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Monday, 31 March 2014

Sunday, 30 March 2014

Leaving Morro Bay today to go to Jerry Forbes place near Carmel. Had a great time at the show. Picked up a killer Webb’s Improved Stomach Bitters, gorgeous yellow Old Sachems (ex: Mike Henness), an aqua Paradise Bitters from Fresno and a killer Pipafax from Sacramento. Look for a post.

Went to a very interesting wine tasting in a small cellar at Webb Tartaglia’s ranch last night. That is Webb above. Six of us huddled in the small rustic bunker and tasted Webb’s wines, had cheese and told tall tales. Had a blast. Very spiritual. Webb has been running the Morro Bay bottle show for 40 years!!!!

Added the below cool image of Webb’s Drug Store to the Webb’s Improved Stomach Bitters post.

Friday, 28 March 2014

At my motel in Morro Bay, California. Bottle show starts today at noon. Great locale. Chilly this morn. Took a run earlier. Slept with windows open overlooking Morro Rock. Went to a bottle cook-out last night at Steve Mello’s in Paso Robles. Had fun. Saw some neat bottles that were dug and found by diving. Jerry Forbes (Carmel) had this cool Bissell’s Tonic Bitters from Peoria.

I liked this Widemann & Chappas that Steve had.

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Hey Ferd, with so much in the news every day about the Crimean & Russia, it might be a good time to display one on Peach Ridge? Do you have one? I did years ago. Best Regards, Gary Beatty PS there might be collectors that don’t know there is such a Bitters? 

PRG: Romaine’s Crimean Bitters (R 86) from my collection.

Sands’ Sarsaparilla – New York post update with this cool art.

Monday, 24 March 2014

UPDATE: One of the Facebook viewers, Jim Eifler, when reviewing the same images, solved the mystery when he made out “ORANGE GROVE BITTERS” on the sign. This makes sense as Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters is from Boston. So was Dr. Lighthill. One can imagine Baker and Lighthill having an agreement where Lighthill would take a couple crates of Orange Grove Bitters with him on the road and sell at his speaking engagements. Make a few extra bucks commission.

From Jack Hewitt:

Ferd,

We have some exciting news in the Southern Region. The Southeastern Antique Bottle Club in Atlanta was one of the charter member clubs from the early days of the federation. A few years ago the club lost it’s place to meet and unfortunately several of the “old timers” who had held the club together passed away. We have been able to preserve the Atlanta Show and on June 14, 2014 we will have our 44th annual show making it one of the longest running shows in the southeast, which we are very proud of. There has been a core group of collectors in the Atlanta area who do some shows together and keep in touch but without a regular club meeting and a place to meet something was missing. I have been able to secure a location to have monthly meetings and starting April 1, 2014 we will resurrect the Southeastern Antique Bottle Club. After our first meeting we will be joining the Federation and we plan to bring back the old gang and hopefully introduce some new ones in the area to the world of bottle collecting. We will be meeting near downtown Lawrenceville at the Old City Hall building in what currently houses the city of Lawrenceville Gas Dept. We will be meeting in the former city council meeting room affectionately known as the “gas chambers”. The address is 18 S. Clayton St. This is a big step in preparation for the Chattanooga National Show in 2015. I will keep you posted and appreciate any help you can give us getting the word out. If anyone has any questions or needs directions they can contact me at 770 856 6062. Thanks Again and we appreciate all you do for the hobby.

Jack Hewitt 
Southern Region Director

Saturday, 22 March 2013

Possible unlisted bitters? Dr. Goodman’s Cancer & Liver Bitters. Advertisement circa 1872, Elmira, New York.

Updated The McKearin Group VIII – Sunburst Flasks post. Updated Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters and the Bottle Gods with Dr. Harter’s Marriage Puzzle.

Friday, 21 March 2014

Watching the current Heckler auction, specifically the Sunburst Snuff Jar, Keene Marlboro Street Glassworks, Keene, New Hampshire. Current bid is $45 grand. Read Post: Two Extraordinary Wide Mouth Sunburst Snuff Jars

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Still winter in some parts of the country (picture from Gary Beatty). Busy, busy, busy… off to Los Angeles next Thursday and then connect to San Luis Obispo. Headed to the Morro Bay bottle show for the first time. Then off to Jerry Forbes house, then off to Louisville. Picked up some monsters in the Glass Works Auction. Confirmed today. Many came from Curt Paget. Lot of Marysville history there.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Michael Seeliger sent in his draft report on determining glass colors by using scientific measurements and other scholarly means. Reflected wavelengths, absorbed color, translucency, opaqueness all are important to understand when studying a bottle. Sometimes I use other ‘scientific’ means to determine if I should like or buy a bottle.

Heated call-backs now with Glass Works Auctions. Nothing yet. Prices rising FAST. Bitters are hot.

Monday, 17 March 2014

Sunday, 16 March 2014

The ‘bitters’ giants out west like Mlasko, Simi and Friedrich will be waking soon and seeing my post comparing Dr. Allen’s Stomach Bitters to Dr. Henley’s Wild Grape Root IXL Bitters. Always good to hear from them. Dale will probably ambush me with an emailed image of a killer support example.

Look at this early 1841 advertisement from a Buffalo, New York business directory listing 14 bottles Phoenix Bitters.

Read: Jack Stecher and his John Moffat Phoenix Bitters

Read: John Moffat Phoenix Bitters Support

Saturday, 15 March 2014

Rainy, dreary, slow Saturday. Elizabeth away in Sweetwater with her father. Adriana off competing in some rodeo somewhere, junior pops with their father. Just me, my six dogs, and a kazillion bottle things to do. Life is good. Think I will have myself a Dr. Henley’s Spiced Wine OK Bitters. That OK with you?

Roback’s Scandanavian Remedies logo, 1865 or so…

Friday, 14 March 2014

3:48 in the AM. Came in to the studio to knock out some work. Finalizing plans to head out to Morro Bay today. Arrive on the 27th. Look at this very nice illustration of a labeled Dr. Roback’s Stomach Bitters from The Lancaster Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio) , January 05, 1865.

Read: Barrel Series – Roback’s Stomach Bitters (the smaller ones)

Read: Barrel Series – Roback’s Stomach Bitters (the big boys)

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Post Update: The Constitution Bitters from Buffalo, NY

Post Update: Tobias Barto and his Great Gun Bitters – Reading, PA

Trying to get tickets to the St. Charles Theatre to see GENERAL MITE and MAJOR ATOM. Advertisement from The New Orleans Daily Democrat, March 09, 1880

Just a wonderful Wa-Hoo Bitters print in the current Glass Works Auction. Added to Post. Read: C. K. Wilson’s Original Compound Wa-Hoo Bitters. Visit Auction

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Some of the bottles picked up by my friend Jerry Forbes (Carmel, California) at the recent Baltimore Antique Bottle Show. Taken from his porch. See if you can identify the bottles.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

In the fine city of San Antone most of the week. Home of the Alamo, Tower of the Americas and the famous River Walk. Speaking of fine things, I wanted to share my new G.N. Morison’s Invigorating Bitters that I picked up for a song at the Balto show. Severely cracked buy hey, I just had to have it. Not bad provenance either. Nice character with a bird swing! Added to existing post: XR New Orleans bitters bottle on ebay – G. N. Morison

Sunday, 09 March 2014

How’s this for some Sunday morning spiritual awareness…

“Good morning. I opened up the front drapes when we got up to get our dose of color and this is what we saw. Doesn’t get much better than this.” – Pam (Selenak), Orange, California

“That is my morning wake up call. This is my afternoon visual.” – Pam

Saturday, 08 March 2014

Working my way thru some tough-to-find Virginia bitters. Here’s a portion of a G5 Garnett’s Compound Vegetable Bitters from Richmond, Virginia submitted by James Viguerie. Also have incoming info and material on Yaupon Bitters, Aromatic Peruvian Bitters, French’s Virginia Bitters and Celery Bitters.

Friday, 07 March 2014

Hey, did you see that labeled Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters on ebay? I particularly like the neck foil embossing on the top.

Burwell’s Virginia Bitters – Richmond post updated.

Wednesday, 05 March 2014

Little ice at Peach Ridge yesterday. Not looking too peachy and springtime like the week before. Some big trees fell too. Nice way to return from Baltimore!

Bet many of you have not heard of a Legal Tender Bitters from Cincinnati, Ohio. Look at this fine picture submitted by Tom Phillips.

Post for Blue Mountain Bitters updated with Joe Gourd trade card. Working on Burwell’s Virginia Bitters post.

Tuesday, 04 March 2014

Mr. weatherman here thinks he outsmarted mother nature and is going to fly home to Houston today to avoid the snow in Maryland yesterday. Guess what! Houston now being hit hard! Pink is ice.

Updated a few posts yesterday based on following nice advertisements in the 1870 Sumter Watchman. This page had bitters ads for Aimar’s Sarracenia or ‘Flytrap’ Bitters, Old Carolina Bitters, Rocky Mountain Bitters and Dr. Tutt’s Golden Eagle Bitters.

Monday, 03 March 2014

Cancelled my flight from Baltimore to Houston later this afternoon as it snowed all last night and will snow today. Figure I can work at my mothers house instead of being bumped around at BWI airport. Most attendees at the Baltimore Antique Bottle Show yesterday got out in time or cancelled flights and will wait as I will. I can also play with my bottles. Maybe I will take a few window ‘snow’ pictures as I certainly can not do that in Houston.

My booty this weekend was good. Picked up some extremely rare bitters including a G.N. Morrison’s Invigorating Bitters, Milburn’s Kola Bitters (Winchester, Virginia), Dr. Herbert John’s Indian Bitters, Magic Bitters (Petersburg, Virginia), and a Winfrees Aromatic Stomach Bitters from Chester, Virginia. A citron green Bunker Hill Monument figural cologne was also added (with original stopper) to my collection. You may remember Sandor Fuss won the example that Heckler recently sold from the Ralph Finch Collection. I also added a pink toned and whittled Old Sachems Bitters and Wigwam Tonic, a corn whiskey figural (see: Summertime is for Corn – Great Corn Figurals) and a labeled C. H. Atwood.

My good friend Gerry Forbes from Carmel, CA, picked up a killer Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters and a Dr. Coleman’s Anti Dyspeptic Bitters and Tonic. My example from the Grapentine collection is pictured above.

Sunday, 02 March 2014

Got’ums some great bottles last night at the show. So excited. I’ll share shorty. In the mean time…

“Hi Ferd, Having fun in the bottle room and wanted to show off my two newest demijohns. We can call this the big, the small, and the ugly! Doing stuff like this is what my friend Brian calls “crapping around with bottles.” Gene Ainsworth

Saturday, 01 March 2014

4:22 am Saturday morning in Towson, Maryland. Already showers, dressed, packed and ready for the Baltimore Antique Bottle Show. Have a 4-hour FOHBC Board Meeting this morning. Need to be at the hotel by 7:00 am to set up.