Downieville starts out with a blast!

Posted on 10 September 2011 by Ferdinand Meyer V

A bottle collectors paradise!

Downieville starts out with a blast!

10 September 2011

Apple-Touch-IconAToday is the day (10 September 2011) for the Downieville, California annual Antique Bottles and Collectibles Show “Bottlemania! A Blast of Glass from the Past”. The show is being held in the Downieville School Gym at 130 School Street. It opens at 8:00 am for a $10 early looker fee and is free to the public from 10 am to 3 pm.

I flew in yesterday about noon. It is about 3 1/2 hours from Houston to Reno. Got my luggage, rental car and headed into the beautiful Tahoe National Forrest. Downieville (read more) has to be one of the most pisturesque, quaint and charming little towns that I have ever been too. This place is so beautiful. Downieville sits at an elevation of 3,888 feet and the 2010 United States census reported Downieville’s population was just 282! Now it is filled to the brim with bottle people! Oh la la…

Jerry Forbes rented us a house right on the confluence of the Downie River and North Fork of the Yuba River. I left my window open last night and listened to crickets and rushing water. Even yesterday afternoon provided for some great side bottle ‘look-sees’ within the confines of our house with bottle friends.

Last night was the famous BBQ dinner at Rick Simi’s house and the wine tasting event hosted by Will Clark of 49er Wines. He featured wines from the California gold country. The tasting started at 5:00 pm until they started serving the BBQ dinner around 7:00 pm. Big turnout, glad to see my western friends. I took a few pictures last night. I will get some good bottle shots today and post later.

About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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One Response to Downieville starts out with a blast!

  1. Denny Bray says:
    11 September 2011 at 1:40 am

    Just a quick note to say THANK YOU to the Simi/Lingren/Holt/Lambert/Higgins crew (and all their helpers) for a fantastic pre-Downieville bottle show BBQ Friday evening. The great food was only second to the warm hospitality! Today’s bottle show was a lot of fun too. Very well attended by all regions of California and several other states. Charlie Holt came decked out as Doc Holiday in true to period 1880’s gun slinger atire. Heck, I got so caught up in the spirit, this EC&M collector bought a western whiskey and bitters! For those of you who missed out this year, please start planning now to make next year’s. Thanks again Downieville gang for a job well done!!!

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