plates, both with and without the distinctive “signature.” Since the first Olean was only producing from 1883 to 1884 and again in 1887, the bottles are scarce. The second Olean Glass Co. resurrected the monogram, just slightly altered, for use on its bottles during the 1894-1913 or the 1927-1935 period. As a bit of a side venture, we can also speculate on which company made the original Conrad bottles. We know that some of the bottles were made by Dominec O. Cunningham between 1880 and 1882 (from the D O C manufacturer’s marks on the heels – see Wilson 1981). One reason why Cunningham might have been chosen is because his father’s company may have made the first bottles. Cunninghams & Co. may not have marked all of the bottles made by the company. While the above account is certainly based on speculation, we submit that it is the most parsimonious possibility that anyone has currently produced. Future research needs to center around finding more Conrad bottles and, if possible, more with the OGCo monogram. A larger sample may provide further insights. Discussion and Conclusions Identification of the Monograms There is virtually no question that the CC&Co monogram was used by Carl Conrad & Co., probably from ca. 1876 to 1882. Evidence indicates that Conrad was a jobber only, supplying bottles to Anheuser Busch but not actually manufacturing them. The evidence that Conrad continued to supply any bottles after 1882 or that
Fall 2006 Anheuser Busch used the CC&Co mark (other than a different mark on the paper labels until 1920) or embossed the Conrad name on bottles after that date is too weak to justify its inclusion in the date range for either the monogram or Conrad’s involvement. Beginning in 1880, however, at the inception of the company, D. O. Cunningham made the Conrad bottles (as evidenced by the D. O. C. mark on the bottles’ heels) and continued until Conrad’s bankruptcy in January 1883. This sets the unknown period for the manufacturer of Conrad’s bottles at ca. 1876-1879. The user of the OGCo monogram, while less certain, can nonetheless be identified. With one exception, firms with “OGCo” initials may be eliminated. Although the O’Hara Glass Co. (1875-1890) could have used the mark on beer bottles made for Conrad between 1876 and 1879, the making of beer bottles does not fit the ambiance of the company. Under James B. Lyons, the O’Hara Glass Co. made “highend,” top-quality glassware. The few bottles made by the firm were intended for home use rather than common consumption. The earlier firms operating the Pittsburgh Glass Works (James O’Hara’s former firms) would provide an even stronger probability for a beer bottle manufacturer, but there is no evidence that any company that operated the plant formally used the O’Hara Glass Co. name. It is also certain that neither the Ohio Glass Co., Oriental Glass Co., nor the Osage Glass Co. could have made the beer bottles found at either San Elizario or Fort Union. The former was in business too early; the latter two made only window glass or tableware. There remains only the Olean Glass Co. (or Works). As discussed above, the plant could easily have been known as both “Company” and “Works” from the beginning. The factory made common bottles and was later known to have made beer bottles. The initials fit, and the plant was in business during the right time period: 1883-1884 and 1887-early 1890s. Further, a later incarnation of the company also used a similar monogram. Even the scarcity of export beer bottles marked with the OGCo monogram fits into the pattern of the Olean Glass Co. These bottles are all generic export-style beer bottles, and they are scarce on recorded sites. The factory was only open for about
45 two years the first time and for only about five years the second time. Compared with firms like the Mississippi Glass Co. or the Lindell Glass Co., that turned out hundreds of thousands of beer bottles year after year, the output from Olean, especially during the first opening, would be expected to be small. Explaining the Similarities While circumstantial evidence cannot be deemed as conclusive, it should not be ignored. Circumstantial evidence shows strong similarities between the two monograms, CC&Co (found on bases of Conrad & Co. beer bottles as well as otherwise-unmarked beer bottles) and OGCo (found on otherwise-unmarked beer bottles). Point in favor of the similarities are: 1. Both monograms are superficially similar in shape and form. This includes very thin lines to form the letters, common on fruit jars but unusual on beer bottles. 2. Both are found on bottles described as “blue” (although OGCo marks are more commonly found on amber bottles). 3. On some (but not all) bottles, each type of monogram is partially or completely surrounded by small “x” marks. Thus far, we have not found similar “x” markings accompanying any other mark. The two significant differences between the two monograms are that: 1) serifs are present on some CC&Co bottles and absent on OGCo examples; and 2) the “o” in “Co” is inside the “C” on the CC&Co mark but is between the tips of the “C” (or just outside) in the OGCo mark. Photos Most of the Photos were taken from collections of members or former members of the Bottle Research Group (BRG), in this case, Bill Lockhart, Bill Lindsey and Carol Serr. Trademark information (including the drawing from the registration) was provided by Pete Schulz. Two photos were also taken from eBay auctions. The Tucson Urban Renewal (TUR) collection is housed at the Arizona State Museum. The BRG examined the 140-box collection in March 2006, and Bill Lindsey photographed many of the marks – including two used here. The San Elizario collection was excavated by Bill Lockhart and Wanda Olszewski in
46 1993 and is housed at the University of Texas at El Paso. Our gratitude to Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr., for allowing us to reproduce drawings from The Fruit Jar Works, Vol. 1, by Alice M. Creswick. Resources: Anheuser Busch 2003 “Anheuser Busch Companies.” http://www.anheuser-busch.com/ Anonymous 1900 The Era Blue Book: A Universal Price List and Directory of Manufacturers for Drug Trade Buyers. D. O. Haynes & Co., New York.
Fall 2006 Caniff, Tom 2005 “Fruit Jar Rambles: Oneida Jars.” Antique Bottle & Glass Collector 22(7):6-9. Carnival Glass 101 2004 Carnival Glass 101: US Glass. http://www.carnivalheaven.com/ carnivalglass101/id118.htm Creswick, Alice 1987 The Fruit Jar Works, Volume II, Listing Jars Made Circa 1900 to Modern. Privately printed, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Anonymous 1908 “Old Memories Revived.” Commoner & Glass Worker 26(20):3.
1995 The Fruit Jar Works, Vol. I, Listing Jars Made Circa 1820 to 1920’s. Douglas M. Leybourne, N. Muskegon, Michigan.
Anonymous 1912 “Changes Wrought in 7 Years.” National Glass Budget November 30.
Elliott, Rex. R. and Stephen C. Gould 1988 Hawaiian Bottles of Long Ago. Hawaiian Service, Inc., Honolulu.
Anonymous 1913 “The Present Status of the Glass Bottle and Hollow Ware Industries in the United States.” Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 5(11):951-954.
Grace, Roger M. 2005 “Reminiscing: Schlitz, Miller and Others Made Beers They Called ‘Budweiser.’” Metropolitan NewsEnterprise http://www.metnews.com/ articles/2005/reminiscing072805.htm
Anonymous 1935 “Thatcher Purchases Olean Glass Co.” Glass Packer 14(9):574.
Hawkins, Jay 2004 Untitled glass manufacturer information sheet from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, taken from city directories. Copy in author ’s possession.
Anonymous 1944 “Purely Gossip.” Wall Street Journal May 17, 1944. Ayres, James E., William Liesenbien, Lee Fratt, and Linda Eure 1980 “Beer Bottles from the Tucson Urban Renewal Project, Tucson, AZ.” Unpublished manuscript, Arizona State Museum Archives, RG5, Sg3, Series 2, Subseries 1, Folder 220. Baxter, Frank 1998 “C. Conrad’s Original Budweiser, the Anheuser Busch Assn. and the Colorado Experience of 1880-1884.” Bottles and Extras 9(5):3-4. Berge, Dale L. 1980 Simpson Springs Station: Historical Archaeology in Western Utah. Cultural Resource Series No. 6. Bureau of Land Management, Utah.
Hayes, President (president of the Glass Bottle Blowers’ Association of the United States and Canada) 1909 “Hayes on Bottle Machines.” National Glass Budget 25(11):1. Herskovitz, Robert M. 1978 Fort Bowie Material Culture. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. Jones, May 1963 The Bottle Trail, Volume 3. Nara Vista, New Mexico. 1964 The Bottle Trail, Volume 4. Nara Vista, New Mexico. 1965 The Bottle Trail, Volume 5. Nara Vista, New Mexico.
Bottles and Extras 1966 The Bottle Trail, Volume 6. Nara Vista, New Mexico. [MM, S,] 1968 The Bottle Trail, Volume 9. Nara Vista, New Mexico. Jones, Olive and Catherine Sullivan 1989 The Parks Canada Glass Glossary for the Description of Containers, Tableware, Flat Glass, and Closures. Parks Canada, Ottawa. Knittle, Rhea Mansfield 1927 Early American Glass. AppletonCentury, New York. Lee, James R. 2006 “TED Case Studies: Who Owns The Name Budweiser?” The Trade & Environment Database http:// www.american.edu/TED/budweis.htm Lehner, Lois 1978 Ohio Pottery and Glass Marks and Manufacturers. WallaceHomestead Books Co., Des Moines, Iowa. Lindsey, Bill 2004 “Historic Glass Bottle Information & Identification Website.” http:// webpages.charter.net/blindsey8952/ blm/index.htm Lockhart, Bill 2001 “Glass Line Dating.” The Artifact 39:40-62. 2006a “The Color Purple: Dating Solarized Amethyst Glass Containers.” Historical Archaeology 40(2):37-48. (In press) 2006b “The Bottles of Fort Stanton.” In Fort Stanton report; in press. Lockhart, Bill and Wanda Olszewski 1994 “Excavation and Analysis of a Nineteenth Century Bottle Pit in San Elizario, Texas.” The Artifact 32(1):2949. Lockhart, Bill, David Whitten, Bill Lindsey, Jay Hawkins, and Carol Serr 2005 “The Dating Game: Cunningham Family Glass Holdings.” Bottles and Extras 16(3):14-20. McKearin, Helen and George McKearin 1941 American Glass. Crown
Bottles and Extras Publishers, New York. McKearin, Helen and Kenneth M. Wilson 1978 American Bottles & Flasks and Their Ancestry. Crown Publishers, New York. Miles, Bob 1986 Early Roads to El Paso. Password 31(2):75-83, 92. Olean Glass Co. 1929 “Olean Glass Company Inc. Announces.” Glass Packer 2(11):430. Paquette, Jack K. 2002 Blowpipes: Northwest Ohio Glassmaking in the Gas Boom of the 1880s. Xlibris Corp., n. p. Reilly, Michael R. 2005 “The Wisconsin Glass Industry.” http://www.chiptin.com/antiqibles/ glass_bottles.htm Scholes, Samuel R. 1941 Handbook of the Glass Industry. Ogden-Watney, New York. Teal, Harvey S. and Rita Foster Wallace 2005 The South Carolina Dispensary & Embossed S.C. Whiskey Bottles & Jugs, 1865-1915. Privately Published, Columbia, South Carolina. Thomas Register of American Manufacturers 1907-1908 Thomas’ Register of American Manufacturers and First Hands in all Lines: The Buyers Guide. Thomas Publishing Co., New York. 1909 Thomas’ Register of American Manufacturers and First Hands in All Lines: A Classified Reference Book for
Fall 2006 Buyer and Sellers. Thomas Publishing, New York. 1915 Thomas’ Register of American Manufacturers and First Hands in All Lines: A Classified Reference Book for Buyer and Sellers. Thomas Publishing, New York. Toulouse, Julian Harrison 1969 Fruit Jars. Thomas Nelson & Sons, Camden, New Jersey. 1971 Bottle Makers and Their Marks. Thomas Nelson, New York. Van Rensselaer 1969 Early American Bottles and Flasks. Rev. Ed. J. Edmund Edwards, Stratford, Conn. Welker, John and Elizabeth Welker 1985 Pressed Glass in America: Encyclopedia of the First Hundred Years, 1825-1925. Antique Acres Press, Ivyland, Pennsylvania. Wilson, Rex 1981 Bottles on the Western Frontier. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. Endnotes 1 To add to the complication, Victor H. Sturm registered a California trademark for “Budweiser Lager Beer” in 1878. 2 Note that the D. O. C. mark was used both with and without punctuation. We have therefore not tried to be consistent in our use of punctuation with the mark. 3 Baxter (1998:4) illustrated an example of the CC&Co logo with serifs at the bottom of each “C.” Although the possibility for this example exists, we have yet to see one. 4 The description of the mark was not in
47 the report. Information was taken directly from the inventory of the artifacts. 5 These dates are a revision of the 1994 San Elizario report and are based on a better knowledge of the dates of the marks found at the site than were then available to the authors. 6 Unfortunately, virtually all collectors (and some archaeologists) do not explain why they established a certain date range for marks, styles, etc. We include these dates in the name of thoroughness – not because we agree with them. 7 This distinction (light blue as a separate color from aqua) is used by some researchers and ignored by others. It is probably not an important distinction because both indicate the presence of iron and other impurities in the sand used to make the glass (see Lockhart 2006a for a more in-depth discussion). 8 The 1883 date is confirmed by a 1903 letterhead from the company that stated it was “organized 1883” (George L. Miller collection). 9 The only other glass plant in town, the Acme Glass Co., did not begin using machines until 1920 (Toulouse 1971:3537). 10 Innes (1976:8) dated the start of the plant at 1797. 11 It is interesting that Creswick presents both arguments in different sections of her book. 12 This was actually a limited partnership. The directories titled the company O’Hara Flint Glass Co., Lmd [Limited], successor to James B. Lyon & Co. The factory, itself, may have been renamed as the O’Hara Flint Glass Works (or just O’Hara Glass Works) as early as 1852 (Welker & Welker 1985:97). 13 Innes (1975:51) stated that the O’Hara factory “joined the U.S. Glass Company in 1891 as Factory L.”
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A NEW IDEA FOR INK BOTTLES - PAPER By Ed & Lucy Faulkner
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ink bottles is the small and master size glass bottles. But did you know that in the 1880s and earlier, a new innovative idea for containers was a paper bottle? Levi H. Thomas of Chicago (Thomas Inks) manufactured a paper bottle that was used by his company as well as other ink companies. These bottles would not be subject to breakage like the glass bottles. But the idea for paper bottles did not start with him. In 1877, E. Waters (druggist, ink manufacturer, and later box manufacturer) patented a method of making paper cans for petroleum and other liquids. His patent said it was an improvement in the method of making paper cans. Since his was an â&#x20AC;&#x153;improvement,â&#x20AC;? it appears others may have tried this idea earlier. But this is the earliest patent we have found. The Thomas bottle is based on one by William Auble in 1883.
1885 patent by Thomas
One version of Thomas ink showing the patent date.
On October 16, 1883, William A. Auble patented a metal and wood bottle. The bottle had an interior coating of pitch which prevented the ink from corroding the metal. This patent was later assigned to Thomas. However, this metal bottle proved too expensive to manufacture, and he looked for a way to reduce the cost of the bottle, thus the change to a paper bottle. The interior of the bottle would be coated with pitch or other waterproof coatings that would preserve the bottle when filled with ink. This was done by filling the bottle with this coating before adding the top. After the top was adjusted, the liquid was poured out, thus making a uniform waterproof bottle. The stopper could be made of wood and coated with pitch or paraffin, or just an ordinary cork could be used. The actual bottle (according to the patent information) would have a paper or cardboard body with a rigid bottom and top, a metallic neck and spout and interior waterproof coating. However, all we have seen are without the neck and spout; the stopper is put directly into the bottle.
The ad pictured shows the container as depicted in the patent information, not as actually manufactured.
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There were advantages to this ink bottle or can when constructed as described. The cost would be less than glass, weight when shipped would be less, thus lower shipping costs, not subject to breakage, and not as likely to freeze in cold weather. After making these changes, Levi H. Thomas of Chicago, Illinois patented his version of this bottle on December 8, 1885. Both dates are printed on the label of bottles he used for his ink. It is assumed that Thomas manufactured these containers and made them available to other companies as we know of several others who used this type container. These bottles are scarce because most likely they were thrown away when the ink was gone and would not survive in dumps for long. The ones seen most often are the
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Thomas labeled bottles. More companies may have used them, but the ones shown here are the only ones the authors have seen. Also pictured is an advertising cardboard ad by Thomas. This ad is the only one we have seen for this type of bottle. No reference has been found for the length of time used, or popularity of these bottles. It seems this style would be awkward to use. With no pour spout, it would be hard to fill an inkwell, hard to know the amount of ink left in the bottle, and difficult to see how far the pen was dipped into the ink. It is our guess that these bottles were not used for a long period of time. The Thomas bottles had at least two different labels. Others shown are Palmer’s, mentioning they are the maker of Dessaure’s black ink, Carter’s, Sanford’s
Another version of Thomas ink showing the patent date.
and Williams.’ Williams was just a local Richmond, Virginia company. The Carter, Sanford and Thomas School Ink pictures are courtesy of John Hinkel.
Ed and Lucy Faulkner, 4718 Kyloe Lane, Moseley, Va. 23120
Palmer’s lists their company as maker of Dessaure’s ink.
Sanford’s Ink Co.
Williams, local Virginia company.
Carter’s front and back.
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Fall 2006
by Mike Dickman
Photographs by John Gregory Recently, I had occasion to enjoy a bottle of imported Belgium beer brewed by Trappist monks. The beer came packaged in a large, champagne-style green bottle topped with a cork. Later, I wandered into my bottle room and started musing about -- what else? -- bottles. It struck me how the basic shape of the Belgium bottle had not changed over hundreds of years. Also, its cork seemed archaic. As I perused my beloved bottles, I began thinking about the entire subject of corks and their modern replacements, metal or plastic screw-top closures. And I noticed how few poison bottles were made to take screw tops. Corks are an ancient product. They are made from bark of a particular variety of oak tree that grows in the Mediterranean region. Workers strip off the bark in large plates every 12-15 years in a way that allows the tree to continue producing its bark. The ancient Greeks and Romans used corks as closures for their pottery and glass containers, and cork-making became an important industry in Europe during the middle ages. Cork is inexpensive, light in weight, highly impenetrable to water and gas, and flexible. Its flexibility made it an ideal closure for handmade bottles, which of course tend to vary in the width of their mouths. But screw-top closures are not new, and their invention certainly predates poison bottles. The first U.S. patent for a screwcap to be used on a bottle was granted to J.K. Chase in 1857 and was licensed for use on Mason fruit jars. In 1871, the internal screw stopper was patented and used on some whiskey and other types of bottles. By 1880, the familiar external metal screw cap was offered for sale by Whitall, Tatum & Co. in the same catalog that offered “deep cobalt blue” poison bottles whose “surface is covered with sharp, diamond-shaped points, tastefully arranged” (the famous KC-1). The KC-1 bottle was offered for sale in different sizes and also was offered in flint, amber or green glass by special order. But regardless of size or color, the only closures offered by Whitall, Tatum to fit their poison bottles
were either plain corks or the faceted glass stoppers that were screwed into corks. (By the way, wouldn’t you like to be able to buy the KC-1 at 1880 prices? A full gross (144 bottles) of new 1/2-ounce KC-1s was priced at $3.75 (2 1/2 cents per bottle), and a gross of the 16-ounce KC-1s with matching stoppers cost $40.00. Today, a single cobalt 1/2-ounce KC-1 sells for $100+ and the amber 1 /2-ounce for $1500+.) Screw-top closures require more effort to open than do corks, and thus seem to be more appropriate for poison bottles than do cork closures, which can be easily pulled out. After all, the harder and more time it takes to open, the more likely a consumer would realize, “Oh wait, this is poison!” So, why not screw tops? One can only speculate, of course, but here’s my speculation: pharmacists, inventors and
The Salt Shaker (KE-1) is an eight-sided poison bottle sporting dozens of warning bumps, a ground lip and a zinc screw-top cap.
Bottles and Extras bottle makers were focused on the notion that the bottle itself would warn about its lethal contents intrinsically by its odd shape, color and embossing. The 1880 Whitall, Tatum catalog, for example, touted its KC-1 as a bottle “which shall protect patients from danger of mistake both night and day, by the touch as well as by sight.” The firm said nothing about difficult-toopen screw-top closures, even though such devices were offered for sale elsewhere in the same catalog. By the time the Owens bottle machine made screw-topped bottles ubiquitous in the 1930s, the era of classic, strangely-shaped poison bottles largely had ended. Although the vast majority of American and foreign poison bottles are corkers, there are some wonderful screw©toppers, too. The KE-1, the so-called Salt Shaker, features a ground lip that was made to take a zinc screw-top closure. Rudy Kuhn designated the bottle as scarce and it sometimes is found with its original lid (although often corroded). The KT-14 is the well-known and popular McCormick & Company Bee Brand Bottle, a cobalt bottle embossed with a bee that exists in both cork-top and screw-top versions. There also are two different embossings, one with “Patent Applied For” and the other with “Patented July 8th 1902” which reflects the approximate age of the bottle. A turnof-the-century magazine advertisement for the KT-14 shows a cork-topped bottle and reveals that the product being sold was laudanum (a solution of opium in alcohol). The ad notes that the bottle’s cobalt color and triangular shape “eliminates all danger of getting hold of the wrong bottle.” Again, the goal was to warn of danger by bottle color and shape, not by difficult-to-open tops. Perhaps the King of the Screw-Top Poison Bottles is the KO-2, a bottle made for Davis & Geck, Inc. of Brooklyn, New York. The KO-2 is a very rare cobalt poison bottle covered with round bumps that was manufactured in both cork top and screwtop varieties. Each variety is equally rare and equally pricey: in today’s market, about $1,000 to $1,500. However, the screw-top example shown in the photographs (which sports a complete and perfect label) was purchased for just $12 at a small California bottle show just a few years ago. Although the author was not the purchaser, dreams of those kinds of discoveries -- along with the occasional glass of beer -- keep the author going!
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Moving? Need to change your address? Send your change of address to:
Although sold in the same 1880 catalog that offered metal screw-top closures for sale, the Whitall, Tatum version of the poison bottle (KC-1) was not available with screw-tops, even by special order, and there are no known examples of the KC-1 with screw-tops.
References: Blakeman, Alan, “Miller’s Bottles and Pot Lids” (London: 2002), p. 10. Griffenhagen, G. and Bogard, M., “History of Drug Containers and Their Labels” (American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, Wis. 1999), pp. 4647, 96. Kuhn, Rudy, “Poison Bottle Workbook” Volumes I, II, III (privately published). Morgan, Roy, “The Benign Blue Coffin” (Kollectarama, England 1978), p. 6. Munsey, Cecil, “The Illustrated Guide to Collecting Bottles” (N.Y.: 1970) pp. 3233, 60, 77, 126. Webster’s New World Dictionary, College Edition (N.Y.: 1969) (“Cork”). Whitall, Tatum & Co. Catalog, 1880 (Reprinted by The Pyne Press, Princeton: 1971).
The late Rudy Kuhn’s numbering system of poison bottles was explained in an earlier Poisonland column (Bottles and Extras, Vol. 14, No. 3). Volumes I and II of “Poison Bottle Workbook” are available from Rudy’s widow, Terry Kuhn, 3954 Perie Lane, San Jose, CA 95132; cost is $20 per volume plus $5 shipping. The 60 or so pages from unpublished Volume III are available for the cost of copying plus postage from the Antique Poison Bottle Collectors Association, which publishes the informative quarterly Poison Bottle Newsletter. Contact Joan Cabaniss, Secretary/Editor, 312 Summer Lane, Huddleston, VA 24104. The newlypublished, full color American Poison Bottle Guide also is available from Ms. Cabaniss.
This example of the rare Davis & Geck poison bottle (KO-2) has a 100% complete label and was purchased a few years ago for just $12.
June Lowry 401 Johnston Ct. Raymore, MO 64083 (816) 318-0160 or E-mail: osubuckeyes71@aol.com
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THE TOP 25 OF NEVADA By Ralph Van Brocklin
The history of Nevada is a history of gold and silver... a history of boom and bust…a history that bears testimony to the ever-present urge to find one’s fortune. That history is seen throughout the mining towns and camps of the state, remnants of which are found as preserved old structures in some towns, but more of which are found as ruins and the occasional artifact left behind by those who sought their fortune. Those artifacts, present as tokens, mirrors, mining supplies, bottles and an occasional piece of stoneware, are highly sought by many in Nevada and surrounding states. History — and what a history! — is integral to the collections these individuals build. The first white to set foot in Nevada was reportedly Peter Skene Ogden, who traveled through part of Nevada on his Snake River expedition in 1825. By 1830, a route was established between Los Angeles and Santa Fe through the Las Vegas Valley. Abundant artesian spring water made the environs which would later become Las Vegas a key point in the route. In 1842, Captain John C. Fremont made his initial trek through Truckee Meadows (present day Reno-Sparks) and through the Sierras. With the 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s sawmill near the present-day town of Coloma in California, this route became the path to the gold fields for the thousands of prospectors who poured into the Golden State starting in 1849. 1848 was also notable because that was the year the United States acquired from Mexico the land that now makes up Nevada through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1850, the United States Congress established the Utah Territory which comprised much of what is now the states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada. A separate Nevada territory was established in 1861 and the state was admitted into the Union in 1864. Reportedly, some 22,500 individuals passed through the Truckee Meadows in 1849, 45,000 in 1850 and as many as 52,000 in 1852. Not all of these prospectors made the journey into California — a number began a search for gold and silver in northern Nevada.
1849 saw the first discovery of gold in Nevada at Gold Canyon, near Dayton. The first major find, the Comstock Lode, came in 1859. Virginia City boomed, gaining a population of over 25,000 by the mid1870s. A number of the items in the top 25 of Nevada are from Virginia City and correspond to this period. The top vote-getter in the survey of Nevada bottles and artifacts was a green whiskey cylinder embossed Thos. Taylor & Co. / Importers/ Virginia, N. [Figure 1] Although there was some disagreement among the panel of Nevada collectors as to whether the fifth was better than the sixth (or vice-versa), the whiskey picked up a total of 278 points, outpacing another Virginia City bottle that received 258 points for second place. Embossed R. L. Higgins / Virginia City, the second place bottle is a 6-1/2-inch amber master ink [Figure 2], of which there are three known examples. Although my digging partner at the time, Randy Haumann, is listed in the Spring 2003 issue of Bottles and Extras as the one who dug the example that came out of San Francisco in 1981, I have to boast of being the one who proudly brought it out of the hole! Two other Virginia City inks placed in the top 10 items in the survey. A 7 1/2-inch aqua master ink with the same embossing as the amber master placed sixth and the R. L. Higgins / Virginia City aqua-green 2inch cone ink placed ninth [Figures 3, 4]. Bryan Grapentine’s article “The Virginia City Nevada Ink Bottles of R. L. Higgins” (1) indicates that the Higgins inks were believed to have been produced by the San Francisco Glass Works around 1875. He indicates that there are currently three of the amber masters, two of the aqua masters and four of the cone inks in collections. The Thos. Taylor cylinder whiskey is reported as corresponding to the period 1870 – 1880 in Whiskey Bottles of the Old West (2). In Bill Ham’s update of this book, he indicates that building on the numbers presented in a survey of top western fifths by Tom Quinn in 1997, he can account for approximately thirty of the cylinders, with five of these being the sixth capacity. Most are in shades of amber. Produced in this same time period was a clear pint shoofly
flask embossed Thos. Taylor & Co. / Sole Agents / P. Vollmers / Old Bourbon / Louisville, Ky. / Virginia, Nev. [Figure 5]. There are presently less than 10 of the flasks known, helping it to a tie for 25th place in the survey. The whiskeys certainly fit right in with the “boom-time” of Virginia City. And, so do the five other bottles from Virginia City placing in the top 25. At number four in the survey is a lovely blue-aqua cylinder with applied top embossed Geo’ P. Morrill / Apothecary / Virginia City [Figure 6]. Fred Holabird (3) ascribes a date of 1863-65 to this bottle of which 6-8 examples are known. Another bottle from this same era is the number fifteen bottle in the survey — a green W.S. Wright blob top soda. William S. Wright began his Virginia City endeavor in 1861, operating into 1867. Of the 15-20 reported whole specimens, only one is known in dark green. An early and historically significant bottle, this green example would command several thousand dollars if offered for sale. Bottles from slightly later in Virginia City’s annals include number 18, an aqua gravitating stoppered soda embossed Stephens & Jose / Virginia City / Nevada / (SJ monogram) [Figure 7], an aqua rectangular medicine bottle that tied for 22nd place embossed J. B. B. LeFevre / Virginia City [Figure 8], and the only “non-bottle” making the top 25, in a tie for 25th place, the A. M. Cole pot lid. This pot lid has the address 88 South C Street included on it, dating the lid as no earlier than Allen Cole’s move to this address in 1878 and probably from that general period. Roughly a half a dozen examples are known. The Stephens and Jose enterprise in Virginia City lasted only one year (1874) and their bottle is rare with only a dozen or so known examples. The J. B. B. LeFevre aqua medicine reportedly dates from the early to mid 1870s. Moving a few miles west to the town of Reno, we find bottle number three, a clear pumpkinseed embossed Brearley & Uniacke / (embossed owl on a branch) / Reno, Nev. [Figure 9]. This bottle is not just a choice Nevada bottle, but one of the top three Western clear flasks, as well. Approximately a half-dozen of these flasks are in collections, with all whole specimens
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Fig. 2
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Fig. 3
Fig. 5
Fig. 1
Fig. 9
Fig. 4 Fig. 8
Fig. 6 in the half-pint size. One broken pint has been reported. The bottle dates between 1902 and 1904. Also from Reno are bottles number 5, an amber cylindrical whiskey embossed The Crystal / Thyes & Reese / Reno, Nev. and a clear flat flask with the same embossing which places 12th [Figure 10]. These date
Fig. 7 to the partnership of Herman Thyes and Raymond Reese, a period from 1906 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1916. Only two of the cylinders are known and only one example of the flask has surfaced, to date. Coming in at number 20 is a clear pumpkinseed From Wine House / Liquors / & Cigars / Reno, Nev. which is felt to pre-date another pumpkinseed from
the same establishment embossed From / The / Wine House / Liquors & Cigars / Reno, Nev. [Figure 11, 12]. Coming in at number seven is the first of three pharmacy bottles in the top 25 list. Found in a variety of sizes, the impressive larger size clear The / Owl / (embossed owl) / Pharmacy / Co. / Seven / Troughs, / Nev.
Fig. 13
Figs. 11, 12
Fig. 10
Fig. 14
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Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 22
Amber and green Thos. Taylor.
Top five Nevada medicines.
Top five Nevada sodas.
Bottles and Extras Fig. 15
Fall 2006 Fig. 16
[Figure 13] commands the most respect. Located 27 miles northwest of Lovelock, and named after a series of seven troughs set up to collect spring water at the site, this canyon produced over one million dollars in gold from its discovery in 1905 until the destruction of the camp by flooding in July, 1912. From this same general area comes a fantastic stoneware ginger beer in crème coloration and stenciled in black Compliments of A A Codd / Nevada Short Line / (in a buckle: Silver Belt Route and a locomotive on a track) / Xmas 1914 / Lower Rochester Nevada [Figure 14]. This bottle probably did not get the respect it deserves, falling in at number 21. A portion of the Bob Ferraro collection, it is the only known example. With some mining in the area as early as the 1860s (Upper Rochester), the big boom came following the discovery of a rich vein of silver in 1912. The Fig. 17
Fig. 18
establishment of lower Rochester occurred in this time period. Built by A. A. Codd, the Nevada Short Line Railroad connected Lower Rochester with the Southern Pacific rail system. Number 19 is a an aqua square pharmacy bottle from Carson City embossed G. C. Thaxter / (mortar and pestle inside rays) / Carson [Figure 15] and at number 24 is found an attractive clear pharmacy embossed (monogram) / Chas. M. Fassitt / Druggist / Ruby Hill, Nev. [Figure 16]. Found in several sizes, the Fassitt bottle is rare in undamaged condition. Dating between 1881-1887, the bottle corresponds to the latter years of a mining camp established in 1869. This camp, three miles from Eureka, Nevada, was connected to the larger city in 1875 via the Ruby Hill Railroad. Population peaked at 2,500 in 1878, but by the mid1880s gold production had begun to tail and
55 the typical cycle for the mining camps exacted its toll on Fassitt and he moved on. Another Carson City bottle cracked the top 25. An aqua rectangular medicine embossed Dr. J. M. Benton’s / Liniment / Carson City, Nevada [Figure 17] placed 14th in the survey. It is extremely rare and highly sought, as are the other patent medicines from the State of Nevada. The town of Elko began as a tent town on the tracks of the Central Pacific Railroad as its construction progressed eastward to meet the Union Pacific Railroad for the driving of the last spike at Promontory Point, Utah Territory. In 1869, the town began permanent construction and became a railhead for the White Pine mines. Serving as an important cattle-raising area, the town saw the typical ups and downs associated with the mining industry. A significant boost to the area, although brief, came with the discovery of gold in the Tonopah and Goldfield areas in 1907. Two bottles from Elko place in the top ten of the survey. At number ten is a coffin flask embossed Bartlett & Ostreicher / Gem / Saloon / Elko, Nev [Figure 18]. Dating 1885 – 1891, this flask is known in the quart, pint and half-pint capacity. Of four known examples, only one is undamaged. The aqua blob top soda J. T. / Elko [Figure 19] is the top-rated soda in the survey at number eight. Two other highly rated sodas come from Las Vegas. Although the area was important as an early watering stop, the city was not established until the completion of the Union Pacific lines from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles in 1905. The town was slow to develop, with only 2,500 residents in 1920. The late date of establishment helps explain why these two sodas are crown tops. The rarity of the sodas explains their appeal and position in the survey. At number 11 is a clear applied crown top embossed M. Pollard / Las Vegas / Nevada [Figure 20] and at number 16 a clear applied crown top embossed J. J. Tuckfield / Las Vegas / Bottling Works. Both bottles date somewhere around 1910 and only a couple of specimens of each are accounted for. At number 13 is a clear shoofly flask
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Fig. 21
embossed Max Oberfelder / Eureka, Nev. Oberfelder’s liquor business in Eureka corresponds with the peak of the saloon trade in this boom town where silver was discovered in 1864. His business lasted from 1878-1879 and it is 1878 that there were recorded over 100 saloons (3), and in which the city’s population of 9,000 was second largest in Nevada. Peak production of ore in the Eureka Mining District also occurred in 1878 at over 118,000 tons with a value of $5.2 million. The bottle is known to occur in the half-pint, pint and quart sizes [Figure 21]. A wonderful clear back-bar bottle from Goldfield places number 17. In classic white-enameling it reads Compliments Of The Season / Exploration / Mercantile Co / Goldfield, Nev. [Figure 22]. This bottle likely dates sometime between the establishment of Goldfield in early 1904 and the closure of the last of the Goldfield Consolidation mines in 1919. The growth of this community paralleled the enormous quantity of gold being found. 8,000 residents occupied the town by September, 1905, a year in which over $7 million in ore was obtained. Population peaked at 30,000 in 1906, making it Nevada’s largest city. (4) By 1910, the mines had their record year of $11.2 million and gradual decline began from there. Rounding out the top 25 bottles, in a tie for 22nd, is a seltzer bottle from Rhyolite,
Nevada. Founded with the discovery of gold in 1904, Rhyolite boomed and quickly busted, being at its peak for only a couple of years. It is a town well-known to Western collectors for its 1906 “bottle house,” constructed of thousands of empty bottles. I am indebted to Loren Love for his efforts in coordinating this survey. My heartfelt appreciation also goes out to those who participated in the individual surveys by type of bottle and/or the top 25 survey. These individuals include James Campiglia, Max Davis, Bob Ferraro, Henry Guillen, Marty Hall, Doug Hansen, Fred Holabird, Ralph Hollibaugh, Fred Kille, Loren Love, Don and Bonnie McLane, Jean Pouliot, John Shuler, David Storey, Doug Southerland, Helene and Walt Walker, and Don and Opal Wellman. Please watch for the upcoming revision of the Nevada book by Fred Holabird. It is comprehensive in scope and broad in its coverage of how the Nevada bottles, stoneware and other artifacts fit into Nevada’s history. Top 25 Nevada Bottles/Artifacts 1. (278) Green Thomas Taylor, Virginia whiskey cylinder 2. (258) Amber R L Higgins, Virginia City master ink 3. (211) Brearley & Uniake, Reno pumpkinseed flask 4. (194) G. P. Morrill, Virginia City apothecary 5. (179) The Crystal, Thyes & Reese, Reno whiskey cylinder 6. (161) Aqua R L Higgins, Virginia City master ink 7. (156) Owl Pharmacy Co, Seven Troughs pharmacy 8. (146) J. T. / Elko blob soda 9. (134) Green-aqua R L Higgins, Virginia City cone ink 10. (133) The Gem Saloon, Elko coffin flask 11. (105) M. Pollard, Las Vegas crown top soda 12. (104) The Crystal, Thyes & Reese, Reno flat flask 13. (93) Max Oberfelder, Eureka shoofly flask 14. (92) Dr. J M Benton’s Liniment, Carson City patent medicine 15. (76) Green W S Wright, (from Virginia City) blob soda 16. (75) J J Tuckfield, Las Vegas crown top soda 17. (72) Exploration Mercantile, Goldfield enameled back-bar 18. (70) Stephens & Jose, Virginia City
Bottles and Extras gravitating stoppered soda 19. (61) Aqua square G C Thaxter, Carson pharmacy 20. (53) From Wine House, Reno pumpkinseed flask 21. (49) Nevada Short Line, Lower Rochester crockery ginger beer 22T. (47) J B B LeFevre, Virginia City patent medicine 22T. (47) Rhyolite Seltzer seltzer 24. (45) Chas. M Fassitt, Ruby Hill pharmacy 25T. (44) Thos. Taylor, Virginia shoofly flask 25T. (44) A M Cole pot lid pot lid Additional Items Receiving Votes 27. (43) Amber square G C Thaxter, Carson pharmacy 28T. (39) Amber A M Cole, Virginia City pharmacy 28T. (39) Trib –A-Liniment, Carson City patent medicine 28T. (39) Washington Bar, Coleman & Granger, flat flask, Tonopah 31T. (38) H Busch, Minnemucca Hutchinson soda 31 T. (38) Eagle Bottling, Goldfield crown top soda 31T. (38) W. Henry Day, Gold Hill label under glass back-bar 34. (35) Frank Abadie, Eureka pumpkinseed flask 35. (33) Johnson & Ramdohr, Winnemucca crown top soda 36. (32) Tonopah Club, Tonopah back-bar bottle 37T. (31) Steptoe Drug Company, Ely, 16 ounce pharmacy 37T. (31) Henry F. Schuldt, Tuscarora pharmacy 39. (29) International Hotel, Austin backbar bottle 40T. (27) John Shier, Delamar pharmacy 40T. (27) A Livingston & Co, Carson City coffin flask 42. (26) Shoemaker & Ruth, Reno pharmacy 43T. (19) Amber Kane’s Café, Reno flat flask 43T. (19) S F Hoole, Reno pharmacy 45T. (17) Aqua 8-inch A M Cole pharmacy 45T. (17) H G Heidtmann, Becker’s, Reno coffin flask 45T. (17) Mountain Lakes Dairy, Mountain Lakes milk 48T. (16) Lime Green “Maw”, Eureka blob soda 48T. (16) A B Stewart, Virginia City seltzer 48T. (16) B F Howard, Reno milk
Bottles and Extras 50T. (15) Cobalt Reno Brewing Co seltzer 50T. (15) Frank Abadie, Eureka coffin flask 50T. (15) ½-pint Reno Brewing Co, Reno blob beer 53. (14) Sam’s Johnson Bar, Reno coffin flask 54T. (13) A B Stewart, Virginia City pharmacy 54T. (13) Twiaba, (from Eureka) patent medicine 56. (10) Toiyabe Cholera and Diarrhea Remedy, patent medicine (from Austin) 57T. (8) Kimberly Dairy, Kimberly milk 57T (8) Peavine Dairy, Reno milk 57T. (8) Pioneer Soda Works, Reno Hutchinson soda 60T. (7) Lowell & Pringle, Crock, Virginia N.T. stoneware crock 60T. (7) Ruth Dairy, Ruth milk 60T. (7) Marcotte Liquor Company, Ely stoneware jug 60T. (7) A. M. Cole, Virginia City dose glass 64T. (6) G P Morrill, (from Virginia City) blob soda 64T. (6) Pioneer Brown & Co (from Hamilton) blob soda 64T. (6) Elko Bottling Works, Elko Hutchinson soda 64T. (6) C B Brown, Winnemucca stoneware mini jug 68T. (5) James Dewar, Elko Hutchinson soda 68T. (5) Eagle Drug, T C Hansen, Winnemucca dose glass 70. (4) Hotel Golden miniature decanter 71T. (2) Nevada Tokens tokens 71T. (2) James Gioga, Goldfield stoneware jug 71T. (2) Dr. Hall’s Wild Horned Toad Bowel patent medicine Constrictor Remedy 71T. (2) Hunter Creek Dairy, Reno milk 75 (1) Nevada Hunting Licenses licenses Top 5 Whiskeys 1. (111) Thos Taylor fifth or sixth, green, Virginia City 2. (79) The Gem Saloon coffin flask, Elko 3. (77) Brearley & Uniacke pumpkinseed flask, Reno 4. (63) The Crystal fifth, Reno 5T. (40) The Crystal, flat flask, Reno 5T. (40) W. Henry Day label under glass back-bar, Gold Hill 5T. (40) Thos Taylor shoofly flask, Virginia City Top 5 Sodas 1. (116) Stephens & Jose, Virginia City
Fall 2006 gravitating stoppered 2. (114) J. T., Elko blob top 3. (84) W S Wright blob top, green, (Virginia City) 4. (57) G P Morrill blob top, Virginia City 5. (56) H. Busch, Minnemucca, Hutchinson soda Top 5 Crown Top Sodas 1. (79) M. Pollard, Las Vegas 2. (67) J J Tuckfiels, Las Vegas 3. (51) Johnson & Ramdohr, Winnemuccca 4. (38) Eagle Bottling, Goldfield 5T. (28) Yerrington Ice and Soda Water Factory 5T. (28) Sparks Bottling Company 5T. (28) Frank Bros Co., Reno
57 5. (36) B F Shaw Citrate, aqua, Virginia City Top 5 Pharmacies 1. (90) 32 ounce The Owl Pharmacy, clear, Seven Troughs 2. (72) Chas. M. Fassitt, clear, Ruby Hill 3. (63) A B Stewart, clear, Virginia City 4. (46) John Shier, clear, Delamar 5. (40) G C Thaxter, aqua, Carson Top 5 Miscellaneous 1. (47) Amber R L Higgins master ink 2. (43) Aqua R L Higgins master ink 3. (36) Green-aqua R L Higgins cone ink 4. (28) Lowell & Pringle crock, Virginia N.T. 5T. (21) Nevada Short Line Ginger beer, Lower Rochester 5T. (21) James Gioga stoneware jug, Goldfield (pictured below)
Two of the Top 5 Crown Top Sodas: Johnson & Ramdohr, Winemucca (#3) and M. Pollard, Las Vegas (#1)
Top 5 Seltzers 1. (62) Rhyolite 2. (53) Reno Brewing Co, cobalt 3. (43) David J. Timmony, Goldfield 4. (38) A. B. Stewart, Virginia City 5. (36) White Pine Soda Co., Ely Top 5 Medicines 1. (77) Geo’ P. Morrill, aqua cylinder, Virginia City 2. (69) Dr. J M Benton’s Liniment, aqua rectangle, Carson City 3T. (37) Trib-A-Liniment, aqua rectangle, Carson City 3T. (37) Toiyabe Cholera and Diarrha Remedy, aqua rectangle, (from Austin)
Top 5 Milks 1. (28) Mountain Lakes Dairy, Mountain Lakes 2. (27) Kimberly Dairy, Kimberly 3. (26) B F Howard, Reno Dairy, tin-top, Reno 4. (20) Peavine Dairy, Reno 5T. (16) Hunter Creek Dairy, Reno 5T. (16) Durham Dairy, Reno
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by Robin R. Preston A collector doesn’t have to spend too much time on eBay before running across an auction listing whose banner heading touts “Etched, pre-prohibition shot glass, VERY RARE, NO RESERVE!!!” Your heart quickens as the modem chatters and the page slowly loads, only to scroll down to find the most common of all pre-pro glasses, a lowly Hayner. You curse the day the word “rare” was applied to anything
pre-Pro Top 10
Figure 1
Figure 2
other than prime rib, but also wonder just how rare or common well-known glasses from The Hayner, Kellerstrass and Detrick Distilling Companies actually are. This edition of Random Shots attempts to answer such questions by presenting a “Top 10” listing of shot glasses, ordered by frequency of appearance. It also considers how familiarity with a common glass has a way of breeding contempt that is often
undeserved. The Top 10 list is presented below. The data is derived from a comprehensive fiveyear record of glass sales from online auctions and other sources that, as of this writing, includes over 10,000 individual transactions. The complete record can be accessed online at www.pre-pro.com, although membership fee is required for access (trial memberships are available). It will come as a surprise to no one that our lowly Hayner heads the Top 10 list, although I hadn’t appreciated just how common this glass is until I’d crunched the numbers. After doing the math, it’s clear that it out-strips all other pre-Pro glasses by a factor of almost two to one, appearing for sale at least once per week on average. Current value is around $13.25. The prevalence of this glass reflects the success of The Hayner Distilling Company in advertising and marketing its product
Inscription
Occurrence
Value
Weekly
$13.25
#1
THE HAYNER DISTILLING CO. DAYTON, O. & ST. LOUIS, MO
#2
O! SO GOOD / RIEGERʼS WHISKEY / J. RIEGER & CO. KANSAS CITY, MO.
Every two weeks
$12.00
#3
SUNNY BROOK / THE PURE FOOD WHISKEY (frosted picture of a man in a cap with INSPECTOR on its band)
Every three weeks
$12.25
#4
PAN AMERICAN / EXPOSITION / 1901 / WHEN YOU DRINK / DO OF ME THINK
Every three weeks
$32.75
#5
WOODLAND / WHISKEY / CRIGLER & CRIGLER / DISTILLERS / COVINGTON, KY.
Every month
$14.50
#6
Detrick / REGISTERED / DISTILLERY. / No. 60 /10 th DISTRICT. OHIO. /DISTILLERS OF / PURE RYE & BOURBON / THE DETRICK DISTILLING CO. / DAYTON, OHIO
Every month
$11.50
#7
Kellerstrass / PURE RYE / DISTILLING CO. / KANSAS CITY. MO.
Every five weeks
$19.75
#8
LOCKBOX 290 / REGISTERED / DAYTON, O. U.S.A.
Every five weeks
$14.25
#9
MYERS & COMPANY / DISTILLERS / FULTON / WHISKEY / COVINGTON. KY. USA
Every five weeks
$16.75
#10
WALSHʼS / SPECIAL / No. 4 / 4 FULL QUARTS $3.00 / EXPRESS PAID / WALSH & CO. / DISTILLERY DISTRIBUTORS / 1828-1834 WASHINGTON STREET / BOSTON MASS.
Every five weeks
$25.75
Bottles and Extras [e.g. Figure 3]. They claimed the title of “largest mail order house in the U.S.” and, indeed, they maintained offices in at least 14 U.S. cities at the height of their power. The company’s decline preceded national Prohibition by several years, largely because a goodly percentage of their income was derived from shipping liquor in plain brown packages across state lines into regions where local laws had already banned alcohol sales and use. The enactment of the Webb-Kenyon act of 1913 and its subsequent enforcement in 1917 closed this lucrative loophole and Hayner’s fortunes declined thereafter, but not before spreading their advertising premiums far and wide. Many of the common Hayner Distilling glasses have survived in mint condition so it’s likely that a warehouse cache of factoryfresh glasses in original wrappings were discovered in the years since Repeal. Familiarity with the Hayner Distilling glass has a way of causing collectors to skip over it when assessing the contents of a display case, but it is an attractive shot that contains all the elements of a classic prePro glass design. Hayner glasses in mint condition are crowned with a wide, rich gold rim [Figure 1]. The etched label combines a horseshoe for luck, a whiskey barrel and a generous helping of leafy grain stalks. The Hayner Distilling glass is unusual in that there are no known design variants, or at least none that are known to the author. It’s also a cylindrical-shaped glass rather than the more common shot that tapers down from a 2" rim to a 11/2" base. Cylinder glasses are relatively rare yet Hayner used them for this glass, a glass inscribed with the single word “HAYNER” [Figure 2], and for three “Lockbox 290”
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Figure 4a
59
b
glasses (see Table). The Hayner Distilling Co. also holds position #8 in the Top 10 list, this time with a glass that is familiarly know as the Lockbox 290 “short tail” variant [Figure 4a]. Lockbox 290 was a postal address in Dayton to which customers mailed in their orders. The “tail” mentioned above refers to the fact that in the “long tail” version, the upright on the numeral 9 drops below the line of text to produce a dangling tail, seen in Figure 4c. Both Hayner short- and long-tail Lockbox glasses are easy to obtain and feature in most glass collections. Until recently, I had believed these to be the only two variants and had regarded them with as much respect as the Hayner cylinder that occupies pole position in the Top 10. However, while grooming the sales database prior to releasing it live on the net, I discovered an interesting lineage that may stretch back to George Truog, the artistic genius who founded the Maryland Glass Etching Works of Cumberland, Md., and whose work was featured in the Fall 2004 edition of Random Shots. The link to Truog had originally been suggested by Mary Suplee, the granddaughter of the master etcher himself (Murschell, 2004). She’s long maintained that the horseshoe-andbarrel design is a Truog original (personal communication), even though evidence for such a link has failed to surface and no-one has ever reported finding a tell-tale GT signature on a Hayner glass. However, the task of preparing the database for public consumption required that I tag every one of the 10,000 or so glass photos in the record with an id# so that they could be Figure 3: An advertisement for Hayner Rye appearing grouped for statistical in an 1898 edition of Scribner’s magazine.
c
d
analysis. In practice, that meant that I had to make side-by-side comparisons of individual glasses to be sure that they were assigned to the correct group. In so doing, I became aware that there are at least four distinct Lockbox 290 glasses, compared in Figures 4 above and Figure 5 below. The four glasses are arranged to show devolution of label design and perhaps increasing age, although there is no way of dating any of the Hayner glasses with precision. The common, “short tail” Lockbox on the far left [Figure 4a] appears to be the most recent. Note that the text is a standard
Figure 5a
Figure 5b
Figure 5c
Figure 5d
60 font with clean, straight verticals and no distinguishing characteristics. The label is notable for a barrelhead that consists of three panels, with the center piece being much wider that the two outer members. Note also the rectangular outline in 5 o’clock position on the barrelhead: it contains a line of three dots [Figure 5a]. The area below the barrel and between the prongs of the horseshoe is empty: the grain stalks that are evident to either side of the barrel do not extend into this area. The next glass to the right [Figure 4b] is a rare “short tail” Lockbox 290 variant. Although clearly a different glass, most of the distinguishing features noted in the common version are seen here also. Indeed, the main difference between this and the more common version is in the area below the barrel, where we see that it’s occupied by stems of the grain stalks [Figure 5b]. The next in the series [Figure 4c] is the familiar “long tail” Lockbox. There are several significant differences between this glass and the previous two. The barrelhead now consists of six distinct panels and the three dots appearing in the rectangle at 5 o’clock appear to have been replaced by three characters [Figure 5c]. These are so small that they are almost impossible to discern, even when the etching is crisp and clear. After having put several examples under a loupe, my best guess is that they represent a small heart with a dot over it, the letter S in an old English font, and the number 9. The area below the barrel is now congested with stems and finally, note how distinctive the font used to spell out the line “Dayton.O.U.S.A.” has become. The middle “O” (for Ohio) swells at its center and the entire line is sufficiently crude that it appears to have been etched free-hand. To anyone who has spent time studying George Truog’s work, this line positively reeks of the Master’s touch. The final glass in the series [Figure 4d] is an exceptionally rare example that I’ve seen in vitro on only two occasions. In stark contrast to the other Hayner glasses described above, the label is etched on a regular shot rather than on a cylinder and both glasses that I’ve had a chance to examine have been shot through with the spider-web crazing that I associate with extreme age. There are very subtle variations in design between this and the previous glass, but the handiwork on this glass is even more strongly reminiscent of Truog (note the number 2 on the upper line
Fall 2006 for example: it would look completely at home on one of his Victor Liver Syrup glasses). But there is no tell-tale GT signature. This interesting story would have ended here were it not for a glass that I recently encountered among Ken Schwartz’ collection [Figure 6]. It’s not a Hayner, but it is another uncommon cylinder glass. The label advertises Cabinet Bourbon supplied by Geo Buente Shipping Co., origins unknown. The resemblance between the horseshoe-and-barrel-withgrain-stalks design on this glass is obvious even to an untrained eye, even though the details of the barrel head seen on Hayner glasses is lacking here. Most importantly, however, this glass was designed and signed by George Truog: a tiny transparent GT appears on the right-hand prong of the horseshoe below the barrel. Although evidence is circumstantial at best, we might speculate that the design that Truog created for Buente Shipping was recycled with minor modification for the Hayner Lockbox 290, and later, with further tweaking, for the Hayner Distilling glass at the head of our Top 10 list. The converse is equally possible - that the original design was for Hayner and that it was this that was modified for use on the Buente cylinder. Regardless, it is probably significant that the Hayner family had registered the distinctive horseshoe-barrel-grain-stalks design as a trademark and was using it on company letterheads in 1894 and probably earlier [Figure 7]. Truog established his Maryland Glass Etching Works in 1893 but had been designing glasses for other glass houses since 1883 (Murschell 2002, 2004). We have no further information about Buente Shipping Co., but see the inset on the next page [Figures 8 - 9] for more on the suggested link between Truog, cylinder glasses, and the horseshoe-barrel-grainstalk design.
Bottles and Extras
Figure 6
[Photograph courtesy of, and copyright Ken Schwartz, 2006]
We’ll re-visit the Top 10 list in some future edition on Random Shots because there are other stories here worth telling. Meanwhile, don’t be so quick to hit the your browser’s “back” button when that eBay listing with a heading “MINT, etched prePro shot glass, VERY RARE, NO RESERVE!!” features a Hayner cylinder. It might very well be rare glass after all. Robin is an enthusiastic collector of shot glasses and maintains the collector’s website www.prepro.com. He can be reached at: 245 N 15th St., MS#488, Philadelphia, PA 19102, E-mail: oldwhiskey@pre-pro.com. References: Murschell, D. (2002) Glass of Cumberland Maryland Area; self published Murschell, D. (2004) George Truog and His Art; self published.
Fig. 7: Classic horseshoe-barrel-grain-stalk design on a Hayner billhead dated 1894.
Bottles and Extras The cylinder is a relatively uncommon pre-Pro glass form, accounting for less than 2% of the total number of known glasses. 75% of these include a Truog signature or are have been linked to Truog, suggesting that they were preferred for application of his designs. Given that they avoid having to compensate for the distortion associated with etching a tapered glass [Figure 8 ], one can easily understand why this might be so. The Green Brier glass at left [Figure 9] is yet one more example of a cylinder being etched with a horseshoe-barrelgrain-stalk design. While there has never been a suggestion that this glass might have Truog origins, the coincidence is striking. This glass was issued by Chas Nelson of Nashville, Tenn., and is in the Ralph Van Brocklin collection.
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^ Figure 8 Creating a label for a common shot requires that the artist adjust the design to compensate for the reduction in area as the glass tapers down from rim to base. In practice, this meant designing on an arc, as seen in this original Truog sketch for the 1905 Souvenir glass. Reproduced from Murschell, 2004, with permission < Figure 9 Courtesy and copyright of Ralph Van Brocklin, 2005
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Cows on Pot Lids By Bruce R. Pynn Many different species of animals adorned pot lids. Perhaps the best known animal pictorial is that of a bear which was used on pots of bears grease. During the seventeenth to nineteen century, bears grease and pomades were popular for strengthening, beautifying and promoting the growth of hair. Cows were perhaps the second most common animal pictorials on pot lids. The cow pictorials were featured on pot lids in both the food or hair products categories. Pomades With the diminishing bear population, and ready access to a steady supply of cow bones from domestic herds, cows marrow
became an alternative to bears grease. The fatty marrow from cows was mixed with perfumes and placed in attractive containers. The pomatum was marketed to invigorate, and strengthen hair, nourish whilst beautifying the hair, prevent baldness and turn grey hair back to its natural color. The cows were pictured on lids from North America and Europe. Jules Hauel of Philadephia was one of the most prolific users of transfer-printed wares in the United States as seen by his many pots lids and designs. He sold pomades in three varieties; larger multicolored containers with cows in pastural scenes, solitary cows on black and white pot lids and small overglazed pots.
Bottles and Extras The products were sealed with a paper label securing the lid to the base with the following phrase “Ox Marrow Pomatum, a vegatable oleaginous mixture forthe growth and preservation of the hair. Composed of purified marrow and hazelnut oil and coumpound with grateful perfumes which promote the effect and composition, and are delightful to the sense. The highest premium awarded at the Great Worlds Fair to Jules Hauel, Philadephia.” Jules Hauel sold these products through his small perfumery between 1839 and 1860 at various addresses on Chestnut Street in Philadephia. After 1860, he apparently sold wholesale only, with other retailers using his brand of products. Eugene Roussel also operated a small perfumery on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia in 1842. He sold many products including, odontine” hand and shaving cream, soap as well as beef marrow. He was best known for his “Genuine Bear’s Oil” products and having a large stuffed bear in his shop window . He eventually sold the perfume shop in 1849 to Xavier Bazin, who headed up the perfumery part of his business, so that he could concentrate on his mineral water business. Xavier Bazin continued on at the 114 Chestnut Street address until 1852 when he relocated to 166 Chestnut Street. He advertised extensively after assuming control of the shop and expanded the line of pictorial potted products. He used a similar cow design on the “Genuine Beef Marrow Pomatum” with the “Succ to E. Roussel” scripted on the lid at both Chestnut addresses. The business continued in the Bazin family with new partners added throughout the years until 1884 when it was sold to George Wright. Ed Pinard and L.T. Piver, perfumers in Paris, France produced a variety of “Moelle de boeuf” (bone marrow) products in beautiful small blue transfer pots, with a wrap around pictorial of a nice pasture farm scene on the base of the pot. This design was mimicked by both Bazin and Hauel. Food Manufacturers of edible products also took advantage of this attractive form of packaging. Caviar, fish (anchovy and herring) and meat (chicken, turkey, beef and tongue) pastes were frequently sold in ceramic pots because of the impracticality of transporting fresh food from the coasts of England to the inland towns. The paste was packaged in vinegar which increased
Bottles and Extras its shelf life and proved to become a popular food alternative for the Victorian middle classes, and most importantly became a stable as a delicious tea time treat. One of the most common fish paste products was Yarmouth “Bloater” paste which got its name from the fact that salted herrings tended to swell up during smoking and were quite unlike the rather shrivelled dried salted herrings. In the United States, cows were featured on product jar lids of the Liston Beef Company of Chicago, Illinois in the 1880s to 1890s. The paper labeled jars of “Pure Beef Extract of Beef and Bouillon” came in three different sizes. The company also produced multicolored tradecards catering to the ladies and nursing mothers since it marketed the product as a remedy for indegestion, and sleeplessness as it contained ‘strengthening and sustaining properties.’ One of the most striking pomades is unrecorded, Ox Marrow Pomade, that was found in St.Louis. Missouri in 1973. It shows a remarkable pictorial of a resting oxen and is believed to be an American product. It is interesting that the domestic cow was used so extensively to market these products. It was likely a sign of the times as the cow was an integral part of everyday life. Reference: Barbara and Sonny Jackson, American Pot Lids, 1987
Bruce R. Pynn is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practicing in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He has been collecting advertising pot lids for the past six years. He can be reached at b.pynn@rogers.blackberry.net.
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Bottles and Extras
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Check Out Our Website! If you haven’t seen our latest website, you might want to check it out. We have the latest and greatest finds in our Recent Finds column and a Bottle Detective column where you guess the bottle from a small clue and win $100. We also have a column called Auctioneer’s Viewpoint that is getting people’s attention. The What Is It column asks readers to help us out with identifying bottles we’re not quite sure of and Message In A Bottle is a forum for clubs and individuals to express their own opinions and announce upcoming events. It’s all good fun and in addition, we have a vast database of bottles sold over the years along with a recent bottle news, consigning information, and a resource page that will show you what clubs and other resources are available. Just go to www.americanbottle.com. We think you’ll find something of
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Bottles and Extras
Dr. F. K. Hubbard The Hunt for a Mystery Man In this issue, I will tell you a story of perseverance. This is my search over the years for the man of mystery, Dr. F. K. Hubbard, veterinary patent medicine man. About twelve years ago I was rummaging around in a flea market in Atlanta. Veterinary items seldom showed up here, but a few dealers in antique advertising would set up on their way back and forth from the northeast to Florida. One such dealer usually sold stuff that I’d classify as just a shade above junk, but did from time to time come up with interesting items related to veterinary medicine. As I went into his booth, he recognized me and broke out in a big smile. He had something for me that he knew I would want (and pay for). He led me over to a glass front display cabinet. The cabinet had the wording F. K. HUBBARD / VETERINARY MEDICINES carved into the top and bottom of the door front. I had never heard of this patent medicine producer at that time and that situation was not to change for several years. As I examined the cabinet, I could tell that it had at one time been painted white as residual paint was left in the carved name to highlight it against the wood. Then, as now, I am always suspicious of advertising items that I have never seen before. Fantasy and outright fake cabinets exist out in the collecting world and collectors should always be cautious of items with which you have little experience. I have seen glass front cabinets by Dr. Lesure, Dr. Claris and Dr. LeGear that do not match any known examples of their cabinets. Cabinet size and construction techniques are usually the give aways with these pieces. Sometimes they just don’t look right, which is a lot more subjective. Everyone would like to find a one of a kind item or something rare at a great price, but buyer beware. Back to the subject at hand, the cabinet had a newer
Fall 2006
lock mounted on the outside of the cabinet, but had an old non-working lock on the inside of the door. Construction looked old and there were signs of wear so a price was agreed upon and, with only minimal misgivings, the new purchase headed home. Now you have to remember that this was a pre-Internet time when searching for information was not as simple as loading up Google or eBay. I looked through all the bottle books I had with no luck on any Dr. Hubbard. I called several bottle dealers and collectors for information. One lead surfaced. A bottle embossed with Dr. Hubbard insecticide and disinfectant existed. Further research led to the conclusion that this was not “my” Dr. Hubbard, but a maker of human patent
65 medicines. It was there that the story lay dormant for many years. No information on Dr. Hubbard was forthcoming as I continued to collect veterinary medicines over the years. It seems that no collector or dealer with whom I talked had ever seen or heard of a Dr. Hubbard medicine or another cabinet like mine. Was it one of a kind or a fake, I wondered. Seven or eight years passed by and Dr. Hubbard just hung on the wall, filled with other companies’ products. Truth be told, I had given up the search and had not thought about him for a long time. Then our daughter, Jessica, deceided to go to college in Boston. Suddenly I was making trips to New England and visiting with collectors and dealers that I had only previously talked with on the phone. On one such visit with a dealer, he informed me that he was making a house call to an old time bottle collector the next day and I was welcome to come along. It seemed that the old guy might have some veterinary bottles. Up and off due North early the next morning, I found myself closer to Canada than to Boston. When we arrived, the home was probably c.1870 with later additions here and there. It turned out that, like a lot of New England families, several
Figure 1 (Right): Original Dr. Hubbard example found which had the printer error of F. H. intials. Figure 2 (Center): New Life Nerve and Tonic Drops, 7” label only. “Invigorates the Whole System.” Figure 3 (Left): Nosore Gall Remedy. Embossed: NOSORE // GALL REMEDY // F.K. HUBBARD / ROSLINDALE / BOSTON, MASS. 7 1/2”. This is the only embossed Dr. Hubbard medicine known at this time.
Fall 2006
66 generations had lived in this house and no one ever threw anything away. We shot the bull with the old guy for about an hour as he did chores around the house and checked us out. Finally we made it into the house which was several stories filled with boxes and boxes and piles and piles of stuff. Even the staircases were lined with boxes. We all went into the bottle room which had been the main living room in another lifetime but now was filled with shelf after shelf of bottles. Country store glass front counters were haphazardly filled with bottles. Opened and unopened boxes of bottles were everywhere, making it a problem for three people to walk around. You get the picture. As my dealer friend and the collector discussed the finer points of Stoddard glass and pontiled colored medicines, I looked around. I didn’t ask about veterinary medicines at that time, I just wandered around to see what was what. Peering into the front of a waist level glass counter, I was looking at about ten rows of bottles lined up front to back. Maybe a couple of hundred bottles total were in the twelve foot cabinet. Lighting was sort of dim, so I was down on a knee looking in when I thought I saw the name Hubbard on a label about eight rows back. Is it OK to get something out of this cabinet, I asked? “Sure, help yourself.”
I went around back and moved a few boxes of bottles and stuck my hand in the cabinet. Out came Dr. F. H. Hubbard’s Spavin, Ringbone and Curb Remedy bottle. Wow, it existed, it was real. It had been so long and Dr. Hubbard had receded far into my memory, but was something odd about the name? Don’t worry now, just buy this bottle. No other veterinary medicines showed up and after the dealer had concluded his purchases I asked the owner about my bottle. “Son” he said, “that bottle has a crack in the bottom, you don’t want that, it’s damaged.” I assured him I would take it “as is” and a deal was struck. All the way back to Boston I fondled my bottle, but something was nagging me about that name. A few days later, I was home and headed to the Dr. Hubbard cabinet, ready to place my prize in it’s proper place. Then it hit me, my nagging doubt returned. My cabinet was carved F. K. Hubbard and my bottle was printed F. H. Hubbard. Expletive deleted!! What was the deal? There was no doubt, carved into the cabinet was an intial “K”. Was it a fake after all? Could some cabinet maker not spell? It drove me crazy, but I had a new clue. The Dr. Hubbard on my bottle was from Roslindale, Mass., a suburb of Boston. By this time, the Internet existed and I searched for
Figure 4: Earlier Worm Killer. 5” label only. It seems that all of Dr. Hubbard’s early remedies contained X-Rays as the box lists X-Ray Colic Cure, X-Ray Liniment etc.
Bottles and Extras
Roslindale. Jackpot! Roslindale had an historical society. Surely they would have information on my mystery man. Several e-mails back and forth with the head of the historical society gave me the bad news. No one ever wrote a town history of Roslindale and no Dr. Hubbard, F. K. or F. H. was listed in any information in their collection. Dead end, again. Another year passes, no news, but eBay exists and I diligently search for Dr. Hubbard each week. Then one day up pops Dr. F. K. Hubbard’s X-Ray Veterinary Worm Killer bottle with a box. It had never dawned on me that the printer of the label on my Spavin Remedy might have screwed up Dr. Hubbard’s initials. The bottle was purchased on eBay and now I was the proud owner of two Dr. Hubbard bottles and one was a RARE MISPRINTED variation. Now I’m liking my cabinet a lot more and all thought of fakery or deception are gone. Now we fast forward to 2003, nothing new on the Dr. Hubbard front until a letter from a collector in Pennsylvania lands on my desk. Enclosed is a photo of a Dr. Hubbard cabinet identical to mine and a request for information. I called him immediately with the news that the cabinet is real and that at least one other exists, along with two bottles of medicines. No paper ephemera, booklets, letterhead, or flyers from Dr. Hubbard exist to my knowledge. The next chapter in this story occurred just last year as I got a call from an antique dealer in Rhode Island who had purchased a large volume of bottles. He had gotten my name off the Internet as a contact for veterinary patent medicines. He had four bottles for sale if I was interested, all from the same company. You guessed it, but how was it possible, all four bottles were from the Dr. F. K. Hubbard Company of Roslindale. The final chapter of my story was written just a few months ago. As I was writing this story, I was contacted by a friend who happened to be an expert Figure 5: Later variation without the X-Rays and in genealogical research. the addition of his image on the box. 5” label only. Given Dr. Hubbard’s
Bottles and Extras name and city of residence, he produced the following historical information on the doctor in less than 20 minutes of computer time. I guess genealogical web sites will be my new best friends. Frank Kidder Hubbard was born on September 25, 1861 in Marlboro, New Hampshire to Albert and Hannah Livermore Hubbard. In 1870 the family was living in Alstead, N.H. When Frank was 18 years old, he was working in a woolen mill in Gilsum, N.H. The census of 1900 lists Frank as 38 years old, married to Julie E. Hubbard and living in Boston. The couple have three children, Chester A. S., Harold I. G., and Roswell I. C. Frank’s occupation is listed as patent medicine manufacturer. Chester was born January 1, 1890 in Watertown, Mass. Harold was born February 1, 1893, also in Watertown and Roswell was born July 23, 1895 in Natick, Mass. On February 25, 1901 their fourth child, Julian, was born. In 1920, Frank was 58 years old. His first wife Hannah is deceased and Frank has remarried Bertha M. Kinney who is 34
Fall 2006 years old. They have one child listed in the census, Gladys, who was born in 1919. Martha Kinney, his mother in law, is living with the Hubbard family also. Frank now lists his occupation as veterinary medicine. 1930 Census: Frank is not listed nor is Bertha. The boys are all listed and living in separate locations in the Boston area. What I find interesting is that Roswell is married to Ruth and his children are listed as being: Gladys (age 11) and Frank (age 8). Martha Kinney is now living with Roswell’s family. So, did Frank and Bertha die between 1920 and 1930? Did Roswell adopt their daughter Gladys who would be 11 in 1930? He apprently also took in Martha Kinney who would have been his step-grandmother. Roswell died November 1971 in Belmont, Mass. Julian died in Windham, Maine in July, 1978. Based on all this information, I would guess that the senior Frank started his veterinary patent medicine business about 1890 and it closed between 1920 and 1930. It’s possible Frank’s daughter Gladys, who would now be 87, is still alive. It would be something
Figure 6: Wooden display cabinet that started the whole Dr. Hubbard story. It is difficult to read the carving in the top of the door from this image, but it reads, F. K. Hubbard’s. Glass knob and lock are later additions.
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Figure 8: Dr, Hubbard.
to interview her. If any collector has any information, paper ephemera, advertising or medicines dealing with Dr. Hubbard, please contact me at 770-482-5100 or petvet@mindspring.com.
Figure 7: This example of the Spavin, Ringbone and Curb Remedy has the correct initials on the bottle label. The box calls this a “Cure” while the label states “Remedy.” None of the Dr. Hubbard medicines, that I have seen, have any reference to the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. Therefore, I’d date all his medicines to pre-1906.
Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Trenton Boyd for his research contribution.
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“NASTY WORDS” AND NIFTY WHISKEYS
Bottles and Extras
By Jack Sullivan
Special to Bottles and Extras As collectors of American whiskey bottles and jugs know well, U.S.A. whiskiana history falls conveniently into four periods: 1) “pre-Pro” (up to 1920), 2) the Prohibition vacuum (1920-1934), 3) the “Nasty Words” era (1935-1964) and 4) ever since. While “pre-Pro” items obviously hold the greatest collector and historical interest, there is something to be said for products from the “Nasty Words” era. Not long ago in this magazine, Cecil Munsey suggested items that contain the “nasty words” over the years may increase significantly in interest and value since their place in time would be appreciated by collectors. His observations confirm my own interest in the characteristic twohandled ceramic jugs produced during the period [Figure 1]. Although they currently fetch very little at auction or bottle shows, they have a definite appeal. The Nasty Words First a comment about the “nasty words”: The item was coined by author and bottle expert John Tibbitts years ago. After National Prohibition was repealed in late 1933, Congress followed up by passing laws controlling various aspects of liquor sales. Tibbitts was referring to a statement that lawmakers in 1934 dictated be imprinted on liquor containers. It reads: “Federal law prohibits sale or reuse of this bottle.” As a result, after January 1, 1935, all hard liquor sold in the United States came
Figure 1: McCormick “fifth” two-handled jug.
in containers that had the federal warning permanently fixed in the glass or ceramic [Figure 2]. The statement was not required on wine or beer bottles. The intention of Congress was to prevent bootleggers, moonshiners and unscrupulous saloonkeepers from putting new booze into old bottles. An unintended effect of the words was to discourage distillers from putting their legitimate products in “fancy” containers as many had done prior to Prohibition. Nevertheless, some whiskey companies as a marketing strategy, like the two featured in this article, packaged their whiskey in distinctive two-handled ceramic jugs. Chicago’s Hannah & Hogg Alexander Donnan (known as “A.D.”) Hannah and David Hogg both were natives of Scotland. Hannah was born there in 1845, the son of Alexander and Mary Hannah. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1868 at the age of 23, going first to Kansas City to work as a store clerk. In 1872, he moved to Chicago where he was employed in the liquor business as a traveling salesman. In that pursuit, he met David Hogg, who was running a small business in Chicago. Hogg was born in 1842 in Kinrosshire, Scotland, and came to the U.S. in 1863, working first in the East and then in Chicago as a painter and wall paper hanger. In 1873 Hannah & Hogg decided to go into business together and opened a store at 190 Madison Street. They called their
Figure 2: The “Nasty Words.”
drinking establishment “The Thistle,” the symbol of their native Scotland. Soon they branched out into retail sales of liquor and cigars, buying more stores in several parts of the Windy City. Hannah was president of the company and Hogg was vice president. They appear to have married sisters. Hannah wed Catherine Grady in 1874 and Hogg married Mary Grady in 1878. The Hannahs had three children; the Hoggs had four. The two families lived within a block of each other on Chicago’s fashionable Oak Street. These transplanted Scotsmen were eminently successful and soon became well recognized figures in Chicago. Canny about politics, they covered both bases: Hannah was a prominent Democrat, Hogg an active Republican. So well known was their establishment that the American author, Theodore Dreiser, used it as the backdrop for scenes in his famous 1910 novel, “Sister Carrie.” In the book, he described Hannah & Hogg’s as “a gorgeous saloon from a Chicago standpoint” and his story fictionally included its manager as a major character. In time Hannah & Hogg came to own and operate the Brevoort Hotel, one of Chicago’s premier hostelries. This establishment, in the city’s Loop District, was built in 1906 and still stands as a landmark at 120 W. Madison Street. Elderly George Moll, who like his father before him ran a tavern in Chicago, remembered their saloon from his childhood. Moll told me
Figure 3: A “pre-Pro” Hannah & Hogg whiskey jug.
Figure 4: Hannah & Hogg “Thistle” fifth.
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Figure 9: Tom Hannah fifth & gallon.
Figure 7: Hannah & Hogg gallon with wire rack. Figure 5: Hannah & Hogg “93” fifth.
that Hannah & Hogg were celebrated for the quality of their whiskey. They were distributors rather than distillers, buying bulk whiskey, bottling it and selling it under their own labels. Their pre-Pro jugs and bottles featured the Scottish thistle motif [Figure 3]. Enter the Medley Family The two founders sold their enterprises and brand name about 1910 and retired. Their names on whiskey, however, had a continuing attraction in the Chicago region and the Middle West. That reputation even survived the 13 years of Prohibition and the Hannah & Hogg label was revived during the 1930s. The Medley Distilling Company of Owensboro, Kentucky, owned the brand. It was a family owned operation whose roots in whiskey distilling dated from 1800.
Figure 6: Hannah & Hogg half-pint & mini.
Shown here are the two-handled containers in which the Medleys merchandised Hannah & Hogg whiskey. The jugs come in four sizes and two styles: Shown here in the “fifth” size (4/5th of a quart) one has the familiar thistle motif [Figure 4], and the other a “93,” symbolic of its being 93 proof - or 46.5 percent alcohol [Figure 5]. The thistle jug also comes in half-pint and mini versions [Figure 6]. The “93” style likewise is found in a gallon container that has its own wire stand,
Figure 8: Tom Hannah fifth.
allowing it to be tipped more easily into a glass [Figure 7]. The big one bears the slogan: “World’s Best Bourbon.” The “93” jug boasts that the whiskey has been “famous since 1873” - the year Hannah & Hogg got started. The Medleys also sold a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey under the name “Tom Hannah.” This brand also used the thistle motif, an 1873 origin (same as H&H), the Hannah name and two-handled jugs. The slogan for this product was “Enjoy the Best Now,” which was underglazed on the containers. Tom Hannah brand bourbon came in a fifth package [Figure 8] and onegallon [Figure 9]. The Medleys sold their Owensboro plant in 1957, but members of the family continued to run the facility. Hannah & Hogg remained as a bourbon brand, merchandised in interesting containers such as a bottle shaped like a pair of binoculars [Figure 10]. Sometime after 1971 the brand was sold to White Rock Distilleries, an operation on Maine’s Androscoggin River, inland from the Maine coast at Lewiston. Through acquisitions and expansion, White
Figure 10: Hannah & Hogg binocular bottle.
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70 Rock represented in 50 states and 20 countries with sales exceeding two million cases annually. It continues to distribute Hannah and Hogg gin and vodka, but not bourbon. The Glenmore Story The Glenmore Distillery Company of Owensboro and Louisville is another operation that marketed the two-handled jug. The firm traced its origins back to 1871 when it was founded by an Irish immigrant named James Thompson, who arrived in America at the age of 16 with barely the clothes on his back. History records that he first entered the whiskey business as a broker and commission agent, selling spirits to both wholesalers and retailers. He saved his money and eventually opened his own distillery, calling it James Thompson & Bro. This company produced such brands as Old Thompson, Kentucky Tavern and F.O.E. (Finest On Earth). For a time during the 1880s, Thompson partnered with his cousin George Garvin Brown of the BrownForeman whiskey dynasty. About 1890, Thompson broke family ties and on his own, founded the Glenmore Distillery Company at Owensboro, consolidating his buildings under that name. Just as Hannah & Hogg had harked back to their native land for their thistle symbol, Irishman Thompson remembered a castle called Glenmore in County Wicklow [Figure 11]. A perfect name for his flagship whiskey brand, he decided, and so it became. Thompson proved to be an able businessman and his distillery thrived. The firm advertised widely its Glenmore bourbon and other house brands. One 1893 advertising piece boasts: “The queen of Daviess County (Ky.) whiskies...If you buy Glenmore you are sure of a whiskey that stands at the head of its class. It is pure and fine as silk.” Glenmore’s vigorous
Figure 11: Glenmore Castle, Ireland.
marketing brought the whiskey a national market and wealth to James Thompson. In 1901, he used some of that money to buy a neighboring Daviess County operation, the R. Monarch Distillery, adding it to his holdings. In 1912, he completely rebuilt his main plant, making it one of America’s most modern of that time. He also established a business office in Louisville. Glenmore’s Whiskey Jugs Throughout this period, Glenmore whiskey renamed the firm’s’ flagship brand. It was sold in quart-sized stoneware “shoulder” jugs with a round, cream Bristol glaze body and a brown Albany slip top [Figure 12]. By far the most striking element of the Glenmore jug was the underglaze cobalt blue picture of a Kentucky Colonel on the back of the container. The Colonel sports a full mustache, a long goatee, bushy eyebrows and a full head of hair. The artist has given him a look of intensity, bordering on a scowl, that renders him very formidable indeed [Figure 13]. Perhaps the portrait was just too strong. Later, the distillery reissued a similar jug but with a considerably toned-down portrait of the Colonel. Unlike many of his neighboring distilleries, James Thompson’s operation survived Prohibition. Glenmore was selected by the U.S. Government as one of the seven distilleries nationwide authorized to produce alcohol for medicinal purposes. This privilege insured that Glenmore would be one of the few lucky survivors of the Volstead Act. But Thompson himself never saw Repeal, dying in 1924. Subsequently, the distillery was managed by his sons, Col. Frank B. and James Frank Thompson, president and chairman. Frank was a real-
life Kentucky colonel by reason of his distinguished World War One military service. With Repeal, Col. Thompson revived the Glenmore brand and packaged it once again in stoneware. He adopted the two-handled bottle [Figure 14]. From the numbers of these items seen today at bottle shows and at auction, the brand and the container were very popular. Eventually the distillery abandoned the tradition of stoneware packaging in favor of glass - glass made to look like ceramic [Figure 15]. Glenmore Distilleries continued to prosper despite a 1938 fire in its warehouses that cost an estimated $2 million in lost products and damages. By 1941, the firm was calculated to be worth $7 million. Its main brand became Old Kentucky Tavern (no longer Glenmore), and it marketed other whiskies such as Tom Hardy and Kentucky Club. In 1944 the firm purchased Yellowstone brand from the Taylor & Williams Distillery of Louisville. Following the trend of the times, the firm also expanded to importing liquors. It also opened a New York City office at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Glenmore Distilleries eventually bought two other Prohibition survivors, the Medley and Fleischmann distilleries, both Owensboro-based. In so doing, it apparently was trying to win at the consolidation “game” that gripped the U.S. whiskey industry in the 1960s and 70s. In the end, it was no match for the big international liquor cartels that were buying distilleries in Scotland, Canada and - finally - the United States. During the 1980s, Glenmore became part of the United Distilleries international conglomerate. Most of its brand names were terminated
Figure 12 (L): Pre-Pro Glenmore jug. Figure 13 (R): Back of jug: The Colonel.
Figure 14: Glenmore fifth ceramic.
Bottles and Extras
Figure 15: Glenmore fifth - glass.
or their distilling transferred to other parts of the organization. By the mid-1990s, the Owensboro distillery that the Thompson family founded and fostered for almost a century had been stripped of any active whiskey-making and was being used only for warehousing and bottling. Nevertheless, the Glenmore name - sometimes with the colonel - has continued to be seen on whiskey and in advertisements [Figure 16]. Collecting the “Nasty Words” By the early 1960s, it had become clear to political leaders that the nasty words were
Fall 2006 no longer necessary, if they ever had been. The infamous bootleggers were a thing of the past. The vast majority of American liquor purchases occurred in stores either run by the states or closely controlled by them. This understanding led Congress in 1964 to amend Federal law and to eliminate the reuse provision. As glass and ceramic molds were replaced, the nasty words were history after a run of 31 years. Their demise made possible innovations of whiskey being sold in a wide range of figural and fanciful containers, both glass and ceramic. Those have included Beam, Lionstone, Michter, Wild Turkey and many other whiskeys. Many whiskeys are colorful, well-designed and have attracted collectors. In the meantime, whiskey containers of the 1934-1965 era have flown under the collecting radar. They come up so commonly on eBay and other auction sites that we really don’t take a second look at items such as this Platte Valley jug [Figure 17]. In his book, “Looking at the Overlooked,” art historian Norman Bryson talks about “...things which, belonging to the numerous spaces of daily life, are taken entirely for granted, that familiarity itself pushes them far below the threshold of visual distinction.” The two-handled jugs shown here, and others of that style, fit Bryson’s description. I believe they deserve better. They represent the production of notable American potteries. The Glenmore jug shown in Figure 14 has been identified as a
71 product of the widely collected Red Wing potteries by specialist Ray Reiss in his book “Red Wing Art Pottery.” Jim Martin and Bette Cooper in their book, “MonmouthWestern Stoneware,” depict the same jug as having been made by Western Stoneware. It is possible that Glenmore ordered from both firms. Without a pottery mark, it is impossible to tell. A few later two-handled jugs are marked with a U.S.A. on the base. Again, it is not definitive. My own hunch is that most of these jugs were made by Western Stoneware. A second reason for collecting these ceramics is their quality. In addition to being tastefully designed, virtually all have underglazed transfers, meaning that the labels cannot rub off over time, unlike some pre-Pro whiskey jugs. Their lettering will remain crisp and legible for as long as the jug is intact. Finally, as Cecil Munsey has suggested, the ability to place these containers in a definite time frame adds importance. That is another way of saying that future generations may decide those words were not so nasty after all. ******** Material for this article was gleaned from a wide range of sources. Most important were: Dictionary of the History of the American Brewing and Distilling Industries by William L. Downard (1980) and Bluegrass, Belles and Bourbon by Harry Harrison Kroll (1967). ******** Jack Sullivan 4300 Ivanhoe Place Alexandria, VA 22304 jacksullivan@verizon.net
Figure 16: Glenmore ad with colonel.
Figure 17: Platte Valley fifth.
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Bottles and Extras
The Picture Perfect Drugstore by Joe Terry
The drugstore has long been a fixture in communities of any size. Today, this sadly does not hold as true. The small, independently owned pharmacy is largely a thing of the past. Right up until the time of the Great Depression, if a town had a few hundred people in it, it had a drugstore. It was a gathering place, a location to talk, listen and even occasionally fill a prescription. While the general appearance of each individual store was essentially similar to another, there were large differences in the type of stock they carried. True enough, the number and type of drugs were limited, but in a metropolitan store, the interior was often shiny, polished and uncluttered. Small town stores were more practical, containing anything that the townsfolk might conceivably need, especially if there happened to be no dry goods store in the
Coe-existance? The Coe name was very prominent in Morrow County, a hilly region of the state known for its scenic surroundings. J.M. Coe was located on S. Main Street in Mt. Gilead, a town made famous by Dr. Nathan Tucker, and his Asthma Specific. Relatives in the drug business were George and E.G. Coe in Edison, and Coe Brothers & Company in Gilead Station.
community. You might just be able to buy a pair of shoes, a good cigar, or even a bottle of beer while your prescription was being compounded. Over the course of 130 years, essentially from 1803 until 1930, Ohio had at least in name, nearly 16,000 drugstores and medicine manufacturers. This encompasses some 1,100 villages, towns and cities. From Athens to Zanesville, from Annapolis to Zoar, the Buckeye State was filled with pill vendors from end to end. As a collector of drug store bottles, I found a side hobby in
R.E. Riley started out in business in Celina, Ohio around 1900, situated in a perfect spot on the corner of Main and Market streets. The “corner drug store” was a common designation for many such businesses, as the intersection brought them twice as much business. This postcard is colorized, and dates to around 1915.
collecting images; photographs and postcards pertaining to the occupation. Personally, I felt it brought me closer to understanding the people behind the bottles; closer to the names embossed forever in glass and indelibly printed on paper. As I have already stated, a drugstore was a drugstore. Yet the montage of photos displayed here show that, like us humans, while we are all the same, we all have unique differences. Each store was custom fit to its surroundings, though some certainly had more flair than others. They were molded by their environment, catering to the needs and desires of their clientele, whether they wore a top hat and dress clothes or dirty coveralls and work boots. The pharmacy became one of the most trusted institutions a person could encounter. Trained pharmacists and accomplished druggists kept their art well rid of impostors and frauds. By the 1870s, these men found it difficult to weed out all of the riffraff, so they petitioned the state legislature to pass a law regulating the practice of pharmacy. This initial law, passed in 1874, governed the trade in “cities of the first class”. This referred to size, and the only “first class” city in Ohio then was Cincinnati. From there, the law expanded to cover the entire state, bringing all such businesses into line. As the years progressed, the law was broadened to include requirements for education. Today’s laws stem from that initial legislation some 130 years ago.
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Azor Thurston (shown below) was a young man of high ideals when he opened his drugstore in Grand Rapids, Ohio in 1888. Developing a firm customer base, he went on to develop a few, highly regarded remedies. In 1895, he began construction on his new, imposing drugstore building, which was finished the next year. The building still stands today, and still is home to a pharmacy, a hundred and ten years later.
The difference, then, between a pharmacist and a druggist was education. In the early days, a man could learn to be a druggist via the longstanding apprentice method. He would learn by doing, following the hands-on approach. He would study the methods of his mentor, another druggist, pharmacist or perhaps even a physician. Doctors often owned drugstores, as any prescription he wrote was useless without a place to fill it. Up until the 1870s and 1880s, a third to one half of all drugstores were either owned by, or partnered with, a physician. A pharmacist went to school to learn the art of compounding. He read books before going into practice. There were a number of schools in Ohio that taught
pharmacy, from Ada, to Cincinnati, to a rather obscure one in Scio, Ohio. While the school, at least today, is a faded memory, the head of its pharmacy department is not. James Hartley Beal was an intelligent man, well versed in both law and pharmacy. He taught at Scio as well as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – at the same time. He routinely took the train from one locale to the other, and back again. It is interesting to note, that despite his abilities, he never once owned a drugstore! He constantly pushed for laws to govern the profession in Ohio, and helped to pass some significant ones. One of importance was passed in 1890, and was meant to assist those who couldn’t read. Up until this point, pharmacy labels for any drug were usually
Dunathan’s West Side Drug Store was definitely an overstatement, considering that St. Mary’s, Ohio was never really that large. H.L. Dunathan started business around 1900, at 208 W. Spring. By 1910, it was referred to as the Dunathan Drug Company, and five years later had a second store at 320 E. Spring, operated by his partner, O.W. Price.
What have you got for a headache? Take two pills and head for high ground. The corner was usually a good location for a drugstore, unless it happened to be in Marietta when the river decided to flood its banks. The National Drug Company, at 142 Putnam, had opened the year before. I’m pretty sure a restock was in order.
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Dr E.H. Haymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drug Store was atypical for a small town business, as it had all the earmarks of a big city pharmacy. Note the elaborate fixtures, and most impressively, the wonderful soda fountain. Murray City is located in Hocking County, and has a modern population of around 600 people. It seems likely that the good old doctor had some money to burn.
identical to the next. Therefore, a bottle containing poison would look like one containing medicine. This often led to disastrous results. The law forced drugstores to have all poisonous drugs labeled in red. Consequently, any such labeled bottle can automatically be dated to after 1890. Ohio even had a Pure Food and Drug law twenty years before the nation did. Clear back to 1884, legislators were convinced of the need to control what went into food and medicine. However, it really did little in affecting the ingredients in proprietary remedies, as by definition their contents were secret. Still, it was a progressive step for the state; especially considering it harbored some of the biggest snake oil frauds in the country. While many drug stores sold shelf after shelf of these products, some maintained a high degree of integrity. One such fellow refused to do business with any manufacturers that would guarantee in writing that their drugs were pure and unadulterated, in compliance with the above law. His name was Azor Thurston (pictured on previous page), and he practiced his profession in the small town of Grand Rapids, Ohio. He went on to become the head State Chemist for Ohio, and even authored several books on chemistry. Most pharmacists remained somewhat unknown, a least outside of their respective community. For the most part they were content to dispense drugs and advice from behind the counter, and make a modest
Bottles and Extras
My, what a big pestle you have! The classic sign of the druggist is to be seen in the foreground of this photo, shot in the early 1880s. Thomas and Grund were popular and well known druggists in their day. They catered to presidents, or at least one ex-president, as they were located on Front Street in Fremont, the home of Rutherford B. Hayes. H.C Grund later became sole owner, and today the firm still stands after 130 years.
living from their hard work. They have left little behind to show us they were here. The following post cards and photographic images do just that, and rather than waste words, I will use the axiom â&#x20AC;&#x153;a picture is worth a thousand words.â&#x20AC;? Photographs of course date back much farther than the picture postcard. The postcards displayed here range in age from circa 1903 up to the late 1940s. I have
photographs in my collection that date from the same time period, as well as some as far back as the 1870s. I have included a hodgepodge of images, with no particular order, for the sole purpose of showing the variety that can be found in such items. It is my hope that you will enjoy the visual anthology of my fondest pastime, the Ohio drugstore.
The Eagle Drug Company was a local chain based in Canton, Ohio. It had several stores around town, including this one on Market Street. The firm started out as the Eagle Drug Store, with two stores in 1922. By 1924, it was incorporated and operating three stores. The officers in 1929 were John Rundt, Leo E. Portmann, and Ray H. Smith.
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The Oldest “3-IN-ONE-OIL” Container
Figure 1
By Cecil Munsey Copyright © 2006
In May of 2001 the WD-40 Company of San Diego, California, owners of the famous product 3-IN-ONE-OIL – “The Tool Kit In A Can,” began a nationwide search for the oldest can or bottle that contained their over-100-year-old product. Our local bottle club, San Diego Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club, was contacted by WD-40 and asked to supervise the search and verify the winners. There was to be a $1,000 first-prize for the oldest container found and a Dremel professional rotary tool for each of the first and second runner-ups. The prize-money went to Darrell Meyer of Shoshoni, Wyoming who found the oldest 3-IN-ONE-OIL bottle in an old privy in Laramie, Wyoming in 1981 when he first started digging bottles. The 2nd and 3rd place winners of the contest were, respectively, Arden Allen of Sierra Vista, Arizona and Mike Smith of New Tazewell, Tennessee. Both entrants received Dremel rotary tools. The search came to an end on June 14, 2001. There were over 2,000 entries in the contest. The whole story was published in Bottles and Extras in the November of 2001 issue (see Selected References at the end of this article).
The reader might ask the question, “Why is it news again? Because the above mentioned three oldest bottles (circa 1895) were all “dug” bottles, so the original paper labels did not survive the 100+ years of being buried in the earth [Figure 1]. Recently an estate sale discovery revealed a copy of the oldest 3-IN-ONE-OIL bottle with full labels [Figures 2, 3, & 4]. 3-IN-ONE-OIL was invented and first sold in 1894 in Asbury Park, New Jersey by George W. Cole. He touted his invention’s ability to “clean, lubricate and protect.” It was originally invented for use on bicycles. The formula consists of pale spindle oil with a small amount of corrosion inhibitor and citronella oil. Cole incorporated his company in 1899 as “G. W. Cole, Inc.” In 1905 the firm became the “3-IN-ONE-Oil Company” and began to market some of its oil in small two-inch tall green triangular-shaped glass bottles embossed with the name 3-IN-ONE [Figure 5]. The miniature green bottles were samples that by arrangement with the 3-IN-ONE-Oil Company were included with numerous other manufactures’ items: guns, roller skates, fishing reels, many toys with moving parts, et cetera.
In 1910 a metal screw cap was added to the traditional bottle. In 1933 the 3-INONE-OIL Company was acquired by Drug Inc. and became part of Sterling Products, Inc. 3-IN-ONE Oil was next sold to A. S. Boyle Company in 1936 and from then on the oil was sold in small tin cans. The cans replaced the traditional glass bottles. In 1990 Reckitt & Coleman Ltd., through its U. S. subsidiary, Reckitt & Coleman Inc. obtained ownership of the product. And finally (for now anyway) in 1995 WD-40 Company of San Diego, California acquired the 3-IN-ONE Oil business. In 2001 the current owners decided to try to find the oldest container for 3-INONE Oil. And as you have read, they did! Figure 5
References: Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Book: Munsey, Cecil. The Illustrated Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1970. Periodical: “3-IN-ONE OIL Reunited With Oldest Known Glass Bottle,” Bottles and Extras, Vol. 12, No. 11, November 2001, p. 5.
Cecil Munsey 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 (858) 487-7036 cecilmunsey@cox.net
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Tuftʼs Soda Fountain and Pinehurst Country Club by Donald Yates
What does the one have to do with the other? Well, If you play golf, you already know. If you are an antique bottle collector, like myself, you may find the relationship surprising. Bottle research always leads down strange paths. Leonard and Hepzebah Fosdick Tufts had a son, on February 11, 1835, and named him James Walker Tufts. What seemed unremarkable at the time was the beginning of a very important figure in the history of Soda Water and famous golf courses. With profits from his excellent soda water business, he purchased bare land in North Carolina and, in six months, turned it into America’s foremost resort location: Pinehurst Country Club. His father, a blacksmith, and mother had three other children; two of which died at an early age. James’ surviving brother was a few years older than he. Shortly after his father ’s death 1851, James was apprenticed at sixteen years of age to the Samuel Kidder Company, an apothecary shop in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His apprenticeship lasted six years. During the time he worked for The Kidder Company he earned extra money making cigars and selling lozenges and pharmacy almanacs around his neighborhood towns. He also began experimenting with the making and
James Walker Tufts (1835-1902)
flavoring of chewing gum. Shortly after completing his apprenticeship, with the advice and help from his father’s friends, he located and purchased his own drug store in Somerville, Massachusetts. He worked endlessly preparing his own cures and extracts and, four years later, was able to purchase a second store in Medford, Massachusetts. He also purchased drug stores in Winchester, Woburn, and Boston, Massachusetts, creating one of the earliest drug stores chains in the United States. In 1860 James married Mary Emma Clough. They had four children, Mary Gertrude, Leonard, and two who died early, just like James’ brothers. James’ son, Leonard, worked in, and eventually ran, his father’s soda fountain business and inherited Pinehurst upon his father’s death.
James Tufts also manufactured functional items such as napkin rings, tooth pick holders, cruet castor sets (pictured above), baskets, urns and jewel boxes Each item was plated four times with silver and bore the Tufts stamp. Most importantly, however, Tufts began manufacturing items for other apothecaries and, by age twentyseven, had developed a complete line of soda fountain supplies, including flavored extracts. Tufts also started The Arctic Soda Fountain Company to manufacture his own soda fountain apparatus. The Tufts
Bottles and Extras fountains were very ornate and were made from beautiful Italian marble, block tin, and heavy silver plate for sanitary attributes. In 1877, The Tufts Arctic Soda Fountain Company published its own catalog, offering a complete line of soda fountains. Most were elaborate, with multiple spigots, cherubs, figures of women or animals, plants and ferns, and weathervanes.
Pinehurst Country Club In 1891, Tuft’s Arctic Soda Fountain Company consolidated with A. D. Puffer and Sons of Boston, John Matthews of New York and Charles Lippincott of Philadelphia to become the American Soda Fountain Company with James W. Tufts as the company’s president. In 1895, when James Tufts was sixty, he sold his part of the business. Not quite content with retirement, he began to finally plan his North Carolina resort. The long New England winters always made it tempting for people to head to Florida for warmth. Also during this period, many people were afflicted with tuberculosis. James, not a healthy man himself, had a dream where the afflicted could come for cure and bring their families to a restful and healthful facility. This was a generous endeavor, since he planned to pay for all expenses from his own finances. The first small step was to search for an ideal location. James Tufts selected a promising location and purchased about five thousand acres in 1895 from Luis A. Page for $5000. Known as Tuftstown during development, it became Pinehurst, home of the Pinehurst Country Club, along with the village green and the race track. Eventually he purchased almost six thousand acres total, obtaining the additional acreage from Sally Throne and H.A. and J.R. Page at approximately $1.25 an acre. The land tract Mr. Tufts purchased was originally part of the Pine Barrens of the Sandhills of North Carolina - which he had heard about from an acquaintance in Boston, the Rev. Edward Everett Hale, author of The Man Without A Country. With Hale’s assistance and inspiration,
Bottles and Extras Tufts planned his mid-south resort. Previously in this region the trees had been used commercially for the turpentine, pitch, and tar industry; the old, dried resins and sap created a very flammable residue and flash fires were common. So, it was not surprising that a very serious fire started in 1898 and backfires had to be started to protect the village.
Because of the damage from these fires and his desire to create an attractive village, James contacted the firm of Olmsted and Elliot. Frederick Law Olmsted was well known for designing the layout for Central Park (and Prospect and Morningside Parks, New York; the Capital Grounds; Jackson and Washington Parks in Chicago; Fairmont Park, Phila.; Biltmore in Asheville, N.C.; and even Druid Hills, in Atlanta, Ga., a two-mile park system which wasn’t begun until after his demise). Olmsted believed that towns should be places of beauty and not just commercial centers so, for a fee of $300, Tufts’ sanatorium resort was designed by the firm to fit naturally into the landscape. Warren Manning took charge of the landscape and surveying began in 1895. 200,000 plants pines, camellias, crepe myrtles and thousands of other species - were shipped to the location, with 47,000 of them coming all the way from France. Eventually the plants took over, and the buildings appeared to be tucked into the plantings. Construction had begun in June of 1895, and six months later, the Holly Inn welcomed twenty guests on December 31. By the end of 1896, twenty cottages had
Fall 2006 been built, but were rented for a fraction of the cost to build them, along with a power plant and lines for a trolly. Construction workers and shippers of goods had been referring to the town as “Tuftstown” or “Pinalia.” Tufts disliked both names and actually chose Pinehurst from a list of potential names for Martha’s Vineyard. After learning that tuberculosis was contagious, guests were required to send a certificate of health from a physician and a statement of religious and moral standing from a minister. So that he could supervise the development of Pinehurst, Tufts turned over the operation of his business interests to his son, Leonard. Leonard said that, “it took twelve years of hard work to impress the public enough so that they came to the hotels in sufficient numbers to make a profit.” Tufts originally wanted Pinehurst to be heath resort for people of modest means, but the contagion of tuberculosis forced him to consider “an absolutely new idea of outdoor sport.” That sport was the game of golf. A resort employee complained to Tufts in 1897 that guests were hitting little white balls in the dairy fields around Pinehurst and bothering the cows. Tufts investigated and saw potential in the game, which was new to America. Of more concern to him were his cows and the effects the disturbance of these new golfers had on their milk production. Advised by some that golf was a temporary fancy and claims that it would not survive, he still commissioned a ninehole golf course on sixty acres south of the village green that same year. A club house
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1885 Tufts Arctic Soda Fountain had been added by the fall of 1899 and the course had been extended to eighteen holes. Construction of the first golf courses was all done manually. Horse- and mule-drawn carts were used, as well as wagons and apparatuses. A drag pan was used for scooping out the bunkers. Later, in 1900, Tufts met Donald Ross from Scotland and hired him to rework and redesign the course at Pinehurst. The nowrenowned Ross-designed Pinehurst Number Two course opened in 1901. James Walker Tufts died in 1902. An obituary in a Massachusetts newspaper stated, his was “a well spent life.” Tufts, the paper wrote, “never missed an opportunity for doing good...stipulating that his name should under no circumstances be divulged. His manner and bearing were simple.” His son, Leonard, and grandson, Richard, survived him. And now you know the Pinehurst Story. His son Leonard remained active in the soda fountain business and remained in Massachusetts. Pinehurst was controlled by the Tuft family until 1970. References: Charles Herman Sulz, A Treatise on Beverages (New York: Charles H. Sulz Publishers, 1888) Druggists Circular, New York; June 1902. Audrey Moriarty, Pinehurst Beginnings, 1979.
Tufts Apparatus with Pump
Tufts Intermittent Apparatus
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Fall 2006
TENNESSEE SALOON DIGGINʼ By Mike Barbara A warm day in late May, 2005, saw my good friend and fellow digger Steve Hicks and I cruising around the old part of Knoxville, Tennessee, in search of a place to dig. Uh, oh, blue lights… this can’t be good! Knoxville’s finest on our tail. Off the road and out of the car with an explanation of what we were doing and that we’re not casing the neighborhood! It seems that our search was not a discreet one to the neighbors! What a start to a day of digging — little did we know that the aftermath of this day was to be memorable for more than the blue light greeting! Towards the end of the morning, just when we were about to give up… fresh dirt behind an old building in the oldest section of town!!! A quick examination of the dirt and we knew we were into an old dump—broken glass all around and I don’t mean new glass! Broken Hutches, medicines, amber Cokes… Oh, how we wanted to start digging, but permission first! We would have to wait until Monday. It was a long Monday at work! Work over, I called Steve, who had already spoken with the foreman overseeing the job. Steve had secured permission to dig from him with the stipulation that we not disturb their footers. No problem! By the time that I arrived, Steve was there waiting on me. We started our digging in two different areas, with Steve
in the middle of the lot and me up near the back wall of the building. Within five minutes I was pulling out bottles. A T.C. Fox Hutch from Knoxville, a plain strapsided whiskey flask, some unembossed druggists and a couple of early marbles rolled out. Finally… a drug store bottle with a name on it. It figured to be a Knoxville druggist, but it turned out to be a drug store bottle from Tracy, Tennessee. Things were looking pretty good! A couple of minutes later, yet another pharmacy bottle, this one from Rockwood, Tennessee. Sharing my success with Steve, I found that his hole had been productive as well. At the side of the hole was a Howell and Fox, Knoxville Hutch, a few generic medicines and some unembossed whiskeys. I chatted with him for a time and then got back to my dig. The closer I got to the back of the building, the older the bottles seemed to be getting. I got into a nice layer of coffin flasks, strap-sided whiskey flasks and aqua medicines right up next to the building and then… What can this be??! Heavy as lead… A set of lead knuckles! Alas, the day got late and the digging
Above and below, digging the hole to get to the bottles.
Street view of 135 Central Ave., Knoxville, Tenn. during renovation and digging.
fizzled out all too soon. We had covered this shallow dump of 30 feet by 30 feet, digging a nice variety of bottles, including: - Two amber Knoxville Cokes - Two Knoxville Hutchinson sodas - Several Knoxville drug store bottles - Two small-town Tennessee drug store bottles - Several local crown-top sodas - A handful of early marbles - 100+ miscellaneous and unembossed bottles - A set of lead knuckles End of story…well, not quite! This was just the beginning of an extended memorable day! As we were finishing up, one of the construction crew came over and told us that in the process of digging for pipes they had uncovered even more bottles than we had in our pile. Oh, boy, here we go!!! Another conversation with the foreman and it’s fine with him, but we’ll have to wait the several weeks it takes them to finish up inside and then we’ll have only a limited time before the new floor is poured.
Lead knuckles found in the hole.
Digging alone made slower going, but the treasure found was worth it.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
Just some of the bottles as they came out of the hole.
Several weeks passed before we were given the go-ahead. In the meantime, we had researched the building, finding that it had been constructed in the 1880s with the initial business a barbershop. Thereafter, it became the Leggerwood Bros. Saloon, with a possible cathouse upstairs. By the 1890s, it was the Lay & DeArmond Saloon. This sounded too good to be true — digging underneath a saloon. Wow!!! The digging was not straight-forward. First we had to break through a 2-3 inch cap of old concrete and then we had to dig through up to six feet of soft fine ash. The bottles lay at the base of this ashy layer, not within it. The time frame pressed us
— It was the first week of June and we had only until the second week of July to cover the 150-foot by 50-foot interior. I started the dig by myself, as Steve had other obligations. This first day, I broke through the concrete in the middle of the space. In less than ten minutes I had a four-foot square area broken out and an hour and a half later was through the soft fill and finding my first bottle. A block letter Pepsi from Knoxville! Okay, that’s good! A couple of minutes later a second follows, along with some broken plates, cups, and bowls (I must be in the kitchen!) Up comes an unembossed strap-sided flask, and another, and another ... A couple more hours go by and by now I have about
79 40 unembossed whiskeys. Time to call it a day. Fill the hole, lock the door and look forward to tomorrow. The next day I started up front where the workers had found their bottles. Concrete layer accessed, fill dug to five feet and I’m back into the bottles. Quart whiskey bottles, then a Duffy Malt Whiskey, a couple of E. R. Betterton whiskeys from Chattanooga and some kick-up wines. A blackglass ale and then more quart whiskeys. Very different items than on the prior day. The best bottle this day was a quart square whiskey embossed Kelley’s Whiskeys with a Missouri address. Steve is not yet able to be there and help, so I decide to close it down and call it a day. A week passes before I can get back and again Steve is tied up and cannot dig. This time I opt to try the back, just a few feet from where we left off when we dug outside. At about four feet I started getting into the bottles. The first bottle was another Knoxville Pepsi, then a T. C. Fox Knoxville Hutchinson soda. Then… “Strap-sided Heaven”! There are strapsided flasks everywhere! Pints, half pints… surely one of them is embossed! I dig and wipe, wipe and dig and they are all “Plain Jane” unembossed. Then, I wipe one and there is embossing on it — White Elephant Saloon / Knoxville Tenn. WOW!!! For years I have hunted one of these and at long last it’s found! Wasting no time, I called Steve and told him what I had found. He wasted no time in getting down to the dig site, checked out my finds and started digging. Flasks and more flasks — but no additional embossed ones. Then a group of amber
With the dirt still on them, some of the treasure uncovered.
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The doorway, showing the “135” above the door.
Knoxville Cokes. After a very few minutes into my turn back in the hole, I uncover a gallon stoneware jug. After a quick wipe, I see no stenciling so I hand it up to Steve. As it dries, though, Steve starts reading to me: Lay & DeArmond / 135 Central Ave. / Knoxville Tenn. Why, that’s right where we are, the number (shown above) is still etched in the glass above the old door – 135 Central Avenue! A couple of two gallon jugs come out, but with no name stenciled or scratched. Whiskeys, Cokes, Pepsis, medicines, beers and other bottles follow in the next couple of weeks. It is now the end of June
Knoxville Hutchinson soda bottles lined up on the tailgate of the truck await the ride home.
Digging inside in low lighting was slow going, and the extreme heat didn’t help things much.
The digging trio: Mike Barbara, Steve Hicks and Bruce Pfiler.
and we know our time is about up. We called in another digging buddy, Bruce Pfiler, and industriously dig every day after work and on the weekends. The digging is hot (over 100 degrees) and even with fans running it is taxing. We’ve hit the second week of July and have dug about 80% of the under floor dump. Then, one evening, we arrive to find tons of gravel being placed over our dump in preparation for the new concrete floor. I guess that the other 20% will have to await a future generation digger! All in all, a great dig — we found a lot of neat bottles and other items, including: - Pint clear strap-sided flask White Elephant Saloon, Knoxville Tennessee - Eighteen amber Knoxville Cokes - Eleven aqua Knoxville Pepsis - Three stoneware jugs, one stenciled Lay & DeArmond - Thirty-nine assorted Knoxville pharmacy bottles - One Tracy City and one Rockwood, Tennessee drug store bottle - Nine Knoxville Hutchinson sodas - One Ohio Hutchinson beer - One Ohio seltzer bottle - Thirty-two Northeastern blob top beers and ales - 300+ miscellaneous whiskeys, mostly unembossed - 800 other miscellaneous and unembossed bottles - Pair of lead knuckles - Four wooden cue balls
Bottles and Extras
Kelly & Kerr, Springfield, Missouri.
Fall 2006
Back home, with just some of the spoils of the dig unloaded.
- 1888 and 1889 V nickels - 1889 and 1901 indian head pennies Many thanks to the foreman and to the owner of the building who allowed us to dig. So concludes one of the best digs weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in many years!
Soda bottles.
Right: Wickhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s / White Elephant / Saloon / 314 Union St / Knoxville, Tenn
More of the bottles found under the Knoxville saloon.
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Classified Ads FOR SALE For Sale: Pennsylvania bottles, Keefer Soda, Whiskey, Lancaster; Keefer Soda, Egypt; Byrnes & Kiefer apple butter crock; Byrnes & Keifer & Keifer label glass acid phosphate jug; Thomas Pepper’s Son Wholesale Liquor Dealers, Ashland, 2-gal. jug; 1900 Gettysburg Seminary yearbook; 1880s tradecards, Easton & Philadelphia. Sell or swap. Contact: Ralph Keiffer, Ph: (904) 2597775, P.O. Box 1325, MacClenny, FL 32063. For Sale: Beautiful salt-glazed from Spire & Duff / Nashville, Tenn. in cobalt lettering churn from early 1800s. I dropped it and had it professionally repaired. Beautiful jug. I have $1350 in it, will take best offer. Contact: H.L. Hill, Jr., 1036 Briarwood Dr., Jackson, MS 39211, Ph: (601) 957-0254. (Will also trade.) For Sale: Bitters: Old Home, Laughlin /Smith & Co., Wheeling, W. Va., deep amber, very crude and rare, $2700. Congress Bitters, very light golden orange amber, $275. Sunny Castle, deep amber, $145. Dr. Henley’s IXL, aqua, $225. Zoeller ’s Stomach Bitters, Pittsburgh, Pa., light orange amber, $325. Solomon’s Great Indian Bitters, $110. Dr. Caldwell’s, light golden amber, smooth base, crude, $425. Misc: Pine Tree Tar Cordial, large size, emerald green, strong embossing, $250. Hathorn Spring, Saratoga, N.Y., deep olive green, $75. Pine Tree Tar Cordial, medium size, light orange amber, $165. Poisons: Irregular Hex., 7Up green, 4ounce, $150; 6-ounce, $200. All bottles mint or very near mint. Seven-day return for any reason. Contact: Howard Crowe, P.O. Box 133, Gold Hill, NC 28071; Ph: (704) 982-0305. Postage & ins. extra. For Sale: Circa 1780 green chestnut flask, approximately 5 1/2” high, pontil scar (lion’s paw), string glass top, American, good wear on the bottom, found in the woods, hole area of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Similar flask sold at auction Summer of 2005 for $700. Price: $675 + extra shipping & ins. Contact: Michael Shea, P.O. Box 241, West Falmonth, MA 02574; Ph: (805) 274-4708. For Sale: Large crock funnel with blue stamp letters. “Go” and inside box, “Perfection Sanitary Self Draining Jars” and in oval, “Red Wing Potteries, Inc., Red Wing, Minn.” This was originally
installed to mix Pepsi-Cola in Greenwood, Mississippi. It is approximately 40” tall and over 2-feet wide. Open on one end and funnel shaped on the other. Item is in excellent condition except for chip on drain made by worker’s dismantling. Must be considered quite rare as only one was used at the bottling works and probably not many have survived. Very heavy and no shipping of item will be considered. Must be picked up at this location. $575. Pictures available on request. Contact: Bruce Schad, 1108 W. Jefferson Ave., Greenwood, MS 38930; Ph: (662) 455-9343.
For Sale: All bottles mint! Casper’s Whiskey, qt., cobalt-blue, $495. Figural cannon, A.M. Bininger & Co., 19 Broad St., N.Y., golden-amber, slightest lip roughness, $925. Saratogas: Qt.,Guilford Mineral Water, medium-green, $60. Pt., Washington Spring (opposing arches), emerald-green, $345. 1 / 2 -pint, John Morgan, 343 West 39th St., yellow-amber, trace haze, scarce, $165. Group of three creamers: Square “PET” in orange pyro, round “Bordon’s” + Elsie in red pyro, round “Quality Dairy, None Better” in red pyro, $25 for all three. Postage & ins. extra. Contact: Don Fritschel, 1996 Hardscrabble Pl., Boulder, CO 80305; Ph: (303) 499-2437; E-mail: donfrits@aol.com.
BOOKS / PERIODICALS FOR SALE: CD-rom for computer users. Contents: almost 200 pages of inventory / research for Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum of Lumpkin, Georgia. Patent medicines & other drug store products 1870s to 1950s. Research on products, history, composition of medicines, company histories, medical uses, costs of products, etc. Products can be searched by their names or manufacturers. Price: $12.00 for mailing to U.S. addresses. Order from Stewart County Historical Commission, P.O. Box 818, Lumpkin, GA 31515 or contact: ALLEN VEGOTSKY, 2215 Greencrest Dr., Atlanta, GA 30346-2629; PH: (770) 2701034; E-mail: Vegotsky@earthlink.net. FOR SALE: A limited number of 2002, 2003 and 2004 Federation Auction catalogues with prices-realized lists are available at $5.00 each plus $2.00 postage. Full color and beautifully photographed they make a handy reference! Contact JOHN PASTOR, 7288 Thorncrest Drive SE, Ada, MI 49301; Phone: (616) 2857604 or RALPH VAN BROCKLIN, 1021 W Oakland Avenue, #109, Johnson City, TN 37604; Phone: (423) 913-1378. FOR SALE: A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO ARIZONA BOTTLE & STONEWARE - A HISTORY OF MERCHANT CONTAINERS IN ARIZONA 124 pages of very detailed sketches of bottles and
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stoneware from the state of Arizona (1999) Spiral bound, $25.00. Contact: MICHAEL MILLER, Miller Antiques, 9214 W. Gary Road, Peoria, AZ 85345, PH: (623) 486-3123 or by E-mail: gramike@earthlink.net. FOR SALE: THE PILL ROLLERS, Third Edition, C.G. & L.C. Richardson. This is the only comprehensive book on apothecary antiques available to collectors with a serious interest in pharmaceutical antiques and collectibles. The book has 185 pages with 800 items illustrated. A separate price guide is included with the book price. The glossary includes information to help identify pharmaceutical artifacts including an extensive listing of names to help identify drug jar and apothecary bottle inscriptions. The price is $37.50, including shipping, and can be ordered from: CHARLES RICHARDSON, 1176 South Dogwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. FOR SALE: Can you tell the “Real” from the “Repro”? Now you can with Tippecanoe & E. G. Booz Too! A book
about cabin bottles, by Thomas C. Haunton. Detailed info on 57 different bottles, with new “McKearin” numbers, over 140 photos, and new information on E. G. Booz - the man! A price guide and free CD with 200 color photos are also included. Send $32.95 postpaid to: TOM HAUNTON, 48 Hancock Ave. #1, Medford, MA 02155-5621. E-mail: tchaunton@comcast.net
FOR SALE: GEORGIA CROWN TOP BOTTLE BOOK. 260 pages with over 1400 bottles. Includes Georgia Bottling Works, 263 different Script straightsided Coca-Cola bottles from Georgia, 236 different Georgia Chero-Cola bottles. Many others also listed. All Color! $39.95 + $3.95 Shipping. Send to: Georgia Soda Bottle Book, 1211 St. Andrews Drive, Douglas, GA 31533. FOR SALE: Two books on whiskey jugs by Bottles and Extras writer Jack Sullivan. THE AMERICAN WHISKEY JUG features 200 richly illustrated pages with index. $20 plus $5 postage. THE WHISKEY CERAMICS OF SCOTLAND,
INSURANCE for Bottles
Your homeowners insurance is rarely enough to cover your collectibles. Weʼve provided economical, dependable collectibles insurance since 1966. • Sample collector rates: $3,000 for $14; $10,000 for $38; $25,000 for $95; $50,000 for $190; $100,000 for $278; $200,000 for $418. Above $200,000, rate is $1.40 per $1000. • Our insurance carrier is AM Best’s rated A+ (Superior). • We insure antique to modern bottles (breakage included), and scores of other collectibles. “One-stop” service for practically everything you collect.. • Replacement value. We use expert/professional help valuing collectible losses. Consumer friendly service: Our office handles your loss - you won’t deal with a big insurer who does not know collectibles. • Detailed inventory and/or professional appraisal not required. Collectors list items over $5,000, dealers - no listing required. • See our website (or call, fax, E-mail us) for full information, including standard exclusions.
Collectibles Insurance Company P.O. Box 1200-FHBC - Westminster, MD 21158 E-mail: info@insurecollectibles.com
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IRELAND and ENGLAND features 100 pages with index. $10 plus $3 postage. Or buy both for $25 plus $5 postage. Contact: JACK SULLIVAN, 4300 Ivanhoe Pl., Alexandria, VA 22304; PH: (703) 370-3039; E-mail: jack.sullivan9@verizon.net. FOR SALE: Breaking 2006 news! - 5th Edition BOTTLES: IDENTIFICATION & PRICE GUIDE - THE “BOTTLE BIBLE FOR ALL COLLECTORS! All in color - 600 stunning photographsTwo New Chapters: “Patriotic/Political Bottles” and “Perfume Bottles”; Comprehensive Price Guide: 51 Chapters; Comprehensive Research Guide: History & Origin, Age Identification, Digging Methods, Determining Bottle Values, Trademark Identification, Dealer & Club Guide, Glossary of Terms, Bibliography, Auction Houses, and much more. Send Check or Money Order To: MIKE POLAK, P.O. Box 30328, Long Beach, CA 90853, Ph: 562-438-9209, E-mail: bottleking@earthlink.net.
2001 EDITION ... “The Fruit Jar Collectorʼs Bible”
RedBook
9
Reflects Recent Price Influences of Auctions and the Internet, as well as Current Price Trends Soft Cover, 432 Pages Over 10,000 Entries $35 US - $40 Non-US - Post Paid Order from Author : DOUGLAS M. LEYBOURNE, JR. P.0. BOX 5417 - NORTH MUSKEGAN, MI 49445
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
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Classified Ads
FOR SALE: Now, finally available! BIG BOB BEST BITTERS is a comprehensive price guide for collectors of bitters bottles reporting auction prices realized for the last 17 years. This printingcontains nearly 4000 accurately described bitters in a convenient, easy to read format. Listing bottle description and condition, Ring/Ham number, sale date and realized auction prices, this reference is a musthave for the collector or dealer of bitters bottles. To encourage your attendence at bottle shows, the price is an affordable $10. Price postage paid is $15. Send check or money order with your mailing instructions to: BOB STRICKHART, 3 Harvest Drive, Pennington, New Jersey 08534. FOR SALE: The American Poison Bottle Book, presented by the Antique Poison Bottle Collectors Association, full-color poison bottle work book. Updated information on sizes, colors and new listings. Contains the Kuhn ID system and is dedicated to him. $50 + $4.95 s/ h. Printing limited so get yours now! Check to: JOAN CABANISS, 312 Summer Lane, Huddleston, VA 24104.
WANTED
Wanted: Georgia milk bottles, dairy items. Wanted - love to talk, trade, collect old bottles & pottery. Call (770)967-3946 for info on / or have any / milk items. Paul Irby, 5981 River Oaks Dr., Flowery Branch, WA 30542; E-mail: irbybottles@juno.com. Wanted: Cash for Mississippi and Louisana items (jugs, postcards, Confederate money, soldier pictures and letters). Contact: H.L. Hill, Jr., 1036 Briarwood Dr., Jackson, MS 39211; Ph: (601) 957-0254. Wanted: Florida drugstore, soda, whiskey, etc., bottles, jugs, early souvenir mugs, plates, etc. - tokens, tags, fobs, postcards before 1920, especially real photos, real photo stereopticon cards older paper items, bill heads, signs, menus, etc. - also Civil War & earlier military relics, buttons, etc. Buy, swap. Contact: Ralph Keiffer, P.O. Box 1325, MacClenny, FL 32063, Ph: (904) 2597775.
JAR DOCTORTM YOUR COMPLETE SOURCE FOR JAR, BOTTLE AND INSULATOR
CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
CLEANING CANISTERS Designed to safely and professionally clean inside, outside and base - all at one time. Available in White & Clear PVC (3” through 6” ID) Prices ranging from $85.00 to $140.00
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OXIDES Aluminum, Cerium, Tin, Silicon Carbide TUMBLING COPPER New 12-gauge chisel point in 3 sizes Copper Wire: $7.00/lb.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
R. Wayne Lowry 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083 E-mail: JarDoctor@aol.com Website: www.jardoctor.com (816) 318-0161 FAX: (816) 318-0162
KETCHUP, PICKLES, SAUCES 19th Century Food in Glass 498 pages of pictures & research of glass containers the early food industry utilized. Smyth Bound - $25.00 to: MARK WEST PUBLISHERS PO BOX 1914 SANDPOINT, ID 83864
Wanted: Ephemera, such as ads, brochures, letterheads, billheads, envelopes, trade cards, booklets, promotions, etc., that show pictures/ illustrations of MASTER INK BOTTLES. Master inks are the large (quart, pint) sized ink bottles that were used to pour ink into the smaller desktop inkwells. Please E-mail detailed description (with photo scan, if possible) to: johnwhenderson@earthlink.net. Wanted: Looking for past issues of Pacific Glass Auctions catalogues, from auction #16 1998 to present. Singles or multiples okay, please let me know what you have. Contact: Warren Friedrick, 11422 Ridge Road, Nevada City, CA 95959; or Ph: (530) 265-5204 anytime. Wanted: If you have, or know anyone who has, an aqua milk bottle embossed L. J. EWELL & CO. - X. L. Dairy Depot 21st and Folsom Sts., please contact me. I have acquired information regarding this dairy as well as a silver cream spoon for this bottle. Contact: Ken Morrill, Ph: (831) 722-4740 or Email: Arrowheadfarms@juno.com. Wanted: Paying top dollar for any bottles from Paris, Danville and Georgetown, Ill. Please E-mail: ERP3@tigerpaw.com or Ph: (217) 4632938. Ask for Jeremy. Jeremy Erp, 631 E. Wood St., Paris, IL 61944. Wanted: Muskegon County, Michigan bottle that I don’t have. Towns to include: Bailey, Brunswick, Casnovia, Fruitjport, Holton, Montague, Muskegon, Ravenna, Twin Lake & Whitehall. I also collect postcards and souvenir china from these towns. Contact: Elmer Ogg, 1591 Hendrick Rd., Muskegon, MI 49441, Ph: (231) 798-7335; E-mail: eogg@nortonshores.org. Wanted: Western pumpkinseeds. I am alwasy in the market for Western flasks and Washington Territory bottles. Top dollar paid. Bottles stay in my personal collection. Contact: Steve Hinsch, Ph: (425) 775-8810; E-mail:
86
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006
shinsch@hotmail.com.
Classified Ads
Wanted: Thomas Taylor & Co. amber qt. sole agents for P. Vollmers Old Bourbon, Louisville, Ky. * Good condition - Reasonable Price * Contact: Marty Vollmer, 1091Daralynn Dr., Lexington, SC 29073; Ph: (803) 7559410; E-mail: MartyVollmer@aol.com. Wanted: $ Paying top dollar $ for the following: Restored or damaged bitters: Green Drakes, green Kellys, yellow-olive Professor Byrnes, yellow and light pink old Sachem, light puce OK Plantation. Also paying TOP DOLLAR for rare colored English ammonia with round warning bumps and also searching for an Eclipse wasp waist poison. Contact: Jonathan Melnick, PO. Box 15832,
Sarasota, FL 34277-1832; Ph: (941) 9227004; E-mail: aquamole@comcast.net.
Wanted: Whiskey, saloon, distillery advertising paperweights. Contact: Jack Sullivan, 4300 Ivanhoe Pl., Alexandria, VA 22304; Ph: (703) 370-3039; E-mail: jack.sullivan@verizon.net. Wanted: Missouri Hutchs from Cuba, Washington, DeSoto, Festus, Crane, Iron Dale, Mountain Grove, Pleasant Hill, Rich Hill, Seneca, Macon, Moberly, Malden, Brookfield, California, Carthage, Galena, West Port, Pierce City, Thyer, Eclipse in a slug plate from St. Louis. Also St. Louis blobs. Buff & Rau, Champion Bottling Co. Contact: Paul Lawrence, Ph: (573) 468-4924; E-mail: pljlbot@@fidnet.com.
Wanted: Early New England glass, especially blown 3-mold, Stoddard glass, colored pontiled medicines, colored pontiled inks, etc. Also figural Bennington pottery pieces. Also, scarcer Saratoga-type mineral water bottles. Contact: Don Fritschel, 1996 Hardscrabble Pl., Boulder, CO 80305; E-mail: donfrits@aol.com. Wanted and For Sale Ads are a benefit of membership Send yours today to: Bottles and Extras Classified Ads 341 Yellowstone Drive Fletcher, NC 28732
SPRING STEEL PROBES
Montana Sodas - Embossed - ACL - Paper Label -
Poison Bottles
Especially Cleo Cola Billings, Mont.
Joan C. Cabaniss jjcab@b2xonlinel.com (540) 297-4498 312 Summer Lane Huddleston, VA 24104 est. 1979
R.J. Reid 1102 East Babcock St. Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 587-9602 rjkreid@msn.com
Full Colour BBR
The world’s first full color bottle magazine simply got BETTER and BIGGER PACKED FULL of all the information you need on the UK & worldwide scene Well-researched articles & All the latest finds Upcoming sales & Full show calendar “the classified ads alone make a subscription worthwhile, but the color pictures make it absolutely ESSENTIAL. Heck, what
1 year Air Mail subscription still just $20 - 2 years $40 Personal Check, MasterCard/Visa, even $ bills!
BBR, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley, 2, Yorkshire, S74 8HJ, England Tel: 011-44-1226-745156; Fax: 011-44-1226-361561
Length 36” to 48” Diameter 1/4” to 5/16” “T” Handle 1” Dia. x 12” and Ring 4” above tip, both welded. $37.50 includes S/H $3 Extra for Rush Shipping Cashier Check or M.O. R. L. Wilcox 7422 Park Drive Mechanicsville, VA 23111 Phone: (804) 746-9854 or E-mail: Wilcox7422@aol.com
Churchillʼs Antique Bottle Cleaning Service Introductory Offer: Will clean one bottle at no charge ! (minus postage) Try me fee free! Less than 10 bottles: $15 each. 10-14: $12.50 each. More than 15: $10.00 each.
MARK CHURCHILL
PO Box 7023 Grand Rapids, MI 49510
(616) 248-3808 E-mail: mdiscoidalis@netzero.net
Bottles and Extras
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FOHBC SHO-BIZ FOHBC Sho-Biz is published in the interest of the hobby. Federation affiliated clubs are noted. Information on up-coming collecting events is welcome, but space is limited. Please send at least four months in advance, including telephone number, to: FOHBC Sho-Biz, c/o Kathy Hopson-Sathe, 341 Yellowstone Dr., Fletcher, NC 28732, or E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com. Show schedules are subject to change. Please call ahead before traveling long distances. All listings published here will also be published on the web site at http://www.fohbc.com.
NOVEMBER 3-4 TULARE, CALIFORNIA The 39th Annual Tulare Harvest Insulator & Bottle Show (Fri. 9 AM - 6 PM; Sat. 9 AM - 2 PM; Dealer Set-up with Breakfast, 7 AM both days) at the Tulare Veteranʼs Memorial Building, 1771 East Tulare Ave. (two minutes from State Hwy. 99, midway between Bakersfield and Fresno), Tulare, California. First table, $35, each additional table, $30. Buffet Fri. 6 PM, $35 Table Reservation +Tickets $12 in advance or $15 at show. Catered breakfast $4, Lunch $6. All food benefits Tulare Western High School Band Boosters. At the sale: insulators, bottles, marbles, antiques, relics, fishing gear, collectibles, jewelry, jars, jugs, seltzers, dolls, tools, toys, farm equipment, barbed wire, nails and textiles. Free appraisals for insulators Silent auction services for the better walk-in appraisal items. Show packets, dealer contracts, dinner tickets and BOE number forms are available for download and printing online at: http://oldinsulators.com/html/ tulare.html (Calif. BOE resale numbers are required.) INFO: DAVE BROWN, PH: (559) 936-7790. NOVEMBER 4 SAVANNAH, GEORGIA The 9th Annual Savannah Antique Bottle Show (Sat 9 AM - 3 PM; Fri. Set-up, Fri. 2 - 8 PM; Early Buyers, Fri. 4 PM & Sat. 8 AM, $10) at the National Guard Armory, Eisenhower Dr., Savannah, Georgia. Show features bottles, fruit jars, stoneware, marbles, Civil War collectibles and advertising. INFO: DAVID POWELL, PH: (912) 355-7479. NOVEMBER 5 MADISON, WISCONSIN Madison Antique Bottle & Advertising Show & Sale (9 AM - 3 PM, Early Buyers 6 AM), at the Rodeway Inn, 4916 E. Broadway, Hwy. 12-18, exit 142-A), Madison, Wisconsin. INFO: BILL MITCHELL, 703 Linwood Ave, Stevens Point, WI 54481. PH: (715) 341-6860 or (727) 319-2875.
NOVEMBER 5 ELKTON, MARYLAND The Tri-State Bottle Collectors and Diggers Clubʼs 34th Annual Antique Bottle & Collectibles Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM, Adm. $2) at the Singerly Fire Hall, Routes 279 & 213 (I-95, Exit 109A), Elkton, Maryland. Table top antiques, advertising. INFO: DAVE BROWN, PH: (302) 738-9960. NOVEMBER 11 BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS Eastside Antique Bottle & Jar Show (Sat. 9 AM - 3 PM) at the Belle Clair Fairgrounds, Rts 15 & 159, Belleville, Illinois. INFO: BILL CRESS, PH: (618) 466-3513 or CURT FAULKENBERRY, PH: (636) 797-5220. NOVEMBER 12 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA The Pittsburgh Antique Bottle Clubʼs Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 2 PM, Early buyers 7 AM) at The Ice Garden, Rostraver, Twp. (Exit 46B off I-70 to Rt. 51 North), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. INFO: BOB DeCROO, 694 Fayette City Rd., Fayette City, PA 15438, PH: (724) 326-8741 or JAY HAWKINS, 1280 Mt. Pleasant Rd., West Newton, PA 15089, PH: (724) 872-6013. NOVEMBER 18 TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA The Wabash Valley Antique Bottle & Pottery Clubʼs Illiana 9th Annual Antique Bottle & Pottery Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM - 2 PM, Adm. Free; Early bird 7 AM, Adm. $10; Set-up 7 - 9 AM) at the Shadow Auction Barn, 1517 Maple Ave., Terre Haute, Indiana. INFO: NED PENNINGTON, Show Chairman, 367 So. 22nd St., Terre Haute, IN 47803, PH: (812) 234-2214, E-mail: squarenail@verizon.net. NOVEMBER 19 - ALTON, ENGLAND The Alton Bottle Collectorʼs Club Antique Bottle & Collectors Fair (Sun. 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM; Early Buyers 9:30 AM) at the Community Center, Alton,
Hants, England. INFO: MICK WELLS, 1 Ings Close, Alton, Hants, GU34 1TB, England, Direct Dial: 011-44-142088773. NOVEMBER 19 GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA The Southeast Bottle Clubʼs 4th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM to 3 PM, Early buyers 7:30 AM) at 501 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, North Carolina. INFO: REGGIE LYNCH, PO Box 13736, Durham, NC 27709, PH: (919) 789-4545. NOVEMBER 26 BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA The Forks of the Delaware Bottle Collectors Associationʼs 33rd Annual Bottle & Antique Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM, Adm. $1; Dealer & Display set-up 6 - 9 AM, Early buyers 7:30 AM) at the Bethlehem Catholic High School, Madison & Dewberry Ave. (2 miles South of Rt. 22, Center Street, Rt. 512), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. INFO: BILL HEGEDUS, 20 Cambridge Pl., Catasauqua, PA 18032, PH: (610) 264-5945. DECEMBER 2 AUBURN, CALIFORNIA The 49er Historical Bottle Associationʼs 29th Annual 49er Bottle Show “The Best in the West” (Sat. 9 AM - 3 PM, Free Adm.; Fri. Early Adm. $10) at the Placer County Fairgrounds, Auburn, California. INFO: STEVE ABBOTT, PH: (916) 631-8019, E-mail: foabbott@comcast.net. 2007 JANUARY 27 ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA The Superior California Antique Bottle Club's 31st Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM - 4 PM) at the Shasta County Fairgrounds, Anderson, California. INFO: MEL HAMMER, PH: (530) 2414878 or PHIL MCDONALD, PH: (530) 243-6903.
88 FEBRUARY 4 SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY The New Jersey Antique Bottle Clubʼs (NJABC) 11th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 2 PM, Adm. $3) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 88 Jackson St., South River, New Jersey. INFO: JOE BUTEWICZ, 24 Charles St., South River, NJ 08882-1603, PH: (732) 2369945, E-mail: botlman@msn.com. FEBRUARY 16-17 COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA The South Carolina Antique Bottle Clubʼs 34thAnnual Show & Sale, including Small Antiques & Collectibles, (Fri. 12 - 6 PM; Sat. 9 AM - 1 PM; Adm. Donation to Boys & Girls Club Requested) at the Meadowlake Park Center, 600 Beckman Rd., Columbia, South Carolina. 150 Dealer Tables Available. INFO: MARTY VOLLMER, PH: (803) 755-9410; E-mail: MartyVollmer@aol.com or ERIC WARREN, PH: (803) 951-8860.
Bottles and Extras
Fall 2006 APRIL 15 ROCHESTER, NEW YORK The Genesee Valley Bottle Collectorʼs 38th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM 3 PM) at our NEW (OLD) location, Monroe County Fairgrounds, Minett Hall, Route 15 & Calkins Rd., Henrietta, New York. INFO: LARRY FOX, PH: (585) 394-8958, E-mail: brerfox@frontiernet.net or AARON & PAM WEBER, PH: (585) 226-6345, Email: dealerchair@gvbca.org; Website: www.gvbca.org.
Having a show and your information doesnʼt appear here? Send the information to: FOHBC Show Biz Kathy Hopson-Sathe 341 Yellowstone Drive Fletcher, NC 28732 or E-mail it to: kathy@thesodafizz.com or use the online form at: www.fohbc.com Our website is visited by more than 10,000 people each month and the Show Calendar is in the Top 10 pages visited - donʼt miss out on this opportunity to be seen!
LAS VEGAS ANTIQUE BOTTLES & COLLECTIBLES CLUB PROUDLY PRESENTS OUR 42ND ANNUAL
ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES SHOW & SALE JANUARY 19-20, 2007
PLAZA HOTEL NUMBER ONE MAIN STREET - LAS VEGAS 1-800-634-6575 MENTION SHOW FOR DISCOUNT ROOM RESERVATIONS PLEASE MAKE SHOW & ROOM RESERVATIONS EARLY EXPIRES JANUARY 19, 2004 BOTTLES - JARS - POSTCARDS - TRADE TOKENS PAPER GOODS - INSULATORS - GLASSWARE - MARBLES NEVADA MEMORABILIA - DOLLS - ADVERTISING MATERIAL CASINO COLLECTIBLES - VINTAGE JEWELRY - OLD TOYS SMALL ANTIQUES - MATCH COVERS - AND MUCH MORE
SHOW HOURS
For More Information Contact Show Chairman: JIM SHARBAUGH 9409 DARWELL DR. LAS VEGAS, NV 89117 PHONE: (702) 254-1110
EARLY BIRD FRIDAY - JAN. 19 11 AM - 5 PM $15 GENERAL ADMISSION SATURDAY - JAN. 20 9 AM - 4 PM $5
Dealer Setup: Friday, Jan. 19 7 am - 11 am
An Invitation The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) cordially invites you to join a dedicated group of individuals and clubs who collect, study and display the common glass and ceramic gems of yesteryear. The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors is a non-profit organization supporting collectors of historical bottles, flasks, jars and related items. The goal of the FOHBC is to promote the collection, study, preservation and display of historical bottles and related artifacts and to share this information with other collectors. Federation membership is open to any individual or club interested in the enjoyment and study of antique bottles. The Federation publication, Bottles and Extras, is well known throughout the hobby world as the leading publication for those interested in historical bottles and “go withs.” The magazine includes articles of historical interest, stories chronicling the hobby and the history of bottle collecting, digging stories, regional news, show reports, advertisements, show listings and an auction directory. Bottles & Extras is truly the place to go when information is needed about this popular and growing hobby. In addition to providing strength to a national and international organization devoted to the welfare of the hobby, your FOHBC Membership benefits include: • A full year subscription to the Federation’s official publication, Bottles and Extras (published quarterly) • Free advertisements in Bottles and Extras • The opportunity to obtain “early admission” to Federation sponsored National Shows and EXPOs • Access to a knowledge of the world of antique bottle collecting unavailable elsewhere • Contact information for clubs devoted to the study of historical bottles • A forum for your writings, articles and editorials regarding the hobby • Participation in the nomination and selection of Federation members for the Honor Roll and Hall of Fame • Federation-sponsored writing, show poster, and newsletter-design contests • Free publication assistance for your book or manuscript • And more…
Finally… We need your support! Our continued existence is dependent upon your participation as well as expanding our membership. The Federation is the only national organization devoted to the enjoyment, study, preservation, collection and display of historical bottles. The FOHBC welcomes individuals who would like to contribute by running for Board positions or by sharing their expertise and volunteering their talents in other areas of interest such as contributions to our publications, assistance with the Federation’s National and EXPO shows, or through membership promotion. If you haven’t yet joined our organization, please do so and begin reaping the benefits. If you are already a member, please encourage your friends and fellow collectors to JOIN US!
For more information, or to join the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, please contact: Ralph J. Van Brocklin 1021 W. Oakland Ave., Suite 109 Johnson City, TN 37604 See page 82 for information to join or renew!
PH: (423) 913-1378 E-Mail: thegenuine@comcast.net or visit our home page on the Web at:
www.fohbc.com
Poison Land Page 50
The Glassmaster始s Show
Top 25 of Nevada
Page 32
Page 52
Nasty Words? or Nifty Whiskies? Page 68
Paper Ink Bottles? Page 48
Target ball brings $17,000 at auction
Bottles andExtras
FOHBC c/o Ralph Van Brocklin 1021 W. Oakland Avenue, Suite #109 Johnson City, TN 37604
Page 5
PERIIODICALS
POSTAGE PAID Johnson City, Tenn. 37601