Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

$4.00

June 2020

Mark Vuono and the American Glass Stamps w PAGE 38

IN THIS ISSUE:

Saluting Bulkley, Fiske for Liquor Ceramics w PAGE 7

Sherry and Pineapples w PAGE 11

What's New Down Under? w PAGE 40

T h e Ma g a z i n e T h at Ke eps Yo u I n fo r m e d!

Seeking quality consignments for our 2020 auction schedule!

American Glass Gallery

TM

As a consignor, consider these benefits to help ensure your valued items reach their highest potential: w Competitive consignor rates and low buyer premiums w Broad-based and extensive advertising w Experience, knowledge, honesty and integrity w Attention to detail and customer service

These items and many more, will be included in our upcoming 2020 Auction schedule.

American Glass Gallery • John R. Pastor • P.O. Box 227, New Hudson, Michigan 48165 phone: 248.486.0530 • www.americanglassgallery.com • email: jpastor@americanglassgallery.com

VOLUME 37, #2 • June 2020 FRONT COVER:

American Glass postage stamps form the backdrop for this month's cover.

AB&GC contributing columnist Richard Sheaff (who conceived and designed these beautiful stamps) shares his reflections on the May issue and pays tribute to Mark Vuono, who also played a very important role in bringing these stamps to fruition. Read about it beginning on page 38.

Publisher John R. Pastor

In This Issue:

Editors: Ralph Finch Bill Baab Jodi Hall

Letters to the Editor........................................................................... 2

Managing Editor Libby Smith The Medicine Chest John Panella Joe Widman American Historical Flasks Mark Vuono New England Review Mike George Bitters Columnist Bob Strickhart Spouting off on Mineral Waters Donald Tucker Contributing Writers: Ralph Finch Kevin Sives Design, Layout & Production Jake Pluta

Heard it through the Grapevine......................................................... 4 Saluting Bulkley, Fiske for Liquor Ceramics..................................... 7 Sherry and Pineapples...................................................................... 11 What Was George Henry's Great Winner?....................................... 14 Fruit Jar Rambles: Poison in a Jar.................................................... 17 Classified Advertisements................................................................. 22 Show Calendar.................................................................................. 26 Answer to Last Month's Crosssword................................................ 30 Lechauweki Springs to the Coalmine Digs...................................... 31 Observations from Richard Sheaff................................................... 38 What's New Down Under?............................................................... 40 Medicine Chest: Age Exceptions...................................................... 43

ANTIQUE BOTTLE & GLASS COLLECTOR (ISSN 8750-1481) is published monthly by Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, P.O. Box 227, New Hudson, MI 48165-0227. Annual Subscription $35.00 at periodical rates, $49.00 at First-class rates and $4.00 per single copy. Canadian (First-class rate available only) $54.00 (in U.S. Funds). Overseas rates please inquire. Published

by Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, PO Box 227, New Hudson, MI 48165-0227. Periodicals Postage is paid at New Hudson MI and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to ANTIQUE BOTTLE & GLASS COLLECTOR, PO Box 227, New Hudson, MI 48165-0227. PH: 248.486.0530; Fax: 248.486.0538, Email: jpastor@americanglassgallery.com, Website: www.americanglassgallery.com. © Copyright 2020 all rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any way without written permission from the publisher.

Coming in July: The Carl Mampe Liquor Empire, by Frank & Frank Jr. Wicker The Tibby Brothers Glass Works, by Jay Hawkins Baroque Music and Bottles, by Johan Soetens Fruit Jar Rambles: Rockwood's Acorn Jar, by Tom Caniff Medicine Chest: A Rare U.S.N. Bottle, by John Panella and Joe Widman And other very cool stuff!

June 2020

1

LETTERS

to the Editor

Bob, Great article, I may be able to shed some light on all the street changes. If you look at a map of Boston, Great fire of 1872, you’ll see that many of these streets were burnt or blown up. This adds some more great history to those variants of bottles.

Hope I’ve been of some help, Joseph Wilbur

also talked about family, life, and business. Mark had a tremendous heart and genuinely cared about all those he knew.

Mark was passionate about his family and shared many stories.

He also enjoyed his profession, citing the diverse range of customers that he served.

Mark enjoyed an unparalleled reputation in his community.

The aftermath of Boston’s Great Fire of 1872.

I was unaware of Boston’s Great Fire of 1872, but this certainly does make great sense. The 1872 fire would certainly have affected the Langley brand one way or another. At least, it must have been one heck of a fire! I emailed Joe and explained how some of these mysteries really puzzle me and I was very glad to get his take on the dilemma.

Dr. Langley’s Bitters Update

So Joe, your help is much appreciated.

Thanks so much for that bit of the puzzle.

Matt Lacy Austinburg, Ohio

Bob Strickhart Pennington, New Jersey

Picture this: Two Jigsaw Puzzles

In the February issue I wrote an article concerning the Dr. Langley’s Root and Herb Bitters bottles. In that article, I questioned why there were two addresses to be found on the bottles, namely 76 and 99 Union Street in Boston. Tried as I might, I was unable to come up with any real reason why the change in address until just a day or two ago.

One of the best benefits of writing these articles is the conversations that I have had with members of our bottle fraternity. I have met many, many new and fascinating people who are always quite positive and appreciative of the effort put into composing these articles. From time to time, members of our bottle family come forward with additional information and interesting tidbits that enhance and sometimes complete the stories. Sure enough, it’s happened again, and it may just explain the mystery of the Langley’s change of address.

I received a short but much appreciated email from Joseph Wilbur shortly after the article was published. It read as follows:

2

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

In Remembrance of a Great Man Dear John, Mark Vuono was among the greatest men I will ever come to know. Mark was more than a friend and mentor, he was family.

Many years ago, I emailed Mark about an unusual marked eagle flask. I was incredibly nervous to email such a giant in the hobby.

Mark excitedly replied that he was not familiar with the mold. We quickly became very close friends and Mark began to mentor me. This relationship resulted in several years of amazing adventures and dealings. We had more fun than I could recount in a novel.

We continued to grow very close and talked via phone, email, and text on a regular cadence. We not only talked about the latest auctions and bottle news, we

Mark absolutely loved sharing his knowledge of flasks with others and encouraging new collectors. He took the time to invest his knowledge into those he knew.

Mark’s legacy will live on through each of us.

Hi, John, When I saw the article in the AB&GC May issue with the picture of a bottle jigsaw puzzle I wasn’t too surprised, because I have two of them. The first (and best) is of a Charles Wysocki painting with a background of bottles in a pharmacy window. The bottles must have been drawn from real examples because many are recognizable as to shape and color.

We also have a large print of the same picture that we hang in our den from time to time.

The second one is a photograph by Walter Wick that also has a window full of bottles and other colorful glass objects.

This one has a “Seek & Find” aspect, for when you finish the puzzle you can look for the things listed on the box top.

So, add another two puzzles to your list of things to do while waiting out the virus.

Ed Faulkner Moseley, Virginia

LETTERS

to the Editor

Getting a Charge out of Battery Jars Dear John, I’m writing in response to the Dan Desmaris (aka Jersey Dan) May article in Letters to the Editor regarding early battery jars.

Back in the day when I used to scuba dive near the bridges in the Florida Keys I found a couple of ceramic battery lids 5.5” inches diameter. The embossing read “Gladstone Lalande Battery Patent August 1882, June 2, 1903, November 3 1908.” Here is a photo of the top and the underside with the prongs. I’m sure they were used during the construction of Flagler’s Overseas Railroad, which was completed in 1912. My wife and I enjoy your magazine. I especially love “The Medicine Chest.” I laugh out loud at the outrageous chemicals used in the quackery.

Keep up the good work!

Best Regards, Island Alex Okinczyc Key West, Florida

New (old) Clyde Flask Will Debut in 2022 Hi, John, In just a few days you will be receiving photos of my latest addition to my Clyde Glass Works, N.Y., collection. It is quite beautiful, a lettered black glass quart whisky flask!

This is a one-of-a-kind lettered flask purchased by John Spellman from Burton Spiller in 1985. It was in the Spellman Collection for over thirty years. In a recent phone conversation with John he mentioned a flask that would look great in my collection. I asked John if he could buy it back and I would buy it from him.

Ed Faulkner's Charles Wysocki jigsaw puzzle.

A photo of Dick Kelley's latest addition to his Clyde Glass Works collection.

The ceramic battery lids that Island Alex Okinczyc found while scuba diving in the Florida Keys.

Thanks to John and Chris Bellizzi I was able to add it to my collection. I was going to bring it to our Rochester (GVBCA) Bottle Show but, like your Kalamazoo show and most of the others, it was cancelled.

My large Clyde Glass Works Exhibit has been rescheduled for our 2022 show. The lettered Black Glass Quart Whiskey Flask will be centered in my exhibit.

I hope all is well with you and Liz. I am confined to my home, as I am a sitting duck (age/heart/neuropathy). Lots of time to work on my exhibit and polish my bottles, flasks, fruit jars, glassware and whimsies. My daughter, Melissa, will be sending the photos. Enjoy!

ATTENTION READERS: Due to COVID-19 precautions, a number of upcoming bottle shows have been postponed or cancelled. Please check with show chairmen to see if your favorite shows are affected.

We will have further updates in future issues.

LATE DELIVERY: Unfortunately, some readers are experiencing late delivery of their magazines. Both the May and June issues were delivered to the post office on schedule. Both periodical as well as first class mail appear to be impacted. We appreciate your patience during the current interruption.

Dick Kelley (Mr. Peppermint) Lyons, New York June 2020

3

Heard it through the

Grapevine Coke Serves Sex to America It did 120 years ago, and still does, via the internet

By Ralph Finch Selling March 21 by Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers of Los Angeles was Lot 257, an attractive “Coca-Cola Topless Girl” serving tray.

It was described (edited) as being from the private collection of James Harrison Ring. It was “issued between 1905-08 by the Chicago-based Western Coca-Cola Bottling Co., a parent bottler working with franchised operations, and not company-distributed by Coca-Cola in Atlanta. The tray was specifically created to advertise Coca-Cola as a mixer in cocktails, hence ‘Drink Coca-Cola High Balls’ and ‘Drink Coca-Cola Gin Rickies’ as seen in the 10:00 and 2:00 position on tray’s edge with ‘Drink Coca-Cola’ at the 6:00 position.”

“Further, surrounding the appealing topless figure the copy reads, ‘Wherever Ginger Ale, Seltzer or Soda is Good, Coca-Cola is Better - Try It.’ Edge of tray boasts a foliate design of gold on green accented with roses inside a cartouche.

Tray manufactured by H.D.Beach & Co. Vienna Art Plates, which often were used by companies for point of sale materials.

“Obviously such an image ran counter to Coca-Cola’s wholesome branding, but Western Bottling knew how to generate interest. In overall fine condition, with only scattered scratches and some paint loss, and oxidation mostly at the 2:00 and 5:00 positions and some areas of paint loss and oxidation on verso — 12¼" in diameter, scarce, and a very desirablepiece for collectors. Estimated value $1,800 and up.” (The serving plate sold for $2,200, plus a buyers premium of 20 percent.)

4

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Editor’s note: Wikipedia adds this related information: “The first known ‘Exhibition Girl’ Coca-Cola calendar was issued by the company in 1891. But by the first decade of the 20th century, the company copyrighted stunning images of popular, beautiful models and entertainers and enlisted some of the finest printers in the nation. Antique calendars are some of the most prized treasures by collectors due to how rare most are and certainly how beautiful.”

r Warning: What follows may offend some readers. While searching the internet to locate the sexy Coke plate’s selling price, I was amazed at how many X-rated porn sites popped up (pardon the pun) involving naked women and Coca-Cola. After that, every time I see a Coke bottle I will blush.

New Mexico Hutchinson Soda Bottle Book - Revised Edition Buyers of the original book will get a free revised edition FARMINGTON, N.M. – Zang Wood and Bill Lockhart in 2018 published a wellresearched book, New Mexico Hutchinson Soda Bottles, only to discover nearly two years later they had accidentally left out an important chapter. So they published a second edition containing the chapter on Silver City, New Mexico, Hutchinsons within its 130 pages. They have mailed copies of the revised work to all of the buyers of the first edition at no charge.

If anyone else is interested in adding the book to their library, they should contact Wood at 1612 Camino Rio, Farmington, New Mexico, 87401 for more information. He also can be reached by email at zapa33-51@msn.com.

Heard it through the

Grapevine The Southern Cross from the Southern Hemisphere Reported by our mate, Ralph Finch Ending April 25 and auctioned by ABCR Auctions of Victoria, Australia, was this 1880s “I. J. K. Cohn / Southern Cross / & / Coolgardie // Acme Patent / 4 / Sole Makers / Dan Rylands Ld / Barnsley.”

Its condition was “very good. Polished.

No marble in this bottle. Fold to rear lip from making. Remains of etching around the embossing and a patch or two internally as well. Embossing is a bit flattened from the polish, but still looks quite good.

Not sure I have seen another in this bright blue colour before.”

It was offered with a reserve of $3,000, and estimated value of $5,000-$7,500 Australian. It sold for $6,000 Australian (that’s $3,898 U.S.) with 47 bids.

Want a Cap Pitcher?

Then Picture this

By Ralph Finch Selling May 2 by Jasper52 of Manhattan was this likely unique folk art pitcher made from bottle caps. Honest! But what happened to the bottles?

Travis Dunn, the main man at ABCR auctions, commented, “Australia has very few coloured codd bottles, and those that are known are invariably rare. Therefore, any time a coloured codd comes on the open market, it is highly sought after by the multitude of keen collectors across the country.

“The I. J. K. Cohn, Southern Cross and Coolgardie Acme Patent codd in the last ABCR auction was a bright, pure blue colour which was a bit unusual. We have sold a few others in the past, but they have been a different colour with a green tinge to the blue; this pure blue one is the first we have seen for sale.

“In auction 39 we had the other colour in really good polished condition which sold for around $10,000 AU. This pure blue example in auction 40 made $6,000, which collectors have suggested since was on the cheap side.”

Estimated by Jasper at $300-$400, it later was offered for $225, plus a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

Jasper52, by the way, claims to offer weekly auctions in twenty-plus categories, and “presents expertly curated antique, vintage and collectible goods focusing on the rare and exceptional.”

June 2020

5

Select Antique Bottles & Early Glass at Auction

Bidding Begins: July 13th

Closes: July 22nd

Select Auction 189 Including: Early Glass, Bottles, Flasks, Bitters, Inks, Utilities, Soda and Mineral Water Bottles, Freeblown and Pressed Glass, Whiskeys, Medicines & More

Heckler

6

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

www.hecklerauction.com | 860-974-1634 79 Bradford Corner Road, Woodstock Valley, CT 06282

Saluting Bulkley and Fiske The men behind these unique ceramic whiskey flasks

By Jack Sullivan

T

he whiskey flask of a saluting soldier (Figure 1) is emblematic of the production of unique liquor containers issued by the New York City grocery and liquor firm of Bulkley, Fiske & Co. Within the span of about four years the partners gave the nation some of its most valued spirits jugs, shown throughout this post.

The saluting soldier, for example, recently was listed at auction for $4,500. But who were the originators?

William Franklin Bulkley was born in Brooklyn in 1805 to Gershom and Mary Day Bulkeley (notice the additional “e”).

The name has both English and Irish roots, with this spelling more likely English. The family had an early New England heritage. An ancestor also named Gershom Bulkley was a well-known preacher and Revolutionary War patriot.

About 1833, Bulkley married a woman well-educated for those times. She was Abigail Conklin, born in 1811 to Daniel and Isabella Lusk Conklin in Rensselaerville, N.Y. She had attended the Litchfield Female Academy, an important institu-

tion of American female education at the time. From the union of William and Abigail Bulkley a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1834. Records differ on whether there were any other children.

Bulkley became a merchant whose principal occupation was running grocery stores. One location was 78 Front St. in Brooklyn. Additionally, he was a director of the Nassau Insurance Co. of Brooklyn, capitalized at $150,000 ($3 million equiv. today). In 1853 Bulkley also was listed as a director of the Brooklyn Gas Light Co. He and Abigail also owned a significant amount of land along the Hudson River.

These acres may have resulted from his 1852 purchase of a ferryboat company (its headquarters shown next page). This was a water route connecting Catherine Street in Manhattan and Main Street in Brooklyn across the East River. Being unable to compete with a one-cent fare adopted by a competitor, Bulkley sold the ferry line after a few months. Note, too, that at right in the photograph of the ferry terminal (Figure 2) the Brooklyn Bridge is being constructed, suggesting an impending decline in cross-river boat traffic.

FIGURE 1

Finding that the major profit from his grocery was alcohol, Bulkley began to emphasize liquor sales. In 1858, he teamed with Frederick B. Fiske, of whom June 2020

7

I have been able to learn very little, in a business at No. 51 Vesey St. in Manhattan (Figure 3). From the outset the partners began to issue ceramic liquor containers that have become coveted by collectors.

The pair of cruet-like jugs shown here are in a Rockingham glaze, both a tan and a darker brown (Figure 4). That attractive marbled look was highly popular in the United States during the early 1800s, copied from British glazes with a similar look. A shield on the front of each container says, “Schiedam Gin Imported by Bulkley, Fiske & Co.” The name of the firm and the address also was impressed into their shoulders (Figure 5). There was no mistaking by whom these vessels were issued.

Even more impressive is a whiskey jug with a similar handle and top and also in a Rockingham glaze. Titled by the company “Game Bag,” each side has a bas-relief picture (Figures 6-8). One side is the satchel with four dead quarry hanging from it; from left are a pheasant, duck, rabbit and dove. The other side is another hunting scene featuring two dogs and a standing shotgun. A British “hunting jug” influence is evident. There is a variant on this jug that marks it with an embossed “B.F. & Co.” on one side and an incised “Bulkley, Fiske & Co., New York” on the other. Glazes ranged from tan to dark brown.

From 1820 to 1856 figural spirits flasks were a popular ceramic item in England, often molded in the images of royalty or well-known political figures. Often the latter were involved in reform movements and in Britain such ceramics sometimes are called “reform flasks.” The U.K. flasks held whiskey and often came from Scottish potteries. The Bulkley Fiske ceramics, however, were almost certainly of United States origin.

ABOVE (from top): Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5.

8

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

ABOVE (from top): Figure 6, Figure 7, and Figure 8.

Shown here is a Bulkley-Fiske jug made in the likeness of military man (Figure 9).

From the shoulder epaulets and tunic we may infer he is an officer, perhaps one

of high rank. His belt reads “Morning Salute,” a reference that would have been widely understood. Many men would take a swallow or two of whiskey every morning before going off to work, believing that it was beneficial both to health and mental well-being. This practice was popularly known as a “morning salute.”

From the archives of the New York Historical Society comes another example of a Bulkley-Fiske figural flask. This one is called “Man with a Fiddle” (Figure 10).

This bottle is the standing form of a man sticking his tongue out, perhaps with a smile. His battered hat is the spout. He is wearing an overcoat and holding a violin and a bow against his chest. Might he be a street corner virtuoso? The name Bulkley, Fiske & Co. is impressed in the base.

FIGURE 9

Although a final example of the company’s ceramic offerings is less articulated than the others shown here, it is still interesting. It is a barrel or keg — some have called it a *rundlet (Figure 11). The barrel features a bunghole from which beer, wine or whiskey could be accessed.

Note the well-developed four sets of three bands each that surrround the barrel staves. This ceramic bottle, like the others, obviously held a quantity of spirits, but it is not clear what kind.

FIGURE 11

*Editor’s note: Wikipedia explains: “The rundlet is an archaic unit-like size of wine casks once used in Britain. It was equivalent to about 68 litres. It used to be defined as 18 wine gallons — one of several gallons then in use — before the adoption of the imperial system in 1824, afterwards it was 15 imperial gallons, which became the universal English base unit of volume in the British realm.”

The relatively brief history of Bulkley, Fiske & Co. may have been the result of Bulkley’s death after only several years of operation. His partner carried on for a few months, but in 1862 shut down the Manhattan store. Nonetheless, during that abbreviated period this New York City store left a legacy of liquor containers notable for their rarity and the level of collector interest.

r

FIGURE 10

Note: Thanks go to John DeGraft, the noted expert on sarsaparilla bottles, who also collects whiskey ceramics from his home in Arizona. Not only did John alert me to Bulkley, Fiske and their iconic containers, he provided me with the photo of the “Morning Salute” flask shown above.

June 2020

9

R E N O 2 02 0

FOHBC RENO NATIONAL ANTIQUE BOTTLE CONVENTION WESTERN REGION

Thursday, July 30 - Sunday, August 2, 2020 Antique Bottle Show & Sales, Bottle Competition, Early Admission, Seminars, Displays, Awards Banquet, Membership Breakfast, Bowling Competition, Silent Auction, Raffle, Children’s Events and more... $5 General Admission Saturday and Sunday half day

Go to FOHBC.org for hotel booking information, schedule and dealer contracts. Hotel rooms will go fast!

Richard & Bev Siri (Show Chairs) rtsiri@sbcglobal.net

Eric McGuire (Seminars, Keynote Speaker) etmcguire@comcast.net

Max Bell (Displays) maxbell1205@gmail.com Warren Friedrich (Show Treasurer) warrenls6@sbcglobal.net

Ferdinand Meyer V (Marketing & Advertising) fmeyer@fmgdesign.com

TEAM RENO

Info: FOHBC.org

10

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Gina Pellegrini (Event Photographer) angelina.pellegrini@gmail.com

BITTERS bottles

By Robert Strickhart

By Robert Strickhart

Sherry and Pineapples Sounds like great dessert tonight … and a story I am absolutely certain that there are stories behind every bottle. One category of stories includes the “how I came by this bottle story.” Many bottle collectors, myself included, can tell you how, when and where the bottles on our shelves were acquired, who sold it, and the provenance connected.

I have a thing for bottles with the little sticker that reads The Carlyn Ring Bitters Collection. For some reason, they are just a tiny bit more appealing to me. I can also tell you how and where I obtained my first Drakes cabin bitters, for me a fond memory.

Then, there is the story of the bottle itself. If you look at historical flasks, there is usually a story being told. Sometimes, and I believe, actually most of the time, there is a secondary story, an underlying second layer of the story. Most of us have seen the beautiful Baltimore flasks with a nicely embossed ear of corn on the front with the image of the Baltimore monument on the reverse

side. Certainly there is a story here, the ear of corn and Baltimore monument must have meant a great deal to a great number of people for a glassmaker to go to the effort of making a flask depicting such things.

In another instance, I received a beautiful Christmas card last year picturing a Sheaf of Wheat flask with the reminder that the sheaf of wheat once meant “prosperity” and that is the hope for you and yours for the holiday season.

(I really do enjoy and appreciate this bottle family!)

Another story is the story being told by the name embossed on the bottle. I dug into the meaning behind the Chartreuse Damiana Bitters in a recent article and while the Damiana bitters had a great backstory, it was sort of a plain, unremarkable bottle. The bitters bottle we will focus on in this article is quite appealing and unusual in form, and it, too, has a great symbolism and ingredient story to be told.

Moulton’s Oloroso Bitters

June 2020

11

The bottle for exploration is listed in Ring/Ham’s Bitters Bottles as follows: M 146 MOULTON’S OLOROSO BITTERS / TRADE motif pineapple -MARK J.J. Gillespy & Sons Sole Agents Troy, New York 11 3/8 X 3 (5 1/4) Round, Aqua and Blue green, NSCR, Applied mouth, Scarce 14 ribs at base, at top of panel, on shoulder and two-thirds up neck The A of OLOROSA changed to O There’s a good deal of information to digest here. First, the bottle is described as scarce, indicating that there are probably 150 or fewer known examples available.

There are two other Moulton’s known today. One of particular note is sort of referred to in the M-146 description’s last line, noting the change of the A in OLOROSA being changed to OLOROSO. This reference is to the extremely rare M-145 MOULTON’S OLOROSA BITTERS. This is the exact same bottle as the M-146 with the exception of the O to A letter change. Probably a mold maker’s “whoops” and corrected early on, as told by the extreme rarity of the M-145. While there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 known corrected examples, there are probably only five known OLOROSA examples. If you’re not paying attention, you could easily overlook this detail and miss out on a great scarcity.

The other known similarity of this bottle is an unlisted variant that came to the surface some years ago on eBay. This bottle was dug in Mississippi and reported by Bill Ham. The bottle was also aqua but had MOULTON’S OLOROSO BITTERS on the front, while the pineapple and words TRADE MARK were on the reverse. The bottle was also somewhat smaller and I believe will be included in

12

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Bill’s updated Bitters Bottles Supplement II. I don’t know who the successful bidder was, but he sure got what I consider a great rarity.

The M-146 Oloroso is usually found in aqua, but darker shades heading to the blue-green tones are known. In my opinion, aqua is an often overlooked color. It would be really something to see this particular bottle in a green or amber coloration, but somehow the aqua is very pleasing and appealing. On the shelf, it stands out nicely as do other aqua bitters.

There is nothing quite as cool as a beautiful run of National Bitters ears of corn in wild colors with an aqua example in the mix.

Other than the information from the Ring/Ham Bitters Bottles, citing J.J. Gillespy, as a grocer from Troy, N.Y., as the sole agent for Oloroso bitters, little is known. The very fine website Bottle Pickers also found Jason J. Gillespy in the Troy City Directory of 1871. From that research we learned that J.J. Gillespy was in business at the beginning of the Civil War, and was located at 271 River St. in Troy. An ad noted that Gillespy was a dealer in “Fine Groceries, Ales, Wines, Etc., for Family Use.” He had two sons who joined their dad later on and together as J.J. Gillespy & Sons were listed as the sole agents for Moulton’s Oloroso Bitters.

Turning our attention to the term “Oloroso” and the symbol of the pineapple, we find that Oloroso is a type of sherry that has been aged. Sherry is a product specifically of Spain and for sherry to be legally labeled as “Sherry,” it must come from an area in Spain in the province of Cadiz. In fact, the folks from Spain are quite serious about this and will actively prosecute anyone who produces a product from somewhere else and names it “sherry.”

TOP: Another Moulton’s Oloroso Bitters bottle.

BOTTOM: Close-up of the A to O letter change.

While there are several varieties and versions, “sherry” is what is known as a “fortified wine” made from white grapes.

After the wine undergoes fermentation in the barrel, the original wine is “fortified” with what is known as grape spirit in order to increase the final alcohol content.

The wine classified as Oloroso undergoes aging and is fortified to 18 to 20 percent alcohol, resulting in a dark, heavy, sweet dessert wine with quite a kick. The word “oloroso” means “scented” in Spanish, and this follows true as the end product has quite an aroma.

Now those of you who know me, really know me, understand that I take writing these articles very, very seriously. I believe that to write an accurate and informative article, authors absolutely must spare no expense, and sacrifice any personal dangers or tribulations to be able to relate to the subject matter at hand and get the real truth to our readers. I, therefore, only for the purpose of being able to relate to you, dear readers, felt obliged to experience “Sherry” in its real and true form.

Without fear and with dogged determination I proceeded to sample sherry, keeping in mind the true spirit of journalism and the requirements of a columnist with Antique Bottle and Glass Collector magazine. My final analysis: YUCK! I guess it’s an acquired taste. OK, so now let’s get back on track.

to live in luxury. In the early days of the colonies here, only the fastest ships were employed to bring pineapples to port to avoid the fruit from rotting, and so the cost was exorbitant.

In fact, when Marianne and I toured South Carolina last year, we learned how rich citizens of Charleston would actually rent a pineapple to exhibit on their table when visitors came to call. It meant that you would spare no cost to show your guests how much their visit meant to you.

Therefore, the pineapple not only was understood to mean luxury, status and in fact almost royalty, it came to symbolize hospitality. The symbol of the pineapple became popular on door knockers and even butter molds from then on. To this day, our family Christmas tree has a pineapple ornament included.

So a rich, sweet alcoholic after-dinner drink and a pineapple, the sign of hospitality, wealth and status; quite a good message to send to those seeking the benefits of a bottle of bitters.

Finally, we should investigate the possibility of adding a Moulton’s to your shelf.

This bottle does not show its face all that often. Even yet, for the longest time, this bottle traditionally sold in the $200 to $400 range. Good examples in fine condition do come to the auction block from time to time but you rarely see them at bottle shows.

While Ring/Ham records this bottle as scarce, indicating that there are as many as 150 examples out there, I think there really aren’t many more than that to be found. Recently, there have been auction sales of this bottle remaining in the $200 to $400 range, with a recent exceptional record sale of an example realizing $770, with the buyer’s premium included. Perhaps the popularity of this bottle is finally gaining some momentum.

The darker aqua and blue-green examples really are more desirable in my opinion, but in all respects, this is a beautiful bitters that deserves a place on the shelf.

I hope this has piqued your interest in this fine bottle and as usual, I welcome any comments or further information.

I can always be contacted at strickhartbob@aol.com. Happy collecting!

Why the symbol of the pineapple was included in the embossing of this bottle is unknown, but it really was an excellent choice in my mind. The pineapple has quite a history of its own and is symbolic in many ways.

As far back as the 1600s, Europeans were introduced to the pineapple by explorers and those brave enough to sail the seas to far away places where pineapples were to be found. To bring back a pineapple was extremely difficult due to the slow nature of sailing vessels. So if you were to have a pineapple, you paid a high premium for it, and that meant you had the finances

A final close-up

June 2020

13

What Was George

Henry’s Great Winner?

If you have a taste for the past, try his ‘Whipped Cream Soda’

By Peter Jablonski

I

n an attempt to keep my sanity amidst the COVID19 quarantine I went out metal detecting with Digger Don at the site of an old fairground in Lockport, N.Y. My first target unearthed was what appeared to be a flat metal dog head the size of my hand.

No old coins were recovered despite the valiant efforts of the author. The only other remnants of the old fair discovered was a metal ring to tie down horses.

Upon washing it when I returned home I found out my dog was a much larger mammal, a bovine cow’s head. Much to my delight it was embossed “Whipped Cream Trademark & Patent Geo. C. Henry Burlington, Iowa.” Researching this unusual artifact, I found out that George received the patent for it in 1889 and it was called Whipped Cream Soda.

Among the pharmacist community he became quite famous for his invention, as well as gaining financial success.

“By the use of Whipped Cream many advantages are claimed, prominent among which is, we may mention, the banishment of ice cream soda and like nuisances, for which there is a perfect substitute, and will neither sour nor foul your rinse water. Whipped Cream is the

14

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

result of much study on the part of the manufacturer, and has been tested by a large number of druggists who speak of it in the highest terms.”

George Henry believed the success of his product was correlated to heavy advertising, as can be seen in these printed testimonials for Whipped Cream Soda: “Whipped cream soda is helping us to make a fortune. Fountain space thronged with people, all asking for whipped cream soda. Sales Enormous.” — W.A. Graham Drugs & Medicines, Sandusky, Ohio.

April 25, 1889.

r

“Thankful - Big run - Everybody likes it.

— F.G. Heinze, Palace restaurant, Mankato, Minn., April 15, 1889.

r

“A great winner - Far ahead of any drink on the market” — White & White, Pharmacists, Morton House Pharmacy, Grand Rapids, Mich. April 25, 1889.

r

“Nothing has created so much unqualified approval in the line of summer beverages as whipped cream soda. It is usually a difficult thing to get a new idea introduced to public favor, but “Whipped Cream Soda” has sprung at once into lively demand. It deserves its success, and it is the most delightful summer drink in the market, sold only at Morley Bros., 206 East Pecan Street” — from the Austin American Statesman, Austin, Texas, July 16, 1889.

The following ad appeared in the Larned Eagle Optic, Larned, Kansas, June 6 1890: “Whipped cream soda is on draught at Eggleston Brothers’ soda fountain. Whipped cream soda is a delightful rich, creamy and

“Bought on faith - Just perfect - More than pleased with it - Handsome Attractive - Delicious - Boom.” — William P. Draper, Pharmacist, Springfield, Mass., April 26, 1889.

PHOTOS (from top left):

r

A portrait of George Henry.

“Making new trade - Crowned with success - Increased profits.” — C.A. Bonner, Pharmacist, Dayton, Ohio, April 24, 1889.

Henry's Almond Cream, A Sure Skin Cure bottle.

The metal cow head found by the author.

George Henry's drugstore.

Newspaper ad clipped from The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania, May 19, 1889.

Henry's Drug Store bottle from Burlington, IA.

June 2020

15

healthful beverage, everybody likes it. For the last week ice cream and milk shakes have had a bound up and down until whipped cream soda came and knocked them both out of time. When they tried to rally again, but to no good. Whipped cream soda has gained the day and has come to stay at Eggleston Brothers popular confectionery.”

As with any popular product, there were always other proprietors trying to capitalize on Henry’s success. A large advertisement was placed in the journal Pharmaceutical Record in 1891 warning infringers of his patent that they would have to pay, no matter what they named their product, no matter what it contained; they were using his patent to produce their soda fountain product.

George Henry earned his degree as a pharmaceutical chemist from the Ann Arbor (Mich.) School of Pharmacy in 1874 and then engaged in the retail drug business with J.W. Price in 1875. Their firm was named Price & Henry, Wholesale & Retailer Dealers in drugs, medicines, druggist sundries, surgical equipment and appliances, paints, oils and artists supplies. They were located at Nos. 321, 323 North Third St. in Burlington, Iowa.

In addition they had a warehouse on the bluff north of the Water Works, which was filled with goods. No druggists in the city of Burlington stood higher or had a stronger hold on the retail trade. George established his own drugstore at 400 Jefferson in Burlington, Iowa, from 1886 to 1904, when he incorporated as Henry’s Drug Co. George Henry was known as a progressive and resourceful man. His practicality and ingenuity were evidenced by the many attractions and specialties introduced at his store. The unique furnishings of his show windows alone were immense aids to his popularity and fame.

Henry’s Drugs had three embossed bottles that I’m aware of. They were embossed

16

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

“Henry’s Almond Cream, A Sure Skin Cure, Burlington Iowa; Henry’s Antiseptic Tooth Powder Made By Henry’s Drug Store Burlington Iowa; and Henry’s Drug Store Burlington, Iowa.” He was working on a patent for a mechanical apparatus for soda fountain machines.

In his personal life George was an avid sculler, receiving two badges at a regatta held in St. Louis, Missouri. George loved hunting, as could be seen by the many mounted heads he displayed. The proudest moments of his life were when fishing in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia. Once, after a forty minute struggle, he landed a 5.25-pound speckled trout. He was an avid traveler, having seen all portions of the U.S., including Alaska.

He crossed the Rocky Mountains eight times, four by horseback.

was a colonel to the governor and helped recruit soldiers for the Spanish American War. He died in 1916 at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

Rain or shine, George spent an hour each day riding his Kentucky thoroughbred horse, following the advice of a physician who said, “The best thing for the inside of a man is spending an hour on the outside of a horse.” He was a great lover of the Stars and Stripes, making sure that every school in his city flew the American flag before it was legislated by the state. He

Researching tangible pieces of the past brings as much joy as unearthing them, yet always leaves a bit of mystery.

What did “Whipped Cream Soda” taste like? Are there any embossed bottles for the product or was it strictly a soda fountain drink? If you have more info, please contact me at (716)440-7985 or e-mail pjablonski66@gmail.com.

TOP: George Henry's 1891 warning to patent infringers in the Pharmaceutical Record.

ABOVE: Henry's Antiseptic Tooth Powder.

Fruit Jar Rambles Extra

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

POISON IN A JAR Some fruit jar collectors, such as Deena and I, are also interested in commercial product jars. While our cherished fruit jars were used to can peaches, tomatoes, beef, and such foodstuffs, product containers were made to hold commercially processed foods of basically the same type.

But collecting jars used to market commercial poison is an even greater step.

When you get right down to it, however, there is a connection. For without the insecticides used to protect our vegetable and fruit crops there would be far less good stuff available for either the home canner with her fruit jars or for the commercial packer with his labeled product jars and bottles.

William H. Bowker was one of those who helped the American farmer and backyard gardener protect their crops in the early 1900s. Bowker was born in 1850, and graduated from the Massachusetts Agricultural College in 1871. At the age of 23 he entered a partnership for the sale of fertilizers, on which he became an authority. In November 1887, Bowker was president of the Bowker Fertilizer Company in Boston, which was acquired by the American Agricultural Chemical Company in 1899.

The Bowker Fertilizer Company, the Bowker Chemical Company (first found in May 1900), and the Bowker Insecticide Company (first noted in March 1908) all appear to have been subsidiaries of the American Agricultural Chemical Co. William H. Bowker died in January 1916, while still serving as president of the Bowker Fertilizer Company.

According to company advertising, Bowker’s Pyrox, a combination of Arsenate of Lead and Bordeaux Mixture, was introduced in 1898. Mixed

with water, it was said to stick to foliage like paint. It was further purported that Bowker’s Pyrox “kills all leaf-eating insects and prevents disease on potatoes, fruit trees, shade trees, and small fruits and vegetables.”

The first advertising by this company of interest to today’s jar collectors was found in the GETTYSBURG (Pennsylvania) TIMES, of April 17, 1914, which carried the ad in Figure A. (There may have been similar advertising earlier, but this was the first featuring these containers that we could find.) The lower right of the ad shows a McConnel’s-closure stoneware jar labeled for “5 lbs. Pyrox,” and states that Pyrox could be provided in “any quantity you want, in small crocks, kegs or barrels.”

Identifiable Pyrox crocks are lettered in several different styles, in various sizes, with glass lid and clamp closures made to H. S. McConnel’s June 7, 1904 “Jar Closure” patent #762,080 (Figure B).

Unmarked, label-only crocks may have been used, but I’m not aware of any.

The cream-colored, two-gallon, pottery jar on the left in Photo 1 is embossed BOWKER’S on one side of the shoulder and POISON on the opposite side. The black lettering in the circle on the side reads A COMBINED INSECTICIDE AND FUNGICIDE BOWKER’S PYROX REGISTERED U.S. PAT. OFF. BOWKER INSECTICIDE CO. BOSTON BALTIMORE CINCINNATI. The jar has a wire-and-wooden handle, and would have taken a clear glass, straddle-lip, top-seal lid conforming to patent #762,080, issued on June 7, 1904, to Hiram S. McConnel, of New Brighton, Pa., and assigned by him to the Sherwood Brothers pottery company, also of New Brighton. The clear glass lid would have been embossed either PAT. APLD FOR or PATENT APPLIED FOR SHERWOOD.

FIGURE A: 1914 Bowker's Pyrox ad.

The crock, of uncertain size, on the right in Photo 1 has the same BOWKER’S POISON shoulder embossing, but the black lettering on the front reads THE ONE BEST SPRAY SAFE SURE BOWKER INSECTICIDE CO. BOSTON, MASS., with BOWKER’S June 2020

17

Fruit Jar Rambles Extra

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

REGISTERED U.S. PAT. OFF. PYROX GUARANTEED UNDER THE U.S. INSECTICIDE ACT OF 1910 SERIAL NO. 119 in the center. It would have had the same McConnel-patent closure.

Third in our series of Bowker’s crocks is shown in Photo 2. This one also took a McConnel’s patent closure (missing), and it’s lettered in black, ____ & SPRAY WITH BOWKER’S DOUBLE HEADERS WON’T WASH OFF BOWKER INSECTICIDE CO. BOSTON, MASS. KILL BUGS –– KILL BLIGHTS. In January 1915, the ad in Figure C appeared in E. H. Eberling’s Seeds And Farm Supplies catalog, featuring a photo of a labeled McConnel-closure Pyrox crock. Readable on the crock’s label is “5 lbs. Bowker’s Pyrox Kills Bugs and Blight.” Sizes given are “1 lb. 25c.; 5 lbs. $1.00 [probably a crock]; 10 lbs. $1.75; 25 lbs $4,” on up to 300 lbs for $38.

McConnel-closure crocks appeared in a couple different ads, but our last confirmation of them was in a January 1, 1922 catalog from the Lou S. Darling Seed Co., Petosky, Michigan, which stated that “We sell Pyrox –– any quantity you want, in small crocks, kegs, or barrels.” Confirmation of crock usage couldn’t be found beyond this date.

In the June 21, 1923 issue of the VERMONT STANDARD, Woodstock, Vermont, we found the first depiction of their small one-pound glass jar with the Dunkley-style closure. The jar was better depicted (Figure D) about two years later in a 1925 ad (no month or date PHOTOS (from top): FIGURE B: McConnel's 1904 patent.

PHOTO 1: Two McConnel-closure BOWKER'S PYROX crock jars.

PHOTO 2: Bowker's WON'T WASH OFF crock.

FIGURE C: 1915 ad with crock photo.

18

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Fruit Jar Rambles Extra

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

available), showing the labeled jar with POISON on the shoulder. “A still better Pyrox,” it proclaims, “the powerful triple duty spray.” This ad carried the Bowker Chemical Co. name and specifically mentions “Jars, cans, drums and barrels,” with no mention of crocks.

FIGURE D: One-pound Pyrox jar in 1925.

The clear jar (Photo 3) stands only about 4 1/2” tall and is embossed POISON on the shoulder, with BOWKER’S PYROX on the base (Photo 4). Its glass lid is unembossed and is secured within the jar mouth by a Dunkley-style flat-metal clamp (Photo 5). Samuel J. Dunkley’s patent #610,897 was issued on Sept. 20, 1898 for what was described as a “Fruit Jar Or Can.” A second Dunkley Patent, #673,048, of April 30, 1901, added the optional “ear” bent up at one end of the metal clamp (Figure E) “for convenience in withdrawing the fastening.”

Photo 6 shows an empty cardboard box, 5” tall, 3 3/4” square, printed on the front, “Combined Insecticide, And Fungicide [depiction of a round, glass jar of 1 LB. BOWKER’S PYROX with a Dunkley-style metal clamp & glass lid] Bowker Chemical Co. 40 West St. New York.” The box’s left side is lettered, “Bowker’s Combined Poison & Fungicide For Most Leaf-Eating [red ink faded out] And Many [red ink faded out] Bowker Chemical Co. New York –– Baltimore.”

PHOTO 4: BOWKER'S PYROX base embossing.

PHOTO 3: BOWKER'S PYROX glass jar with POISON on the shoulder.

PHOTO 5: Dunkley clamp and lid from BOWKER'S PYROX jar.

The depicted POISON jar was shown again (as in Figure D) in the 1929 I. W. Scott Seed Catalog, described as a “1 lb. jar,” selling for 50¢. No further 1 lb. jars were depicted from 1929 on, but the “1 lb. jar,” without depiction, continued to be advertised through July 1940 in a number of newspapers.

Whether these were the same POISONembossed PYROX jars or a different style is up in the air.

June 2020

19

Fruit Jar Rambles Extra

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

Beginning in the May 30, 1943 PITTSBURGH (Pennsylvania) SUN-TELEGRAPH, Pyrox was advertised for sale in a “20 Oz. Jar makes about 4 gallons of spray 60¢.” All of these post-1929 jars may have been unembossed.

Finally, an ad in the BALTIMORE (Maryland) SUN, May 16, 1954, showed one of the 20 Oz. jars (Figure F). Touted as a three-in-one “Aphicide Insecticide Fungicide,” the 20-Oz., screw-top jar is depicted with a label reading “Nicotine Pyrox Garden Spray,” above smaller print.

For information on Pyrox, the public was directed to write to The American Agricultural Chemical Co., New York, N.Y. There’s also a clear glass lid (Photo 7) shown on the internet that’s embossed BOWKER’S PYROX around POISON INSECTICIDE FUNGICIDE. It looks like it might be a straddle-lip top-seal lid, but I’m not sure about this from the photo or about what jar it might have gone with.

Also, one of the small POISONembossed jars has been shown on the internet in amber glass, but some irradiated jars will turn amber. This artificial color enhancement has muddied the waters to the point where I’m unwilling to guess, without at least seeing the jar, whether this one is a natural color or was irradiated.

FIGURE E: Dunkely metal clamp with "ear" for removal.

PHOTO 6: Bowker's Pyrox single jar cardboard box.

All in all, it’s a nice little jar. It tells us it’s a poison jar, gives the brand name, lists the manufacturer, and sports a nice patented glass lid and clamp. Not much more one could ask for, except for a good label and cardboard box.

D 20

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

FIGURE F (LEFT): Pyrox jar ad from 1954.

PHOTO 7 (ABOVE): Lid for uncertain Pyrox jar.

Join us August 10th - August 16th at New York State’s largest antique show,

Madison-Bouckville, NY, on scenic Rt. 20 Dealers - Buyers - Friends Collectors What do we sell and collect?

Bottles and milk bottles, stoneware, advertising, kitchen collectibles, political, furniture, antiques, just about everything!

What do we expect?

For all to have a good time, for you to come and converse, buy from, sell to, with some of the most knowledgeable bottle and antique collectors in the area.

How many days do I have to set up?

Set up 1 day, set up 7 days... whatever works for you!

For table information, contact: Jim Burns: 315-527-3269, or Jim Bartholomew: 585-705-8106

Buy Trade Classified Ads

SELL

"WANTED"

Subscribers -

Please don't forget to use your 60-Word FREE classified ad credit in the magazine.

Email, or "snail-mail" your ad to us!

Libby@AmericanGlassGallery.com P.O. Box 227 New Hudson, MI 48165

Also:

Any old Medicine or Pharmacy Bottles from Columbus, Georgia or Phenix City, Alabama June 2020

21

Buy TradeClassified Ads

SELL

ADVERTISING

FOR SALE - SHOWS & SHOPS - WANTED - CLASSIFIED ADS

RATES

20 cents a word. 25 cents a word FOR BOLD TYPE. $3.00 minimum monthly charge. Each word, abbreviation, initial, and price count as one word.

AB&GC Magazine

All ads must be received by the 30th of the month for the next issue. Example: Ads received

by June 30th will be in the August issue. Copy should be typewritten, printed, or sent via e-mail. A.B.& G.C. will not be responsible for errors in an ad due to poor quality copy.

A.B.& G.C. reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

Phone: 248.486.0530 Fax: 248.486.0538 Email: jpastor@americanglassgallery.com

Near the deadline? FAX us your ad: 248.486.0538

Box 227 New Hudson, MI 48165-0227

Remember: Advertising doesn’t cost,

IT PAYS! A display ad this size costs only $30.00 for one month. What are you waiting for? Call us today!

For Sale d FELLOW COLLECTORS/DEALERS: Please, if at all possible, include a name and phone number with your ads. Not everyone has a computer, and a physical address does help. Thanks. 12/17 FOR SALE: 1) Leon's Sarsaparilla Belfast ME $45. 2) Dr. Kennedy's Hair Tea Roxbury $95. 3) Wyeth Lime of Phosphate & Cod Liver Ice Blue $55. 4) Yellow Olive Demi John emb B.F.C. on shoulder. sm crack on side $40. Postage $10.00. DON GOSSELIN, 978-994-2629. 23 Whitcomb St., Haverhill, MA 01832. 6/20

22

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

All classified ads must be paid in advance.

DISPLAY ADS One column x 2 inches One column x 3 inches One column x 4 inches One-fourth page One-third page One-half page Two-thirds page Full page

1 time

3 times*

6 times*

$30.00 $35.00 $40.00 $65.00 $80.00 $120.00 $160.00 $250.00

$75.00 $90.00 $110.00 $180.00 $220.00 $330.00 $450.00 $675.00

$130.00 $180.00 $210.00 $340.00 $420.00 $630.00 $825.00 $1,300.00

Rates for longer periods available.Write, e-mail, or call.

Maximum copy size (full page) 7.5” X 10”. One column 2.3” wide. Two columns 5” wide.

Camera-ready copy preferred but not a requirement. One time $12.00 additional charge for photos.* *Consecutive issues with NO changes.

FOR SALE: I've started bottle digging again; found lots of bottles. I have a diff list of them every 2 weeks. List is free.

TIMOTHY HART, 20 Masten Road, Victory, VT 05858. 6/20

Shows, Shops & Services d

FOR SALE: BITTERS: John Moffat Phoenix, $100, Pontil @ $85. Mishler's Herb, Yellow amber, near mint @ $80.

Drake's 6-log, dark amber, near mint @ $115. St. Jacob's, med. amber, rare, near mint @ $180. MEDICINES: Dr. Townsend's sarsaparilla, emerald green, near mint @ $210. Tippecanoe, med. amber, 25% label @ $125. Candy jar, round, cut glass, clear with red band. "Pat. 1873" @ $70. BILL JOHNSON, 770-823-2626.

6/20

FELLOW COLLECTORS/DEALERS: Please include a name and phone number with your ads. Not everyone has a computer, and an address does help. Thanks. 12/18 When in the Four Corners, look for bottles at the TRADITIONAL CHARM ANTIQUE MALL IN DOLORES, COLORADO, and at PRAIRIE DOG ANTIQUES NEAR CORTEZ, COLORADO. Call DOUG, 970-560-6500 or LINDA, 970-560-4682.

6/20

Buy TradeClassified Ads

SELL

Calling all New Englanders, COME JOIN THE LITTLE RHODY BOTTLE CLUB! Visit us online at littlerhodybottleclub.org (all lower case) or rhodeislandbottleclub. com. Come to our Club meetings the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Pontiac Free Library, 101 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI. Call Bill Rose at 508-880-4929.

6/20 Visit our Website: RedBookJars.com to order the current edition: The Collector's Guide Old Fruit Jars RedBook #12. Always looking for new friends in the fruit jar hobby - let's get acquainted! 6/20 HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE AT RENO 2020!! RICHARD SIRI. 6/20

Wanted d WANTED: Hobbleskirt embossed Coca-Cola bottles: 1915's, 1923's, D-Patent's 6oz's and 6 1/2 oz's. Collector will buy or trade. JIM GEORGES, georges77@twcny.rr.com or 315-662-7729.

7/21 WANTED: U.S.A. Hospital Dept. and any pre-1866 embossed food bottles, mustards, early Baltimore, Wheeling, D.C., Alexandria sodas, beers (stoneware or glass) damage free.

BRUCE, cwaddic@yahoo.com Phone: 703307-7792.

12/20 WANTED: GEORGE OHR CABINS. Or Cabin Inks. BOB TERRY, 303-569-2502. llterryualusa@yahoo.com 9/20 WANTED: Connecticut drug store, pharmacy or apothecary bottles. Embossed or labeled. We collect, research and document Connecticut drug stores. STEVE POULIOT, 860-608-7208, steve@ctbottleman.com 12/20 WANTED: Stoneware Bottles marked: A.K., J. Kirkpatrick, W. Kirk, G. Ebey, J. Dinet, A.J. Miller, D.Colver, Handy's Compound SCOTT GARROW, scottpg13@gmail.com 6/20

WANTED: EMBOSSED CURES WANTED: Including these pontils: Avery's, Benson's, Bernard's, Brown's, Bull's, Burt's, Cannon's, Flander's, Frambe's Geoghegan's, Hamilton's, Jacob's, Lay's, McAdoo's, McElroy's, Parham's, Rhodes' Prov. R.I., Rohrer's, Rudolph's, Star-in's, Stone's, Toledo, Woodman's. ALSO BIMALS: Anchor, Bavarian Bitters, Beesting, Bixler's, Bliss, Boot's Indigestion, Bowanee, Bower's, Bradford's, Bromo Mineral, Bronson's, Bull's (Baltimore), Carey's CholiCura, Clement's Certain (green), Collins' Opium (aqua), Cook's Turpentine, Cowan's Certain, Davis Indian, Detchon's Infallible, Edelweiss, Electrofluid, Ewer's Arcanum, Forest Pine (unpontiled), Francisco's, Frog Pond 8", Green's King's Cure, Large Handyside's (chocolate amber), Helmer's, Hilleman's, Hinderman's, Holden's (green), Hungarian, Indian Mixture, JBF, Kauffman Phthisis, Keeley's (opium, neurotine, solution), Large Kellum's, Kid-Nee-Kure, Lenape's, Lindley's, Long's Malaria, Loryea (green), Marsden, McConnon Cough, Amber McLean's (8"), Miniotti's (clear), Morning Glory, Murphy K & L. Pageapfel's, Park's (clear), Peck's, Pennock's, Peterman's (green), Rattail, large River Swamp, Riverview, Scott's (bird), Streetman's, Struble's (aqua), Tremaine's, Universal, Vosburgh, Wadsworth (goat), Warner's K & L Rochester (green, aqua, clear), Wildwest, Wilkinson's, Wilson Footrot, Winan's (no Indian), York Corn Cure. Looking for many others, especially embossed with label, contents, box. Also would like data on unlisted cures for future Cure Book. JOHN WOLF, 937-275-1617. ohcures@yahoo.com 1186 Latchwood Ave., Dayton, OH 45405.

12/20

WANTED: Harley bottles of West Chester, Pa. and Philadelphia, Pa. The West Chester bottles display either J. Harley or James Harley. The Phila. Bottles display Edwd Harley, Schul (Schuylkill) 4th & Market St., Philada (Philadelphia) or E. Harley, 802 Market St or E. Harley, West Market St. These two bottling businesses operated in the 1840s through the early 1880s. BOB HARLEY, Phone: 215-721-1107. Email: rwh220@yahoo.com 12/20 WANTED: Buffalo, NY & Lockport, NY stoneware and bottles. Also, Buffalo beer trays and advertising signs. PETER JABLONSKI, 12489 Hunts Corners Rd, Akron, NY, 14001. Ph: 716-440-7985.

12/20 WANTED: Native Southern Californian still needs the sample bottle embossed, "FIRST WATER FROM LOS ANGELES AQUADUCT NOV. 5th 1913." It celebrated the opening of the 235 mile aquaduct from Owens Valley to L.A. and spawned one of the most aggressive growth spurts ever! MARTY VOLLMER, martyvollmer@aol.com Phone: 803.629.8553. 6/20 WANTED: Any signage or milk bottle go-withs; “lids”, tin cans, porcelain signage, etc, that has the name Maxbauer, having to do with the Maxbauer Meat Market and Maxbauer Dairy in Traverse City, Michigan.

I have plenty of Milk bottles, but more interested in the other go-withs. Contact LIZ MAXBAUER at Liz@mcnamaraortho. com or call 734-645-5585. 12/21

WANTED: McQuade Utica NY liquor bottles. SUE YOUNG, 315-724-2778. 6/20

WANTED: Unusual and rare Cincinnati, Ohio bottles. Interested in anything you may have. Please call or email. ED, 513,732,1898. dkamann@fuse.net 6/20

WANTED: Dr Claris Buffalo NY bottles, jugs, billheads, advertising items, photos, All Buffalo NY bottles, stoneware and beer advertising. PETER JABLONSKI, Phone: (716) 440-7985. pjablonski66@gmail.com 12489 Hunts Corners Rd. Akron, NY 14001.

6/20

WANTED: "TOP CASH" Will travel to you!

Old collector dealer still buying -- Insulators/ Lightning Rod Ball and Weathervanes. No collection too large. No consignments - just hard fast cash. LARRY VENEZIANO, 708-878-2446. 27W 115 Vale Road West, Chicago, IL 60185. 6/20 June 2020

23

Buy TradeClassified Ads

SELL

WANTED: Rare and unusual Dr. Kilmer bottles and advertising! Especially examples with original labels and boxes. Always looking for embossed lung cough cure and consumption oil bottles. Top prices paid.

Call me first! TERRY McMURRAY, Phone: 607-775-5972. mcmurrayauctions@aol.com PO Box 939, Kirkwood, NY 13795. 7/20 WANTED: PHILADELPHIA STRAPSIDED or Seamed Whiskey Flasks.

I collect and catalog these and also have an interest in Thomas H. Dillon (TD) Philadelphia mineral water bottles. Please contact me if you have any in your collection or wish to sell. ART MIRON, 215-248-4612. jestar484@verizon.net 4/21 WANTED: Native Southern Californian still needs the sample bottle embossed, "FIRST WATER FROM LOS ANGELES AQUADUCT NOV. 5th 1913". It celebrated the opening of the 235 mile aquaduct from Owens Valley to LA and spawned one of the most aggressive growth spurts ever! MARTY VOLLMER, martyvollmer@aol.com 803.629.8553.

6/20 WANTED: Collector of unusual pint fruit jars. Buy or trade. DAVE, 302-388-9311.

6/20 WANTED: Madison WI - Cobalt Lindstrom, Stocton & Co, Dr. Bourbon's Aromatic forest bitters or Pumonic Balsam; Dr. W.C. Abaly: J. & A.L.; Adolph Wagner - John Rodermund. Also, Fond duLoc, WI Indian Blood Bitters. DICK BOOSTED, Phone: 920-566-2513. 6/20 WANTED: U.S.A. medical supplies from Pike & Kellogg St. Louis. Thanks. BRIAN SCHILZ, bottlenut@charter.net Phone: 308-289-0076.

6/20 WANTED: Top prices paid for Stoneware Advertising jugs from Kentucky, Tennessee, Southern and Western States. Also buy back bar bottles, corkscrews and shot glasses from Kentucky and Tennessee. Call day or night.

THE JUG MAN, 270-889-1900. 6/20

24

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

WANTED: Looking for an Amber rectangular bottle about 8" tall - Farrars' Angostura Bitters, bottle has West Va. Town address. Looking for a E.A. Craighill Sarsaparilla from Lynchburg, Va. has monogram E.A.C. on front with Scales.

Phone: 434-969-2857. 6/20 WANTED: Rare Dr. Kilmer examples (such as sample bottles of Cough Cure or Female Remedy) or any examples with contents/ boxes/circulars. Also, rare cobalt "Extract Of Witch Hazel, 8" (see Adams' Bottle Collecting in New England p. 30). Also, if anyone has the prices realized list from the 1976 Charles Vuono auction, I would greatly appreciate it if they would scan and email it to me. MIKE, 623-825-2791. maleect@aol.com 6/20 WANTED: U.S.A. Hospital Bottles in rare colors; QT. size only; Colored blob beers in "attic" condition; Rare & Colored Bitters, especially fancy, figural and 1-of-a-kind.

JEFF BURKHARDT, 262-573-6468. froglegs13@msn.com 6/20 WANTED: Large Pharmacy bottle (8") from Roundup, Montana. We screen all calls, please leave message. GENE, 352-288-9450.

6/20 WANTED: Florida Strap-sided Flasks Collector paying too much! RONNIE McCORMICK, oldflabottles@aol.com 6/20 WANTED: Avid Collector of anything from my area of WV, Jefferson CountyHarpers Ferry-Charles Town-Shepherdstown.

Milks-Beers-Soda-Meds-Postcards-PhotosAdvertising-B&O RR-will pay good $ for good Collectibles. MIKE, 304-725-8995. michaelstoneberger@comcast.net 7/20 WANTED: Price List for the "William Mitchell Van Winkle" auction, Part One April 27, 1934 New York City. Soda - "T.H. Wyatt-Proprietor - Akron, Ohio" Iron Pontil - Blue. JIM, 330-699-0580. 6/20 WANTED: Looking for Old Sol Elephant Clorox-type bottles. TOM WALLER, Phone: 757-442-6099. 6/20

WANTED: MICHIGAN MICHIGAN Good Bottles Wanted from Michigan. Top Dollar Paid. Call me First, Call me Last, Just Call me. Mineral Waters, Colored Druggists, Animal Embossed Druggists, Cures, Dykema & Seltzer Poisons, Strap Side Flasks, Cobalt Beers & Hutches, Pearsall Beers Flint, Pontiled Sodas, Wolf embossed Beer Detroit.

JEFF SCHARNOWSKE, 989-494-3182. jscharno@live.com 6/20 WANTED: Bottles and Stoneware from Painesville or Chardon Ohio. ROBERT SMITH, Phone: 440-318-4143. Email: rts2ride@roadrunner.com 6/20 WANTED: Cincinnati Bottles, all types. Also any signage, trays, etc. JERRY STEHLIN, 513-738-0491. P.O. Box 169, Shandon, Ohio 45063. 6/20 WANTED: Blob Beers, Sodas and embossed Milk Bottles from Northern Indiana and Chicagoland area. CHRIS JORDAN, jorpat777@aol.com 6/20 WANTED: College Milk Bottles.

ROWLAND HEARN, 302-994-2036. 6/20 WANTED: Bottles, jugs, advertising, etc. from Florida Panhandle. Also stoneware jugs and crocks from Southern states and West Virginia. P.S. - Be Safe. ALAN McCARTHY, 850-832-1882. alankatmcc@hotmail.com 6/20 WANTED: George & Bryan Macomb Il Hutchinson Soda Bottle. 309-836-5985. kantdance@live.com 6/20 WANTED: Bliss Bottles and go-withs and Joseph Speta milk bottles and go-withs.

BRUCE BLISS, 814-765-5911. 6/20 WANTED: Louisville Glassworks Flasks - Wild colors and rare molds. RICH TUCKER, rmtucker@jamboreeol.com Phone: 949-500-1611.

6/20

D

FOLLOW US ONLINE :

Remember: Advertising doesn’t cost,

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector wants you to know that we are online at the following location -

IT PAYS!

www.facebook.com/ antiquebottleandglasscollectormagazine

A display ad this size costs only $35.00 for one month. What are you waiting for? Call us today!

Also, check out our sister site: www.facebook.com/ AmericanGlassGallery

CORRECTIONS — Antique Bottle & Glass Collector wants to correct mistakes appearing in our magazine. If you believe we have made a mistake, please call us at 248.486.0530, or e-mail us at: jpastor@americanglassgallery.com

Remember: Advertising doesn’t cost,

IT PAYS! A display ad this size costs only $30.00 for one month. What are you waiting for? Call us today!

June 2020

25

Show CALENDAR JUNE 6

JUNE 28

JULY 30 – AUGUST 2

RALEIGH (YOUNGSVILLE), NORTH CAROLINA

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA

RENO, NEVADA

NEW DATE! (this year only), Dunkard Valley Antique Bottle Show & Sale, (9 AM to 2 PM; Early buyers 7 AM, $25), in the new Agricultural 4-H Building, 500 Mylan Park Lane, Morgantown, WV 26501. Adm. $2, 16 and under FREE! Info: DON KELLEY, PH: 724.998.2734, email: bonzeyekelley@gmail. com

2020 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Convention & Expo, Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, Information: RICHARD SIRI, email: rtsiri@sbcglobal.net, or FERDINAND MEYER V, email: fmeyer@fmgdesign.com, FOHBC National Convention – Western Region.

CA

New Location: The Raleigh Bottle Club Annual Show and Sale, (9 AM to 2 PM, Dealer set-up 7-9 AM) at the Hill Ridge Farms Event Center, 703 Tarboro Road, Youngsville, NC, 27596. Adm. $3, Children under 12 Free! Info: DAVE TINGEN, PH: 919.848.4387, Email: tingen1@mindspring. com, or visit the Website: raleighbottleclub. org

NC

EL

LE

D

JUNE 7 BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK The National Bottle Museum presents the Annual Saratoga Springs Show & Sale, (9:00 AM to 2:30 PM; early adm. 8:00 AM, $15) at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds, 4H building, 162 Prospect St, Ballston Spa, NY. Adm. $5, Children 12 and under free. Info: NATIONAL BOTTLE MUSEUM, 76 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa, NY 12020, PH 518-885-7589; www.NationalBottleMuseum. org, email: nbm@nycap.rr.com; Co Chairmen: ROY TOPKA, PH 518-7791243, email: rmt556@yahoo.com, or ADAM STODDARD, PH: 518.256.7663, email: acstoddard63@gmail.com JUNE 13 CAMBRIDGE CITY, INDIANA Antique Jar, Bottle, and Antique Show, (9 AM to 3 PM, dealer set-up 7:30 AM), outdoors on the grounds of the historic Huddleston House, 838 National Road, Cambridge City, IN 47327. Info: MARTY TROXELL, PH. 765.478.3800, or: RICHARD LEECE, 765.586.2798.

JUNE 27 JOHNSTON, IOWA The Iowa Antique Bottleers 51st Anniversary Show and Sale, (8 AM to 1 PM), at the Johnston Lions Club, 64th Place and Merle Hay Road, Johnston, IA. Adm. $2. Info: MARK C. WISEMAN, 3505 Sheridan Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310-4557, PH: 515.344.8333, email: markcwiseman@msn.com, or: JOYCE JESSEN, 515.979.5216.

26

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

AUGUSTS 8

JULY 11

LINCOLN, ALABAMA

RICHMOND, RHODE ISLAND

The 5th Annual Lincoln Bottle Show, (doors open at 9 AM; Early buyers, 8 AM - $20), 123 Jones St, Lincoln, AL. Free adm. at 9 AM. Info: JAKE SMITH, PH: 256.267.0446; Email: syl_bottleguy@yahoo.com

The Little Rhody Bottle Club tailgate swap meet, (9AM to 2PM) at the Jules Antique Center, 320 Kingstown, Richmond, Rhode Island (3 miles East of Route #95 on Route #138). Free set up for all! Free coffee, donuts and pizza for participants. Bring your own tables! Info: WILLIAM ROSE, 508.880.4929; email: sierramadre@comcast. net JULY 18 DAPHNE, ALABAMA The Mobile Bottle Collectors Club's 47th Annual Show & Sale, (9 AM to 3 PM; Dealer set-up Friday, July 17th, 3 PM to 7 PM, and Sat. 7 AM to 9 AM), at the Daphne Civic Center, 2603 US Hwy 98, Daphne, AL 36525. Free Adm., Free Appraisals. Info: ROD VINING, 251.957.6725. Email: vinewood@mchsi.com, or, RICHARD, P.O. Box 241, Pensacola, FL 32591. PH: 850.435.5425. Email: shards@bellsouth.net JULY 18 & 19 ADAMSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA The 20th Annual Shupp’s Grove Bottle Festival, (Sat. & Sun. 6 AM to dusk, early buyers Fri. 3 PM), at the famous ‘Shupp’s Grove’, 607 Willow Street, Reinholds, PA 17569.

Info: STEVE GUION, PH: 717.626.5557, or: 717.371.1259, Email: affinityinsurance1@windstream.net

AUGUST 10 – 16 BOUCKVILLE, NEW YORK 49th Annual Madison-Bouckville Antique Show, outdoor antiques and collectibles including two huge bottle tents! Over 2,000 dealers and vendors located on scenic Route 20, Bouckville, NY. Info: JIM BURNS, 315.527.3269 or JIM BARTHOLOMEW, 585.705.8106.

AUGUST 16 POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK Hudson Valley Bottle Club 33rd Annual Mid Hudson Bottle Show & Sale, (9AM to 2:30PM, early buyers 8AM), at the Poughkeepsie Elks Lodge 275, 29 Overocker Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY. Info: MIKE STEPHANO, 27 Rogers Rd, Hyde Park, NY 12538, PH. 845.233.4340; Email: mjsantique@aol. com AUGUST 22 EDGEWOOD, KENTUCKY 3rd Annual Northern Kentucky Antique Bottle & Small Antiques Show, (9AM to 2PM; Early Bird, 8AM, $15) at the Milligan Hall - St. Pius X Church, 348 Dudley Pike, Edgewood, KY. Adm. $3. Info: ED MORRIS, PH: 859.414.4693; email: ed@morristreasures.com, or: RANDY DEATON, PH: 859.334.0512; email: nkyfinds@gmail.com

Show CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 11 & 12

SEPTEMBER 18 & 19

SEPTEMBER 26

SMYRNA, GEORGIA

AURORA, OREGON

BATH, ONTARIO, CANADA

50th Annual Atlanta Antique Bottle Show & Sale, (Sat. 9 AM to 3 PM; Dealer set-up and Early Adm. Friday, 3 PM to 8 PM, $20 Early adm. - includes BBQ dinner Friday evening), at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, GA 30080.

Free adm. Sat! Info: JACK HEWITT, Box 12126 Big Canoe, Jasper, GA 30143. PH: 770.856.6062, or: BILL JOHNSON, 770.823.2626, email: bj3605@comcast.net.

Sponsored by the R.M. Rose Co, Distillers.

Oregon Bottle Collectors Association Bottle, Antiques, & Collectibles Show & Sale, (Friday 12 - 5PM, dealer set-up & early bird admission $5; Sat. 9AM - 3PM general adm. by donation), at the American Legion Hall, 21510 Main St. N.E., Aurora, OR. Info: WAYNE HERRING, Ph: 503.864.2009; or: BILL BOGYNSKA, Ph: 503.657.1726, email: billbogy7@gmail.com

4th Annual Bath Antique Bottle and Insulator Show, (9 AM to 2:30 PM), at the Bath Masonic Lodge, 428 Main Street, Bath, Ontario, Canada. Info: RICHARD DOBING, email: loyalistcollectibles@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER 12 HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA The Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club’s 54th Annual Antique Bottles, Fruit Jars, Insulators, Antiques & Collectibles Show & Sale, (9 AM to 3 PM; Early Birds $10 at 8 AM), at the Huntington Beach, Elks Lodge #1959, 7711 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92648. Free Adm! Info: DON WIPPERT, Ph. 818.346.9833, Email donwippert@yahoo.com, or DICK HOMME, Ph. 818.362.3368.

SEPTEMBER 12 & 13 GRAYSLAKE, ILLINOIS Antique Bottle Show, (Sat. 9 AM to 4 PM; Sun. 9 AM to 3 PM), at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030. Adm. $7, Children under 12 free. Info: TIM ZURKO, Zurko Promotions: 715.526.9769.

SEPTEMBER 13

SEPTEMBER 19 RICHMOND, RHODE ISLAND The Little Rhody Bottle Club tailgate swap meet, (9AM to 2PM) at the Jules Antique Center, 320 Kingstown, Richmond, Rhode Island (3 miles East of Route #95 on Route #138). Free set up for all! Free coffee, donuts and pizza for participants. Bring your own tables! Info: WILLIAM ROSE, 508.880.4929; email: sierramadre@comcast.net.

SEPTEMBER 20 CHEEKTOWAGA, NEW YORK New Location! The Greater Buffalo Bottle Collectors Association 22nd Annual Show and Sale, (9:00 AM to 2:00 PM), at the Pvt. Leonard Post, Jr. VFW, 2450 Walden Avenue, Cheektowaga, N.Y. Info: TOM KARAPANTSO, 716.487.9645, email: tomar@stny.rr.com, or: PETER JABLONSKI, 716.440.7985, email: peterjablonski@roadrunner.com; or JOE GUERRA, 716.207.9948, email: jguerra3@roadrunner. com

PEKIN, ILLINOIS

SEPTEMBER 20

Pekin Bottle Collectors Assoc. 51st Annual Show & Sale (8:00 AM to 3:00 PM), at the Moose Lodge, 2605 Broadway Street, Pekin, IL. Admission $2, Free Appraisals. Info: DARYL WESELOH, PH: 309.264.9268.

WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS The Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Club’s 46th annual bottle show, (9AM to 2PM, early buyers at 8AM), at the Westford Regency Inn, 219 Littleton Road, Westford, MA. Just five minutes off Exit 32 of I-495 follow the signs. Special Note: There will be a $20 door prize drawing just for early buyers at 8:45 AM. Info: CLIFF HOYT, PH. 978.458.6575; Email; choyt48@comcast.net Website: www.mvabc.org

OCTOBER 3 MANSFIELD, OHIO NEW DATE! (this year only). The Ohio Bottle Club’s 42nd Annual Mansfield Antique Bottle & Advertising Show & Sale, (9 AM to 2 PM, early buyers Friday 3 to 6 PM, $35), at the Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield, OH. Adm. $5. Info: MATT LACY, PH: 440.228.1873, Email: info@antiquebottlesales.com; or LOUIS FIFER, 330.635.1964, Email; fiferlouis@yahoo.com Website: www.ohiobottleclub.org OCTOBER 3 BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI 4th Annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Bottle & Collectibles Show & Sale presented by The Old Guys Digging Club, (Sat. 9 AM to 4 PM; Dealer Setup, Friday, 12 to 5 PM, and Sat. morning 8 to 9 AM, Early buyers $20), at the Joppa Shrine Temple, 13280 Shriners Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39532 (Exit 41 - I-10). Sat. Free Adm. and Appraisals. Info: NORMAN BLEULER, 6446 Woolmarket Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532, Ph: 228.392.9148, Email: normanbleuler@gmail.com, or: PETER TAGGARD, 645 Village Lane South, Mandeville, LA 70471 Ph. 985.373.6487 Email: petertaggard@yahoo.com OCTOBER 4 CHELSEA, MICHIGAN The Huron Valley Bottle and Insulator Club 44th Annual Show & Sale, (9AM to 2 PM), at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 1645 Commerce Park Drive next to the Comfort Inn, Chelsea (Exit 159 off I-94).

Adm $3 for adults, children 16 and under, free. Info: MIKE BRUNER, Email, abbott4girl@sbcglobal.net, or ROD KRUPKA, 248.627.6351; Email: rod.krupka@yahoo. com June 2020

27

Show CALENDAR OCTOBER 25 ALSIP, ILLINOIS New Location! 1st Chicago Bottle Club's 51st Annual Show & Sale, (9 AM to 2 PM), at the Doubletree Inn by Hilton, 5000 W 127th St, Alsip, IL 60803. Adm. $3, Children under 16 free (No early adm). Info: RAY KOMOROWSKI, 127 S. Cuyler, Oak Park, IL 60302. PH: 708.848.7947. Email: 1stChicagoBottleClub@gmail.com NOVEMBER 8 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA New Location! The Pittsburgh Antique Bottle Club’s 51st Annual Show & Sale, (9 AM to 2 PM, early buyers 7 AM, $25), at the Elizabeth VFD Station 139, 107 Market Street, Elizabeth, PA 15037. Adm. $3. 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; web: www.PittsburghAntiqueBottleClub.org NOVEMBER 14 JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA Antique Bottle Collectors of North Florida 52nd Annual Show & Sale, (Sat. 8 AM to 2 PM; early buyers Fri. 2 PM to 7 PM, $50, 3 - 7 PM, $40, 5 - 7 PM, $20), at the Fraternal Order of Police Bldg., 5530 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL. Free adm. Saturday. Info: MIKE SKIE, 3047 Julington Creek Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223, PH: 904.710.0422, or COREY STOCK, 904.607.3133, or email: jaxbottleshow@yahoo.com

D

Notice of Fraud Alert!

Readers: Please be aware of solicitations to “WANTED ads” in the magazine. Specifically, a "bob chris," e-mail bobchris463@gmail. com, or Darlene.makowski123@ gmail.com, or Kelvin Max, gmail account: maxkelvin901@gmail.com Several folks advertising in the magazine have been contacted by these aliases claiming to have items they are looking for in their "Wanted Ads.” It is always prudent to be cautious when sending money to people who you do not know.

Mail fraud and wire fraud are federal crimes. This information is also being passed on to postal and local authorities. Please continue to be cautious and vigilant when transacting business or sending money to someone that you do not know.

The staff at AB&GC

Remember: Advertising doesn’t cost,

IT PAYS! A display ad this size costs only $30.00 for one month. What are you waiting for? Call us today!

Publisher’s Note: Antique Bottle & Glass Collector is looking for great digging stories! Do you have an interesting digging (or diving), story that you would like to share with your fellow readers? Let us know, as we would love to include recent finds and funny stories in one of our upcoming issues. And don’t forget about the Antique Bottle & Glass Collector Writer’s Contest: you may also win a great bottle!

Send articles (and don’t forget to include plenty of good images) to: Antique Bottle & Glass Collector Attn: Editor P.O. Box 227 New Hudson, MI 48165 Phone: 248.486.0530 Email: jpastor@americanglassgallery.com

28

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Special Offer - Price Reduction!

Diggers, Get It All!!

FRESH WATER • SALT WATER • DRY DIRT 22 ½" x 14" x 3" Deep Oak & Stainless Constuction Triangular Corner Blocks Belly Bar for Additional Support SS T-50 Staples & Screws Secure Screen 6" Handles, takes 3-6 Shovelfuls $150.00 U.S. Post Pd. & Shipped World-Wide. ($100.00 off regular price of $250.00)

LIFETIME GUARANTEE! Tom Frazier 85-576B1 Hoopuhi St. #A Waianae, HI 96792

WANTED

Greer #s of the mint state #1265 United States Syrup #1685 United States Syrup #1383 Dr. Perkins’ Syrup #5 Arthurs Renovating Syrup #778 Halls / Palingenesia / Or Regenerator

Also non Greer bottles of the mint state Dr. C.W. Robacks Scandinavien Blood Purifier Cincinnati, O, IP

Write, Call or Email

John Keating P.O. Box 13255 Olympia, WA 98508 360-628-9576 johnkeating473@yahoo.com June 2020

29

Join us August 10th - August 16th at New York State’s largest antique show,

Madison-Bouckville, NY, on scenic Rt. 20 Dealers - Buyers - Friends Collectors What do we sell and collect?

Bottles and milk bottles, stoneware, advertising, kitchen collectibles, political, furniture, antiques, just about everything!

What do we expect?

For all to have a good time, for you to come and converse, buy from, sell to, with some of the most knowledgeable bottle and antique collectors in the area.

How many days do I have to set up?

Set up 1 day, set up 7 days... whatever works for you!

For table information, contact: Jim Burns: 315-527-3269, or Jim Bartholomew: 585-705-8106

Answers to last month's puzzle

30

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

TradeClassified Ads

SELL

Subscribers -

Please don't forget to use your 60-Word FREE classified ad credit in the magazine.

Email, or "snail-mail" your ad to us!

Libby@AmericanGlassGallery.com P.O. Box 227 New Hudson, MI 48165

Lechauweki Springs to the Coalmine Digs Where are the old houses?

The old privies? Stay tuned

By Rick Weiner, a collector from Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania

I

recently moved to Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania. It is located just outside of the historic town of Bethlehem, better known as the “Christmas City.”

Fountain Hill is a very small town, population 4,700, give or take a few heads. The area that is Fountain Hill is made up of only 478 ½ acres, which breaks down to about three-quarters of one square mile.

My first thought when moving here was, “Where are all the old houses?” The house I recently purchased was built in 1959.

Not a good year for privy digging old bottles. The ongoing joke among my digging friends is that my house is as ancient as time itself. Why? Because 1959 was the year I was born. I thought it was funny for a couple of seconds. What fun would life be without the wisecrackers?

When you participate in the art of privy digging, you are always on the lookout for old houses. If I am driving with my wife and she says, “Oh, look at that cute old stone home,” without hesitation my mind drifts right to the backyard, wondering where the privies might be located and what goodies they may hold. In my opin-

ion, any house newer than 1880 is not worth thinking about, let alone digging.

The reason? Plumbing.

pretty cool and decided to take Willy down the wooden bridge to the center of the building.

Plumbing could have made it to that area around that time and the privies most likely would have been dipped out. Then a big metal drain pipe would have been installed in the pit wall for drainage from the main house. This scenario is very bad for the 21st-century outhouse digger. The privy most likely would have been “compromised,” cleaned out to the bottom.

Then most likely all of the old stuff we look for is taken and dumped elsewhere.

To avoid this disaster we try and get permission from the old houses. Preferably from the 1850s to 1880s.

I knew nothing about this place at the time but I had that gut feeling there was some interesting history about it. I began to wander around and enjoy the crisp fall day when I spotted a huge stone cave of sorts. Willy enjoyed sniffing around the leaves on the inside. No doubt he smelled a curious fellow canine that explored the cave before him.

One day while I was riding around in my truck with my basset hound, Willy, I noticed a neat little park nestled back in the woods about three blocks from my house. It had a strange name on the sign, “Lechauweki Springs.” I decided to park the truck and take Willy for a quick walk.

As we walked up the crooked stone path through the woods I spotted a weathered wooden gazebo in the middle of a little, slow-running creek. I thought this was

I then spotted something sticking out of the ground at the base of the hill. It was a picture/sign of a big old building. As I read the description, I began to get excited. It turns out there used to be three huge hotels sitting on this exact spot in 1875. There was a little more information about the park and its weird name was written at the bottom of the plaque. The curiosity about “Lechauweki Springs” made me search even beyond these plaques.

I visited the local library and found out a great deal of information. I learned that the Lechauweki Springs Summer Resort was built by a Philadelphian, John June 2020

31

Smylie Jr., a contractor who built many splendid structures, including the three Lechauweki Springs hotels that stood in the park. The remarkable resort had three large fancy buildings that were built on a 65-acre stretch of land. There are only five acres of that land accessible today.

It is owned by the borough of Fountain Hill and is used as a passive park. Dog walking, nature walks and just having a day out in the sun are all the park is used for by the folks of Bethlehem.

The large main building, likely the one where the stone walls have been uncovered, was built halfway up a slope covered with mountain ferns, wildflowers, honeysuckle and acres of hardwoods. There was a second, smaller building located nearby.

That was most likely used as the workers’ station. Directly below the largest slope stood the main building. Near it was a babbling spring which flows to this day.

At the time, the water flowed through three large spring-fed ponds, which were

Construction of the huge resort got underway in the early 1870s. Smylie was in charge. He was also the owner of a nearby factory called Shive Works where he employed fifty people.

32

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

Business at Lechauweki Springs eventually slowed down to a crawl. Newspaper accounts said that business was “only fair” in 1881-82. Sometime in the early 1890s, a massive fire destroyed the entire resort.

Ten years later, the property was sold and afterward used to bottle the water.

Little evidence remains of the Crystal Water Co., and in later years the water from the springs was piped to nearby homes, but this practice came to a halt many years ago when Fountain Hill began to get its water from Bethlehem’s supply.

At the start of 1876 the Lechauweki holiday park, which up to then had only been run through the summer months, started opening the gates year-round. In August of 1876, close to 200 people checked into the new summer woodland escape. They used a horse and carriage, light cream in color with a shiny silk milky interior, that moved the waiting guests from Bethlehem to the springs.

The main buildings were built from a brainstorm Smylie had whipped up. It could hold 160 guests, and two of the buildings had three floors and some fancy wrap-around porches. From the newspaper ads, the bedrooms were very large with bright paned windows, some of which were colored stained glass. Five private cottages were located a few hundred yards from the resort. These buildings were mainly for the out-of-town guests that planned to visit the park for longer than one day. Three lookout platforms were built on the side of the mountain at the resort. These large stands gave visitors views of the surrounding countryside and the distant Lehigh mountain.

For all this, guests paid a whopping $2.50 a day, or $12.75 per week, in May and June. In the hot months of July and August, the hotel fees jumped to $3.50 each day, and $15 for the week, a lot of moola in the 1870s!

ties: “The agreeable taste of this water is mainly due to the nitrates contained in it and has been found remarkably beneficial in kidney and nervous afflictions to the body. For dyspepsia and bowel complaints it is unequaled.”

There is very little information about Lechauweki Springs, whose founders borrowed the Indian word from the nearby river, which means “where there are forks.” A newspaper article from 1876 stated, “The location is on the Lehigh Mountain, one mile from Bethlehem, Pa., and the healthfulness of the vicinity cannot be surpassed east of the Mississippi.”

The water from the springs was supposed to bring health and vitality to whoever raised a glass full of its natural goodness to their lips.

Famous Clyde Run Whiskey bottle

filled with assorted trout; brook, brown, and rainbow. The last pond ended in a turbulent waterfall. The water emptied into a larger pond, and a white wooden pavilion sat dead center. This was considered the resting area. The mountain spring water was the reason for this resort’s success.

Somewhere around 1880, the hotel was beginning to lay metal pipes to draw water from the mountain springs. An 1876 advertisement had made much of the water’s supposed medicinal proper-

With this newfound history on Lechauweki Springs, I had to look for the cottages that housed the visitors of the resort.

When I first moved to my new home I was very busy fixing things up and getting stuff moved in. But I needed to take breaks here and there — after all, I used to be a union worker.

One day I decided to take Willy for a ride and swing by the area, and I followed the map, which noted there was a row of houses a stone’s throw away from Lechauweki. I took one glance and spotted five white homes that looked a lot older than any of the homes on that block. With a quick check on the Lehighcounty.org

website, I found that all five houses were built in 1875. Bingo!

My search was over, but now I just had to work some door-knocking magic into my schedule and try to get permission in one of these places of unknown history. But as I proceeded I found out it wouldn’t be so easy.

I began to knock on doors on the “Lechauweki row.” Each time I would get no answer. For the first year I lived in my new house I would try my luck on the row. One morning I decided to go and give a knock on the house at the end of the row. You never know what to expect, but this time was one of those lucky days.

The owner came out, I told him what I do in my hobby and showed him a few pictures of bottles I dug. After that, he took me to his backyard.

When I got to the end of the walkway my jaw dropped. He had no yard! A huge garage covered the area where the privies would be. I guess he didn’t fully understand the ins and outs of outhouse digging. We had a little talk about my findings and then I was on my way. I did get permission but did not get the pit.

That is how the privy crumbles, sometimes. That one was off my list. I had four more chances to go.

The work week was upon us. I dabbled in landscaping part-time. Usually, I never knew what job we were doing until we got to the site. Our shop is five minutes from my house.

While driving towards Lechauweki Street, I started to daydream about the houses again. Later that morning I found myself looking directly at the white houses again.

We were doing a job right across the street! Right away all thoughts of work left my mind.

I had a plan. I was going to keep an eye on all the houses throughout the day and intercept anyone leaving or entering. I had to look like I was a little interested

in work but in reality, I was lost in bottle land. The job we were doing was hard and heavy. We were building a huge retaining wall and I had to keep some of my attention on what we were doing for safety reasons.

A few hours passed and I did not see a soul on the other side of the street. But then it happened! A girl came out of the house directly across from us. She started putting a new mailbox up on the front of her house. This was my opportunity.

So I started walking over.

“Hi, it looks like you could use an extra hand.” She accepted. To make a long story short I did my thing and I got permission.

I firmly believe in the “right place at the right time” theory topped off with some help from the bottle gods. The next day I went over to her house at lunchtime and probed out two outhouse pits. It was all working out, and we planned on going over that weekend to dig.

But alas, this dig would never take place.

The girl changed her mind because she was worried about her little dog, Snuffy, being in the yard while we dug. I tried to the best of my ability to sway her but to no avail. She had it stuck in her mind that her dog would be swallowed up by the canyon-size hole that we would be digging. It was hard to walk away, but it was time to move forward.

It would be some time before I tried again. These houses were always on my mind though. I would drive by that block every other day on my way home and dream of digging behind one of those old white houses. I was always thinking and plotting where and how to get permission to dig there. I also had a long list of potential digs in other towns. All I needed was a kick in the rear to get moving.

PHOTOS (from top): Two pigeons enjoying some rest and getting a great view of the proceedings.

Badger and Gary starting to dig in.

Badger down in the pit.

June 2020

33

As I get older it gets harder to get the adrenaline to flow. All I had to do was hop in the truck and go knock on some strangers’ doors and ask if I could dig up their yards.

The more I think about that whole process the weirder it sounds to me. To the non-privy digger it sounds even stranger.

And yet I have done it hundreds of times with great success. While getting ready to head down to Catty one day I received a text from an out-of-town bottle digger friend, Gary. He had a few permissions and wanted to know if my buddy, Badger, and I were interested in coming up for the day.

He lived up in the coal region, Mt. Carmel, a few hours away. I accepted without even asking Badger because I knew he would be in. For him to refuse a guest dig would be rarer than a chicken with teeth.

We planned the trip to the coal-cracker town for the upcoming weekend. I would have to put the Lechauweki houses on the back burner until I got back.

The weather for the upcoming weekend was going to be cloudy and miserable with a seventy percent chance of cold rain. But that never put a damper on our digging spirits. I had my trusty pop-up digging tent ready to make everything alright. The trip to Mt. Carmel was anything but smooth.

The GPS decided it was going to have a mind of its own and go haywire when we got to the coal region. It took us to “Minersville, Pa.,” fifteen miles out of our way.

I have always wanted to visit Minersville, because my grandparents and my dad lived there in the early years. It is a very old coal town with the potential for good PHOTOS (from top): Badger doing some serious excavating.

Author Rick Weiner gives a salute from the pit.

It is now officially time to dig.

34

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

privies. But this day we were just passing through. We had other privies to conquer — if we ever got there, that is.

With a little backtracking and some crazy backstreet driving, we got on the right path to Mt. Carmel. We would arrive at our first destination in 45 minutes. It was a big, three-story brick apartment building built in the 1860s. Gary and his buddy had probed this one before and didn’t have any luck finding the pits.

One look at the place and I could see why. There was trash and busted sidewalks zig-zagging all over. It seemed like the yard was shared with the building next to it. I tried for an hour to locate a privy but it wasn’t going to happen that day.

Gary had other permissions to go to so we didn’t want to waste too much time in an unproductive spot. We were off to the next permission.

We all hopped in my truck, three deep, and I didn’t have much elbow room because the middleman, Badger, was almost sitting on my lap. He’s such an affectionate guy. The next location was only a mile away. Gary told us we would have to move this old 1975 rusted Ford pickup to get to the sunken spot in a driveway. The keys were hidden in the ashtray. It sounded like a plan …

But that plan would not unfold. The battery was dead. Life is never that easy. We tried to push it, but I noticed it had a flat!

The only thing that was going to move this beast was a tank, and we didn’t have one on hand that day. The privy under the truck would have to wait.

We each grabbed a probe and headed to the two yards. Gary had permission to do both of them and both were abandoned.

I really like digging abandoned homes, as there is nothing to worry about. No people are peeking out of the windows and there are no homeowners asking questions. That makes for a nice stressfree digging experience.

These homes were huge, three-story brick structures built in the 1860s, similar to the first one we probed with the zigzagging sidewalks. Today was not going so great with trying to find these privies.

I hate when the doom-and-gloom cloud comes over me, knowing we might be going home empty-handed. And these two yards ended on the “skunked list,” but we can’t say we didn’t try!

Gary had one more card up his sleeve.

If this didn’t pan out we would be going home with empty bottle bags. The drive to this spot was a 45-minute run. I prayed it would pan out and the pit would be loaded. If we could find it, that is. The first yard we probed I hit a privy right away in the back by the fence. We all jumped in and took turns digging the fill out. Glass started to appear and we all got that instant rush thinking it was going to happen.

The building we were digging was called the “Heroin Hotel,” and all of the spent syringes below the windows reinforced the name. It was another apartment complex built in the 1870s. Things were going smoothly in the first hour but as we dug deeper I noticed that there were no ash and fill layers in the hole. It was all mixed up. That can only mean one thing, the hole was dug by another privy gangster.

We had come to the last straw. It would be getting dark in three hours and by the time we found another place to dig it would be too late. We also had a twohour drive ahead of us. I threw in the towel and decided to head to the truck and get ready for the ride home. I parked and made a beeline towards one of the abandoned buildings for a quick nature break. Two hours is a long time for us old people.

When I came around the corner I saw Gary pounding away. He was probing the first lot we tried, the spot where we couldn’t find anything. Before I could say “We are heading home,” Gary yelled out, “I got one!”

Badger and I looked at each other with disbelief and said, “Yeah, right.” But then I saw the probe shoot into the ground like it was going through thin air. Right then I knew it was a pit, no question about it!

I guess we weren’t leaving after all. That is how things work out in this hobby of privy digging. When you least expect it you are in over your head.

We all jumped into action. Everyone grabbed a shovel and started to dig around the perimeter. All of the shovels came out with good signs. Ash and fill!

We knew we didn’t have a whole lot of time to dig this one. The agreement Gary had with the owner was that we dig it and fill it back in on the same day. A remodeling crew was coming to drop off building supplies in the yard the next day. So we were literally on a timer. I knew we would be driving home in the dark on this one.

That was fine with me, Badger could drive. I am as blind as a bat at night.

I heard someone talking in the distance, a drunk guy from next door staggered over and asked what we were doing. I didn’t feel like going into detail because we had such little time. So I said, “We are burying my buddy’s dog, please say a prayer.”

He left right away. I had to do something, as we had work to do.

In no time we were down to about five feet. Good vibes were starting to flood our minds. Gary pulled out a Warranted flask from the sidewall. It was registering 1900s-1890s at five feet. We prayed the glass would get older as we went down.

The ash and dirt pile was building on the blue tarp and my negative outlook on this whole outing had started to change. As we dug deeper the old glass started to reveal itself. It turned out to be a big, doubleseated stone-liner. I always loved the look of an old stone-lined privy.

PHOTOS (from top): E. Eising &Co. bottle from New York.

A Lackawacky bottle is unearthed.

The Mother's Friend appears.

June 2020

35

There were so many booze bottles and very little household items in this pit.

We were pretty sure this had to be a tavern or a hotel outhouse.

I started to get that unexpected exciting feeling. The unknown will do that to a digger. With the next shovel out the age of the pit changed in the blink of an eye!

I love when this happens. It went from the 1890s back to the late 1880s. I was pretty sure it would be a good privy. Since it was a stone-liner they most likely used it for many years. We prayed the bottom would be untouched from the dreaded honey dippers, leaving at least a few good keepers for us to take home.

It was my turn to drop into the hole.

I was barely settled in my spot when my short shovel tapped glass. We all know that unmistakable “hollow tink.” I put the shovel aside and searched for my hand scratcher. Wouldn’t you know it?

I must have buried it. I am famous for that blunder.

I felt around and came up with a six-inch metal piece. It looked like a tine from a pitchfork but for now, it was a scratcher.

I carefully dug around the object and right away I knew it was a fruit jar. I am not a big jar fan but I’m sure someone would want to give it a home.

As I dug further I realized it was not just a plain aqua jar. It was light yellow! My mind changed instantly to,“I hope I get this in the pick!” And to put the icing on the cake it was a Mason 1858. Things were looking up.

I dug for a half-hour, filling buckets and sending them up. A few more keepers were added to the pile and a lot of “slicks” were blended in. It was time for me to get out of this claustrophobic time capsule and stretch my legs. I have been digging privies for many years and after awhile PHOTOS (from top): Three Mile Island doll.

Another treasure from the privy.

Lucky horseshoe pin.

36

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

cramping is inevitable. Once my legs resemble soft pretzels I know it is time to make my way to the top.

It was time for Badger to get in and do some digging. When I get out of the hole I don’t want to do anything else but sit on a bucket and look over the finds that were scattered about. I’m too old to jump right in and pull buckets, I need a little healing time. But what usually happens is, I am back up and moving in ten minutes.

Gotta get that dirt moving if we wanted to get home before midnight.

Dave was down in the depths filling buckets at an alarming rate. We needed that speed right now, and we were making great time when all of a sudden the glass did a disappearing act.

But there was no need to fret, we had a lot of this pit left to dig. Gary pulled up bucket No. 7 and, low and behold, some bottles were laying on top. I guess Badger wanted to surprise us. There were three bottles, all were “Famous Clyde Run Whiskey” from Philadelphia. There were two racehorses with jockeys abroad.

Pretty neat bottles. We each had one to take home.

With a few more buckets up from Badger it was Gary’s turn to drop in the hole. The glass was really starting to flow now. Unfortunately, the sun was gone and it would be dark in an hour or so. But we all had headlights and handheld flashlights, so that would give us a little more time.

Badger and I were up top going through the fill pile to see if anything interesting would pop out. Back in the day, I used to screen a lot of the pit dirt in search of old goodies, but after a while, that becomes too much like work. And we have enough work trying to finish off this giant stonelined monster. We didn’t hear too much from Gary down in the privy.

Every digger is different, some dig in silence and save the excitement for when they get out of the hole, and some go

Safe Cure knock-off.

Yellow 1858 Mason jar.

Eagle Hutch.

crazy at the slightest hint of a bottle sticking out of the wall. I have a friend that resembles digger No. 2. When he sees a piece of colored glass I hear this coming out of the hole. “Wo Wo Wo Wo Wo!” Everyone has his degree of excitement I guess.

still dead silence. I had to peek in to see if he was still moving; it was that quiet.

Now it was time for the work we didn’t enjoy. But it has to be done each time we dig a privy, so why complain. Gary stood by the hole and said, “Hey, I forgot one.” He reached into the side pocket of his pants and pulled out a bottle. It was an amber flask. I thought it was just another common amber strap-side. But when we shone the light down I noticed a weak embossing on the front. There was a “safe” dead center in a slug plate!

Gary was definitely in the No. 1 category.

He was as quiet as a church mouse in the pit. He wouldn’t even answer us when we asked, “Anything good yet?” We continued to scan the mountain of fill when all of a sudden Badger chimed out, “Gold!”

I looked over and tried to hold back the laughter. I tossed a modern Thomas Jefferson gold dollar coin in the pile hours before and forgot about it. I knew eventually the Badger would sniff it out.

They should know better. I am famous for those little pranks, you would think they would wise up over the years, but I get them every time!

Nightfall was now a half-hour away.

Gary was still in the hole and there was

Just then I heard a strange sound coming from the right. It was a fluttering type of sound. As I looked towards the abandoned house I saw two pigeons roosting on the window’s edge. They knew nightfall was near and were settling down for the evening. I was just ready to wake Gary up and tell him we had to get a move on if we were going to fill this pit in by midnight.

Before I was able to voice my opinion he yelled out, “Bucket up.” I guess that was the sign to pull the empty bucket up and start to get ready to fill it in. But as Badger pulled up the bucket I heard some glass tinkling and clanking.

Low and behold, the bucket was filled with bottles and there was not an ounce of dirt! There was an array of bottles, some of which we didn’t have in the pile.

With that last bucket out, Gary made his way up the ladder.

Gary didn’t notice the strike because it was dark in the pit. This turned out to be a Warner’s Safe Cure, the best bottle out of this privy. We all did our picks for the day and each of us ended up going home with some cool bottles. There was still that nasty task of filling in, but it is always less of a chore when good bottles come to the top.

D June 2020

37

Sketch for American Glass stamp

Mark Vuono

Ten Mold-Blown glass objects

38

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

The American Glass postage stamps issue from the early 1990s.

Observations on the May Issue, Mark Vuono and the American Glass Postage Stamps Issue

by Richard Sheaff

F

irst, I must comment on what an outstanding issue your May magazine is! Bob Strickhart’s interview with Mark, of course, and Ralph Finch’s compilation of reflections about Mark, but then so much additional exceptional content. I was totally taken with Tom Akjem of North Dakota, am amazingly together young man. And Bram Hepburn’s tale of the Stoddard

salve jar perfectly captured the sense of history that most of us feel in connection with the antique glass objects which we treasure.

When I conceived and designed the American Glass postage stamps issue back in the early 1990s, Mark Vuono was his usual generous and accommodating self.

Without hesitation, he lent me a bunch of his treasures to photograph for the Mold-Blown stamp. One of these days I will write up that stamp issue process in detail. But, in a quick nutshell, I grouped our early glass and bottles into four categories for the purposes of the stamp set: Mold-Blown, Free-Blown, Pressed and Art Glass. I was aware that three of those are processes, while Art Glass is a category, but that organization seemed to work well to cover the basic ground.

In each stamp, I tried to include various kinds of such glass.

The Mold-Blown items under consideration were borrowed from Mark Vuono and from Norm Heckler. The Pressed was borrowed from the Sandwich Glass Museum, courtesy of then-curator Kirk Nelson. The Free-Blown and Art Glass objects are all in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, which was kind enough to temporarily take each off

display and let me join their staff photographer in moving them around in various possible arrangements.

For each of the four stamps, several different arrangements were photographed, some with as many as ten items to better cover the range in each category. Mark, Norm, Kirk and Corning generously supplied several more candidate items than ultimately ended up on the issued stamps, which displayed four items on each.

Whichever objects I requested, they were kind enough to provide. On the individual stamps and across the set, I tried for a range and a balance of colors.

I’m sending along here a preliminary sketch I made for the Mold-Blown category, as well as one of the several photographs in that category which were made along the way.

On a personal note, I knew from the beginning that I would include the GII-6 blue barrel decanter Mark owned. I had dearly wanted to buy that one when it went up for auction at Bourne’s in 1990, and — as was often the case — I ended up an underbidder to Mark (or Charlie, I forget which). Nonetheless, Mark was delighted to lend it to me for the photo shoots. He was a fine human being.

June 2020

39

Collectors are wondering …

What’s New Down Under?

Ralph Finch pins down some interesting Australian items

I

like Australia — Australian people, Australian cities, and Australian glass — and I always like the unusual items you find at ABCR Auctions. The recent sale, featuring “998 Lots featuring more rare milk bottles, a brilliant range of Australian marble bottles (*1870s Codd bottles), crown seal beers, ginger beers, *garagenalia, demijohns, pot lids, bitters and more!” (*garagenalia? Sounds like the name of a low-budget sci-fi movie from the ’50s.)

But out of 998 items, I picked out just one. Lot 659, a 1900s household rolling pin. But why? I like rolling pins. I have one, turned out of wood on March 3, 1933, by my uncle Ralph, who died in 1939 at the age of 21.

But, let’s go back to Melbourne, Australia, and the April 15 auction filled with, as usual, an amazing offering of good stuff and intriguing stuff.

I have also liked glass rolling pins, because during my forty trips to England and the thousands of antiques booths I’ve perused through there, I have seen many rolling pins, including many attractive ones.

And while I am now eighty, I don’t think I’ve ever actually used a rolling pin.

(Maybe, in my subconscious memory bank, I remember watching my grandmother use one.)

ABCR, based in Victoria, is the product of Travis Dunn, editor of the Australian Bottle and Collectables Review, and David Bruce. Travis is a nice guy I’ve corresponded with for several years and states, in part, “We are an auction house run by collectors, for collectors.”

Wikipedia says of the rolling pin: They come from every country and are made of every material: glass, ceramic, acrylic, bakelite, copper, brass, aluminum, silicone, wood, stainless steel, marble, and plastic. Wikipedia adds “A rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used

40

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

to shape and flatten dough. Two styles are found: rollers and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylinder with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are usually thin tapered batons. Rolling pins of different styles and materials offer varying advantages, as they are used for different tasks in cooking and baking. The first civilization known to have used the rolling pin was the Etruscans.

These people may have migrated from Asia Minor to northern Italy or may have originated in Italy.”

And: “Vintage glass rolling pins vary from simple clear examples to the famous Bristol blue colours, to elaborate multi-coloured Nailsea examples and to examples with motifs and words. Glass rolling pins, although functional, developed into quite an art form. They also became known as love tokens, as they were often given by departing sailors to there loved ones with words on such as ‘Be true to me,’ ‘Remember me,’ ‘Forget me not,’ etc.”

COLUMBUS PIN: Note the name in very small letters.

David Stott was and remains a big name in Detroit. There is a 38-story art deco skyscraper named Stott, built by the heirs of Detroit’s flour king. It cost $46.3 million in today’s money, but opened the day the Depression hit.

RALPH’S PIN: The small pin — seven inches — was made by my uncle Ralph on March 3, 1933. It is photographed on a kitchen table that I use every day, and likely my uncle also sat at it, since my grandparents purchased it, used, around 1938.

The large rolling pin is the one Janet uses to threaten me.

WHITE WINGS: Self-rising flour was invented by English baker Henry Jones about 1844. He hoped to sell his invention to the Navy, “as the only bread those poor blokes ate aboard ship was hard tack.” In a way, it’s kind of a cheat product, as it is simply a mixture of other already existing ingredients, but either way, it worked for the English baker, who sold a ton of it on British ships!

MIGHAIL/HIDDER PIN: Another of these Tripoli, Iowa, pins sold on eBay for $499, another was offered for $138. (Also, other glass advertising rolling rins were found in the $450-$550 range.)

June 2020

41

Some are hollow, holding salt, and would have hung in the kitchen or by a fire to keep the salt dry. The Nailsea examples were not only made at the Nailsea works in Somerset but also Bristol, Newcastle, Sunderland, Wrockwardine Wood in Shropshire, Alloa in Scotland and elsewhere. Nailsea has become the generic term for the type of glass produced in these areas.

Got that? Now you are an expert (at least, you are on a roll). But let’s return to ABCR’s Lot 659, embossed: “Make Beer at Home from Mason’s Extract of Herbs / Antidote for Indigestion - ‘Coombs’ Aerated Pastry Flour’ - Sold in 3d 6d 1/- and 2/6 Bags / You must use Kilverts’ Pure Lard if you want good pastry / Antidote for Indigestion - ‘Coombs’ Eureka Flour’ - Awarded 5 Gold Medals // Thos. Farrar Whitefield Regd Trade Mark ‘Isobel’ Manchester Patentee // For Trade terms apply to Coombs’ Flour Co., Nottingham and 8A Farringdon Road London.” Plus, a green Mason’s Extract of Herbs bottle was part of Lot 659.

Mason’s Extract of Herbs bottle.

I also saw a 19th-century large Bristol blue glass Mariners Rolling Pin painted with a central scene of “The Great Australia Clipper-Ship” with side verse and scenes titled Mariners Arms; “Success to the fisherman” and “True love from Hull.” (One sold for £300 at Hutchinson Scott, May 2017). Nautical themes were common on rolling pins, with sea-faring motifs, ships, mottos and inscriptions.

These would be applied as painting, gilding and printing. Some of the designs are quite intricate and attractive original Victorian rolling pins are much sought after. Rarer examples include anti-slavery messages and those marking special events such as coronations.

42

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

It was described (edited) as a “white ceramic advertising rolling pin. Blue Print, wooden handles. Plus wooden stand for display. In excellent condition with fine crazing throughout . Valued as $200$300 Aussie, it sold for $580 ($371 U.S.).

Travis later commented: “We have sold a few rolling pins over the years. The advertising examples are quite sought after in Australia. Back in Auction 29, lot 619 was an example advertising White Wings Self Raising Flour. We estimated $400-500 on this piece, it actually sold for $747.”

r

* A Codd-neck bottle is a type of bottle used for carbonated drinks. It has a closing design based on a glass marble which is held against a rubber seal, which sits within a recess in the lip. In 1872, British soft drink maker, Hiram Codd of Camberwell, London, designed and patented a bottle designed specifically for carbonated

TRADE CARD: Newball and Mason were manufacturing chemists based in Nottingham in the 1800s.

It was Thomas Mason who invented the ‘Extract of Herbs’ a concentrated essence that could be made up into a non-alcoholic Botanic Beer.

One researcher said, “I’ve seen a couple of their ‘Extract of Herbs’ bottle labels and each has an illustration with a dandelion on it.” The card says: “The little busy bee improves the shining hour and prefers Mason’s Extract of Herbs before the laborious old fashioned method of extracting it itself.”

Advertising pin for "Coombs' Eureka Flour." Also on the pin are the claims "Antidote for Indigestion" and "Awarded 5 Gold Medals."

drinks. Friend Alan Blakeman of England remembers, as a child, finding Codd bottles and break them for the marbles.

FYI: An angry housewife wielding a rolling pin as a weapon is a common cliché in humor, as, for example, in the English comic strip Andy Capp.

D

By John Panella and Joe Widman

AN OLD QUESTION, WITH AGE EXCEPTIONS Probably the most asked question about American antique bottles is, “How old is it?”

If you know the history of bottle making you can probably answer this question with over ninety percent accuracy, and get within ten to thirty years of the bottle’s true age. The problem is that there are many exceptions to this known history. In this article I will list some of the usual exceptions and one very big documented exception.

Here is a list of the history of the most common ways bottles were made: • Blown-in-Mold with Open Pontil — Bottles were made this way until about 1850.

• Blown-in-Mold with Iron or Improved Pontil — Bottles were made this way from about 1850 to 1860.

• Blown-in-Mold without Pontil and with Applied Lip — Bottles were made this way from about 1860 to 1890.

• Blown-in-Mold without Pontil and with a Tooled Top Lip — Bottles were made this way from about 1890 until 1903 or a little later.

• Machine-Made — From 1903 to the present day.

The only certain date on this list is 1903.

No machine-made bottles were produced before this time. There are many exceptions and overlaps for all the other methods. The overlaps happened between areas of the country, dealers and individual bottle blowers.

RIGHT: Side views of the man-made Potasafras bottle, embossed Established 1914.

June 2020

43

By John Panella and Joe Widman

Potasafras is a notable, documented exception. Generally bottles made much after 1903 were machine-made, without exception. However this example is man-made and it is embossed Established 1914. That means it was blown-in-mold with a tooled cork top, eleven years after bottles could be machine-made. I can only guess that pehaps the company didn’t want to order the quantity required from the big manufacturers. It must be that they found a small company that would hand-make them.

Potasafras was a combination of potassium iodide, alcohol, and “eight other valuable medical ingredients” produced by The Potasafras Company of Columbus, Ohio in 1914. It was intended for use as a constitutional treatment, expectorant, tonic, sedative and system cleanser.

r

There are other ways that can help date bottles. Some are nearly useless and others can be quite accurate. The problem here is that they only apply to a small percentage of all antique bottles.

Most collectable antique bottles have a cork closure. Today most bottles have a screw-top closure. However this, in itself, isn’t very useful in dating bottles because there have been screw-top bottles for most of the history of American bottles. If a bottle is blown-in-mold with a screw-top it was probably made in the 19th century.

If it is machine-made it was made in the 20th century. Not much help.

There were many other types of closures.

The most successful was the Hutchinson Stopper. It dates the bottle from about 1880 to 1910. Other unusual stoppers were used for much shorter times, so they can very accurately date a bottle. There just weren’t many bottles of this type.

RIGHT: Another look at the Potasafras bottle.

44

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

June 2020

45

Antique Bottle SHOW & SALE

MORGANTOWN, WV

JUNE 28, 2020 9:00AM to 2:00PM

AT MYLAN PARK

IN THE NEW AGRICULTURAL 4-H BUILDING 500 MYLAN PARK LANE MORGANTOWN, WV 26501 GENERAL ADMISSION $2.00 16 AND UNDER FREE ADMISSION EARLY BUY IN AT 7:00AM $25.00

ANTIQUE GLASs BOTtLES OF ALl STYLES, HISTORICAL FLASK, FRUIT JARS, MARBLES, INSULATORS, STONE WARE, SCRIP, COINS, SIGNAGE AND VARIOUS TABLE TOP ANTIQUES. SHOW SPONSORED BY

THE DUNKARD VALlEY ANTIQUE BOTtLE CLUB FOR SHOW INFORMATION OR A VENDOR CONTRACT

46

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

WANTED

Greer #s of the mint state #1265 United States Syrup #1685 United States Syrup #1383 Dr. Perkins’ Syrup #5 Arthurs Renovating Syrup #778 Halls / Palingenesia / Or Regenerator

Also non Greer bottles of the mint state Dr. C.W. Robacks Scandinavien Blood Purifier Cincinnati, O, IP

Write, Call or Email

John Keating P.O. Box 13255 Olympia, WA 98508 360-628-9576 johnkeating473@yahoo.com Pekin Bottle Collectors Association 51st Annual Antique & Collectibles Show & Sale

Sunday,

September 13, 2020

8:00 A.M. — 3:00 P.M.

PEKIN

MOOSE LODGE 2605 Broadway Street, Pekin IL 61554

Ownership. Pride. Responsibility.

Your job. Done right.

Seamless, secure project facilitation.

From pre-press/graphic design and printing, to bindery and mailing — your project is in-house and under control. tel 517.372.0268

| fax 517.372.4922

912 W. Saint Joseph, Lansing, MI 48915

BRDPrinting.com Info: Daryl Weseloh 1-309-264-9268 Fruit Jars Insulators

Admission: $2.00 FREE APPRAISALS

Pottery Marbles Milk Bottles Advertising Stoneware Brewery Items Antiques Collectibles

We’re professionals —

and it shows in everything we do.

June 2020

47

48

Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

“The worlds 1 st full colour bottle mag. simply got...

BETTER & BETTER revitalised, reinvented & reinvigorated!”

BBR130 Incorporating No 130 January - March

rt Collectors Ma

2012

Slabtastic digging tales & new finds

Dr Webster’s

& pieces

Cordials

Pots • Quack Cures • Breweriana • Cream • Inks Lids • Ginger Beers Doulton • Guinness Antique Bottles • Pot • Baby Feeders • Early Mineral Waters Clay Pipes • Wine Bottles • Enamel Signs • Poisons • Eyebaths • • Pharmacy Antique Advertising

latest finds collectors & thier

er James Rog

All the pieces, bits

Researched articles, Fakes focus, special features, upcoming sale items, Show calendar, Classified ads.

Every page in glorious full colour.

Essential reading since 1979.

• Paypal £42 as personal payment • Ch $66, credit card split email • Even send $ bills!

BBR, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley, S Yorks S74 8HJ, England Int tel: 0044 1226 745156 email: sales@onlinebbr.com