Fruit Jar Rambles Extra By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff
FILBERT’S FLAGS One of the most appealing product jars made in the last 75 years or so, in my estimation, is shown in Photo 1. Embossed 1776 FIRST STARS AND STRIPES, this round, clear, quart jar was made for the J. H. Filbert Company, of Baltimore, Maryland for our country’s bicentennial, in 1976. The jar bears the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company’s AHK mold identifier embossed on the base, and an embossed M shows that the jar was made at Kerr’s Millville, New Jersey, plant. This jar has a standard-size Mason screw cap with stars around the skirt and the top is lettered MRS FILBERTS SALAD DRESSING THIS LID NOT REUSABLE FOR HOME CANNING FOR CONTINUED FRESHNESS –– REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING. (Photo 2) The company was founded by John H. Filbert, who died in 1917. But info on the early J. H. Filbert Co. isn’t easy to find for some reason. Figure A depicts a postcard offering 5¢ off on the purchase of a pint jar of Mrs. Filbert’s Mayonnaise, Salad Dressing, or Sandwich Spread. This is the earliest advertising we’ve found for a Mrs. Filbert’s product; the card is postmarked May 24, 1935. The brand name is said to be in reference to Mrs. Martha V. Filbert, wife of J. H. Filbert, who became company president upon her husband’s death. On May 19, 1976, the GETTYSBURG (Pennsylvania) TIMES advertised “Mrs. Filbert’s Salad Dressing 32 oz.” that was “Packed in a Commemorative Bicentennial Jar.” And on April 21, 1976, two days later, “Mrs. Filbert’s MAYONNAISE Packed in Reuseable Bicentennial Decorator Jar” was advertised by Kennie’s Market, also in the GETTYSBURG TIMES.
Fruit jar columnist and researcher Dick Roller reported the FIRST STARS AND STRIPES jar in his January 1983 FRUIT JAR NEWSLETTER. Although it was a product jar, Dick featured it in his STANDARD FRUIT JAR REFERENCE, reporting that the jar was “Made in January, February and June 1976 at the Millville, New Jersey plant of the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company... The Millville, New Jersey, Kerr plant produced thirteen thousand nine hundred eighty-two (13,982) gross (2,013,408) of these round jars for the J. H. Filbert Company.” Also, Dick added that “according to Alice Creswick (“Calling All Jar Collectors,” ANTIQUE BOTTLE WORLD, August 1980) the Kerr plant in Huntington, West Virginia also produced eight thousand eight hundred ninety-four (8,894) gross (1,280,736) of these jars.” Quite a number, considering how few of these flag jars we’ve seen over the years. Both the 70mm Mason standard-thread and the interrupted-thread (lugged) finishes have been reported on these jars, although the standard finish is the only style we’ve seen. And a Heffnner’s ad from the DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD, of Mocksville, North Carolina, dated March 4, 1976, shows a small cut of a wide-mouth quart jar of Mrs. Filbert’s Mayonnaise, 79¢, which leads one to wonder if there might be a widemouth version of the 1776 FIRST STARS AND STRIPES jar out there somewhere. There’s no mention of this one being a bicentennial jar, but the date would fit. We don’t always know as much about these jars that we collect as we might like. PHOTO 1: 1775 FIRST STARS AND STRIPES jar. PHOTO 2: Cap for FIRST STARS AND STRIPES jar. FIGURE A: 1935 postcard featuring Mrs. Filbert's Mayonnaise.
October 2020
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