Fruit Jar Rambles: Filbert's Flags

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.

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

IMPORTANCE OF A LABEL

Photo 3 shows a jar that can be difficult to sell. The clear, smooth-lipped, paneled, tapered jar has a large zinc screw cap and is embossed on the side within a round slug plate, FACTORY NO. 2099 FIRST DISTRICT 50 CIGARS PENNA. The jar’s base is unlettered, bearing only a valve mark.

The jar, which stands 5 1/2” tall, with a 5” diameter screw cap, is attractive enough. The problem lies with the almost total lack of identification of the cigars or their manufacturer. It’s only one step up from being unembossed, for the embossing actually tells us almost nothing. The cigars were apparently made in Pennsylvania, at “Factory No. 2099” wherever that is.

In over forty years of jar collecting, which included a fairly nice tobacco jar collection, I’ve yet to find a source that lists the names of the various numbered factories within the states.

So, while it’s an attractive jar, with good embossing, aside from knowing that it was a cigar container, it has very little personality. However, as they usually do, the label shown in Photo 4 rounds out the identity of the jar.

Somewhat tattered, the label reads “Full Weight (hand holding a set of scales) Good As Gold,” with a GB monogram within shield in the lower corners.

The GB monogram stands for Gumpert Brothers, and while the name certainly isn’t well known today, in 1886, Gumpert Bros. Cigar Manufacturers was described in the PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL REVIEW, City of Philadelphia, as a company of “mammoth proportions,” located at 113-121 South Twenty-third Street, with a sales room at 1341 Chestnut Street. (Figure B)

Figure C shows the Gumpert’s Full Weight trademark from a cigar box lid or other advertising.

Gumpert’s company history is somewhat uneven, with the company reportedly being established in 1856. There were a couple Gumperts listed in the tobacco and cigar business between 1856 and 1864. Then in 1865 McELROY’S PHILADELPHIA DIRECTORY first listed “G. Gumpert & Brother (Gustavus & R. T. Gumpert) cigars, 1341 Chestnut.” A November 1865 ad in the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER offered “‘Favorita’ The Best ‘Ten-Cent Segar’ In Town... Gumpert & Bro., No. 1341 Chestnut Street, One door above the U. S. Mint.”

Our first-found advertising for “Gumpert Bros’ ‘Full Weight’ 5c Cigars” appeared in issues of Philadelphia’s THE TIMES newspaper in October 1885. (Figure D)

The Oct. 20, 1898 ad, from the SIOUX CITY (Iowa) JOURNAL, in Figure E, for “‘Full Weight’ Cigars,” depicting a young lady stepping onto a scale, attests to a turn-of-the-century presence of the cigar in the Midwest, “supplied by Warfield, Pratt, Howell Co., Wholesale Distributors, Sioux City, Iowa.”

Gumpert Bros. rode their success with ‘Full Weight’ Cigars into the new century, and on Feb. 15, 1912, THE TOBACCO WORLD reported that “Gumpert Bros, have closed a successful year with ‘Full Weight’ cigars. The brand has been placed with numerous firms at prominent points throughout the country.” Albert Gumpert stated that the distributors of the “Full Weight” cigars were rapidly increas-

PHOTO 3: FACTORY NO. 2099 clear cigar jar. PHOTO 4: Label on the FACTORY NO. 2099 jar. FIGURE B: Illustration of the Gumpert Bros. Cigar Manufacturers building from 1886.

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

ing their business. The last we found of Gumpert Bros. was in a July 1922 ad in the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, seeking to hire cigarmakers for “straight mould work.”

So, although today it remains only as a rectangle of somewhat dirty, tattered paper, this humble label breathes life into an otherwise unidentified jar.

SOMERSET FARMS CREAM JAR

John Antonez shared the little 4 1/2” tall, half-pint, clear glass, cream jar shown in Photo 5. It’s embossed SOMERSET FARMS F.H.T. CREAM. The reverse (not shown) is embossed MASS. SEAL L 1/2 PINT L.G.CO. (probably Lockport Glass Company, Lockport, N.Y.).

This isn’t an entirely unlisted jar, as it was included in John Tutton’s 1980 copyrighted, 94-page book UDDER DELIGHT, “A Guide To Collecting Milkbottles (sic) And Related Items.”

But Tutton’s book didn’t show the great lettering on the jar’s screw cap, as shown in Photo 6. The cap appears to be goldlacquered and is nicely embossed SOMERSET FARMS - CREAM- around •F•H•T•.

The half-pint Somerset Farms F.H.T. Cream Jars are said, by one source, to have been located in Boston, Massachusetts, although there are milk bottles pyroglazed SOMERSET FARMS DAIRY MIDDLEBUSH, N.J.

BEGINNING TO THE END, JOHN L. MASON

“Lists Of Patents –– for the week ending June 2nd 1857 –– each bearing that date: John L. Mason, of New York, N.Y. –– For

FIGURE C: FULL WEIGHT trademark.

By Tom Caniff — Photos by Deena Caniff

Improvement in manufacturing screws of thin metal.”

–– From the June 4, 1857 EVENING STAR, of Washington, D.C.

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“Mr. John L. Mason, of North Vineland, was in town on Saturday. He is the inventor of the Mason jar. It was invented and patented by him in 1857.

“The first year he sold 20 gross only, but the jar rapidly grew in popular favor until now 130,000 gross per year are sold. This is considered one of the best fruit jars in the country. Mr. Mason, while not engaged in the sale of the jar, still has an interest in it.

“We were glad to meet with our old friend.”

–– From the Oct. 30, 1884 BRIDGETON (New Jersey) PIONEER

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“John L. Mason, inventor of the Mason screw top glass fruit jar, who died on Wednesday at the Hudson Street Hospital, will be buried tomorrow. The funeral services will be held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. C. Edward, No. 577 Franklin-ave., Brooklyn.

“Mr. Mason was born seventy-six years ago in Philadelphia. In 1857 he patented the screw top jar. Within the last year he made an improvement on his invention. He was also treasurer and director of the Colonial Bond and Guarantee Company, Park Row Building. While at his desk a week ago last Wednesday he became dizzy, and was carried in an ambulance to the Hudson Street Hospital. He had been in failing health since the death of his wife, two years ago.”

–– From the Feb. 28, 1902 NEW YORK (New York) TRIBUNE

FIGURE E: 1898 ad for "FULL WEIGHT" Cigars. PHOTO 5: SOMERSET FARMS half-pint CREAM jar.

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