July  |  2 0 1 6

28 July 2016

It is with great sadness that I report that Jerry & Helen Forbes, dear friends of ours, lost their house yesterday in the Soberanes Fire. Here is a PRG Facebook screen capture from last Saturday before they evacuated.

24 July 2016

Consumed with the Sacramento National. Houston Bottle Show yesterday. That was fun. Started out Friday in Pensacola and headed back late. Missed Friday evening Early Admission. Off to Baltimore this week for meetings.

Hi Ferd. Found this in an old bottle collection and have never seen one. Thought it may interest you! – Mark Newton

Reminded me of a pic I had from a previous Glass Works auction.

Friday, 15 July 2016

A nice piece below that Richard Sheaff sent me that he recently came across during some research on S. O. & W. L. Richardson.

Read More: S.O. Richardson’s South Reading Mass Bitters Bottle + letter Civil War 34th Reg

Read More: W.L. Richardson’s Bitters – South Reading

Read More: Dr. S.O. Richardson’s Jaundice Bitters – South Reading

Sunday – 03 July 2016

Hello F., Liberty can come with a steep price; something to remember on the Fourth of July. This ca. 1914 postcard brings to mind another liberty worth noting. – Ken Previtali Read: The Bust of Columbia Liberty Cap Eagle Historical Flask

Was thinking about whiskey bottles yesterday and remembered a scene from the HBO Deadwood series where Al Swearengen (last names fits) discusses the merits of owning a saloon. Of course his language is a bit more colorful. Watch.

Fred Holabird reports that the 49er Bottle Jamboree has a number of whiskies in their auction including, “about 20 fifths and flasks. Includes his green Thos Taylor, VC; about 10 rare western flasks, from Washington to Nevada and California, with several unlisted.”

Saturday – 02 July 2016

A series of communications from my friend, fellow bitters collector and FOHBC treasurer, Gary Beatty:

Hey Ferd, here is a blue bottle that I picked up at a thrift store. It is probably from the 1940s or 50s? It’s not valuable but it fits in my small “Blue” collection. Read the label, Ryd•D•ers Tar Solvent. I always used to use turpentine. Best Regards, Gary

Hey Ferd, This is a WOOD’S TONIC & / WINE BITTER / CINCINNATI OHIO. It is W 153 in Ham’s Bitters Bottles Book, and listed as rare. I think should be updated to extremely rare. Dug by a St. Louis privy digger. I had to clean it. It has a 3″ crack on one shoulder but I am thrilled to have this Buckeye in my collection. Best Regards, Gary Beatty

Gary, here is my example. Difficult bottle to photograph.

Hey Ferd: here are two great bottles found art an Indiana garage sale in the past week. A.G.W. Merchant Lock Port N.Y and a yellow Drake’s Plantation Bitters. Keep Looking Folks! Gary Beatty

Ferd, here is the bottle I won in the Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine for my article. Best Regards, Gary

Friday – 01 July 2016

OK, please pardon me for my absence this past month or so which has been extreme to say the least. Super busy and traveling with work and knee deep in alligators with all the details for the FOHBC 2016 Sacramento National Antique Bottle Convention & Expo and getting the contracts ready by 28 July for the FOHBC 2017 Springfield National Antique Bottle Convention & Expo. This period of time has been daunting. Throw in the renovations from two catastrophic 500 year floods on the property and house, just wow. As Chuck Thompson, a long ago famed Baltimore Oriole and Colt’s radio and television announcer used to say, “Ain’t the Beer Cold!”

I’ll just start the month off here with the present FOHBC President’s Message as that recaps some of where we are at down here. Good progress. On any given work day we have pavers, pool repairers, roofers, drywallers, painters, carpenters and tilers. Fortunately we have a good general contractor. Today they started security wiring for cameras and alarms. Yesterday, Elizabeth picked out all new appliances. Painters will be here soon.