FLORIDA ADVERTISING JUGS THE

Also, included in this work in addition to the fore-mentioned jugs are advertising corkscrews, shot glasses, advertisements, and photographs. All of which, are shown within the pages of this informative account of this little known part of Florida’s long and colorful history.

Philip A. Pfeiffer author of:

Pensacola’s Currency Issuing Banks and Their Banknotes 18331935, Pensacola’s Soda Water Legacy 1837-1998, Pensacola’s Spirits - 1559-2110

A Brief Email to both of you with Congrats!

A new book by David Kyle Rakes & Corey Lee Stock

Florida Advertising Jugs – The Proprietors & Their Jugs

I highly recommend this newly published work entitled “Florida Advertising Jugs” to any and all readers and collectors of Florida’s History. Especially, ones that show an interest in the covered subjects of the production and usage of “stoneware” and glass containers that are commonly referred to as “jugs from Florida,” along with the proprietors that had them made and used such jugs in promoting their businesses. These one hundred plus years old jugs are adorned with the names and locations of the jug proprietors. In addition, many times other pertinent information is included, also a floral design may be applied to the jug’s surface. Thus the name “Florida Advertising Jugs.”

The authors, David Kyle Rakes and Corey Lee Stock, have accomplished a great service for anyone wanting to learn of this very interesting aspect of Florida’s history. That is, the industry of distilling and or marketing primarily spirits of alcohol, also water and other liquids. These jug proprietors were active in the mid to late 1800s up to the time when Prohibition killed this highly profitable industry in the state at the end of the second decade of the twentieth century.

David and Corey have left no stone unturned in the search for information on the lives of the men and their families as proprietors that were at the forefront of this industry in Florida for a half of a century. These two researchers have hunted down the numerous rare and hard-to-locate “Florida Advertising Jugs” on some seventeen cities and towns of Florida. They have documented the histories of the fifty-two jug proprietors, many for the first time.

Hello to the Meyer Team. I received the latest magazine in today’s snail mail box out front of my house. I have not been able to put it down since I started reading it. I stopped on page 34 to write to you about the most interesting digging experience article in this issue. I could not put your magazine down until I had finished reading the article, “A Line from the Past!” I have not personally dug for several years, but I was so caught up in this article that I could not put your magazine down! The author, Rick Weiner, told the story so well that I felt like I was right there witnessing his and his digging partner’s luck. I figured some good news goes a long way. Bad news weighs folks down. Good news promotes the subject matter! Just dropping in with some positive input. Now to get back to the magazine. ALSO: Great front cover with the youngster with blond hair and a look of achievement on his face. VERY ENCOURAGING for folks of any age! Sincerely,

Darlene Furda

Secretary and Contributing Editor for the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club

New FOHBC Treasurer

The FOHBC board recently approved Kathie Craig as the new treasurer who will replace the outgoing Jim Berry. Kathie lives in Campbell, California and has been married to Mike Craig for 40+ years. She is the mother of four grown children and a grandmother of six. Kathie started collecting bottles when she started working for Mike’s father, Jack Craig, in 1987. She is still CFO and running his companies along with her husband to this day. She was also co-owner and CFO of their construction company for 40 years. She has been the president of the San Jose Bottle Club since 2000. For 28 years, she co-owned and ran multiple drag racing teams with her family. Still passionately collects Warners, Dr. Craig, inks and Owl Drug bottles and especially loves antiquing when she and her husband travel in their motor home.

Editor Note: With an abundance of reporting information and photographs this issue, we are placing the entire Regional Directors report on our website FOHBC.org. Please go to the homepage under Editors’ Pick for “The Rest of the Story,” as Paul Harvey used to say.

Northeast Region [Charlie Martin Jr., Director]

At the conclusion of my last report, I informed you about an upcoming antique bottle show in New Jersey. Well, as promised, here is their show report, albeit a bit late, but nonetheless, another very successful show for bottle collectors in the Northeast Region.

The New Jersey Antique Bottle and Collectors Association (NJABCA) hosted its 52nd Annual Antique Bottle and Collectors Show on November 27, 2022, in Compton Lakes, New Jersey. Show Chairman Ed Natale reports that it was a successful event. Approximately 40 dealers set up 40 tables. A strong crowd came through the doors “to pursue bottles, stoneware, glassware, postcards, antiques, and more.” Ed wanted to be sure to thank all who came out, as well as all of those who helped with putting on the bottle show. Plans are already in the works for next year’s event to be held the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 26, 2023.

The New Year “2023” hardly began when The Little Rhody Bottle Club held its Annual Winter Show on January 8 at the Clarion Hotel in Taunton, MA. Forty buyers paid $15 for early admission, while $3 for general admission was garnered from 190 bottle hunters. Shoppers had over 40 dealers spread out over 75 tables to peruse. Bill and Linda Rose, Co-Chairs for the Show, spoke about all of the wonderful activity between buyers and dealers. This author agrees with the summary review, having spent the whole morning talking with dealers and fellow buyers. The variety of material available was outstanding.

Remember, it is Winter here in the Northeast. Our bottle shows are few and far between. However, listed below are a few upcoming events you may want to put on your calendar.

February 5, The New Jersey Antiques Bottle club (NJABC)

March 12, The Baltimore Antique Bottle Club (BABC)

March 19, The Somers Antique Bottle Club (SABC)

April 16, The Rochester Bottle and Antique Show (GVBCA)

April 30, The Dunkard Valley Antique Bottle Stoneware Show and Sale

Check out the locations and show times in the current issue of the Antique Bottle & Glass Collector or, better yet, FOHBC.org Show Listings.

Look for my report on the above shows in the next edition of AB&GC. I hope many of you will mark your calendars more often this New Year and get out and support your local club’s event. Your participation makes a difference! Until the next issue, Happy Hunting!

Midwest Region [Henry Hecker, Director]

With the ground frozen in most of the Midwest region, digging has slowed but not bottle collecting. The Milwaukee Antique Bottle and Advertising Club has its annual show on February 5 at the Waukesha County Expo Center. The sales tables will number over 120, and space is sold out. As a countermeasure to inflation, the sales table cost was raised this year to $40 from $35, but admissions were held flat, including early admissions, which have allowed the club to put the show back in “the black” the last several years.

February 12 marks the date of the 52nd annual show for the Central Ohio Club at the Doubletree Inn in Columbus. The West Michigan Bottle Club will hold its 32nd annual show on February 25 at the Fonger American Legion Post in Grand Rapids. The North Star Club of Minnesota is hosting its show on April 16 at the Knights of Columbus Event Center in Bloomington. The Ohio Bottle Club holds its Mansfield show at the Richland County Fairgrounds on May 13.

So, for collectors in our region, there are plenty of venues to acquire bottles above ground over the next couple of months. One may have to drive a ways, but shows are the ultimate entertainment...after digging, in our hobby. As Regional Director, as I get more connected with the various clubs, I will heavily promote advertising these various shows in all the club newsletters. As clubs, we tend to be too provincial and focus on our own shows in our communications. We certainly don’t have to worry about competing with each other, and more collaboration can only help in promoting the hobby more effectively.

Eric McGuire’s report in our last issue about how a library staff barely tolerated him for doing bottle research struck a chord with me. His research was viewed as mere whimsy. He went on to say, “It is true that the traditional ‘keepers of history’ seldom have extensive knowledge on the subject.” In my experience, I have encountered an industrial archeologist surveying a site and finding a Hutchinson soda. I introduced myself and told him the entire history of the bottler from my own acquired knowledge. He seemed unimpressed and dismissed me as some sort of charlatan. He probably never did his own research. Several years ago, I found a Comanche Indian Muskwa bottle from Mukwonago, Wisconsin, that our local historical society members scoffed at, “It can’t be a real one! It certainly is not part of OUR history,” one longtime member exclaimed. When the research was finished, the bottle and its progenitors proved to be an amazing story which I will tell in a future article. As I am now president of the historical society, I will do a presentation on the Comanche Medicine Company at one of our museum open dates this year. We do need to make friends with our local historical societies as we both have a lot to offer each other.

Editor Note: Continued at FOHBC.org.