Lightning Rod Ball Collection Available

Posted on 10 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

[PRG] I am hoping that someone in the New England area, with a knowledge of Lightning Rod Balls, would be interested in visiting and conducting an inventory of this collection. Please contact me if this is a possibility. I may be interested in making an offer for the collection and would certainly partner with someone. If I do not make an offer, I will certainly be directing Melinda to others who may have an interest so please let me know. I will also ask for more pictures.

If you look at the boxes, you will see examples of Chestnut, Hawkeye, Moon and Stars, Ribbed Horizontal “Pee-Wee”, Diddle Blitzen, Plain Rounds, Pleated Rounds, Ribbed Grape, Raised and Flat Quilts, JFG, D & S and W.C Shinn balls etc.

Please read the email below.

Hello Ferdinand:

Here are some pictures of my dad’s collection. The next emails will have pictures of the balls. The boxes of balls have about 6 in each. I just unwrapped a few from most of the boxes to give you an idea of what he has. Hopefully I won’t overwhelm you. Thank you for offering your expertise in the matter. Any help is greatly appreciated. By the way, the photos of your home are amazing!

Melinda

P.S. I can take them from my Dad’s house and take better pictures and send them. These originals were taken quickly and in the attic.

Posted in Advice, Collectors & Collections, Lightning Rod Balls | Tagged Chestnut, collection, Diddle Blitzen, grapes, Hawkeye, JFG, Lightning Rod Ball, Moon and Stars, Pee Wee, Plain, pleated, Quilt, ribbed, Ribbed Horizontal, round, W.C. Shinn | Leave a comment

Barrel Series – Mist of the Morning

Posted on 10 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

MIST OF THE MORNING

10 July 2012 (R•091516)

Post amended 11 July 2012 with three advertisement submitted by Eric McGuire showing the Mist of the Morning product being sold as Bitters (see below). Also see comment from Eric below. Bob Ferraro examples (2) added on 15 September 2016.

“Looks like you need to break down and buy one of these barrels Ferd. MIST OF THE MORNING was advertised as a bitters only”

Here is a barrel very similar to the Wormser Barrel (Read more on Peachridge Glass from September 2011: Watching these Wormser Bros SF Belly-Buttons). Same form, size and belly button which of course was the barrel opening or bunghole. I do not possess an example of this Whiskey (see above) barrel, as I am a Bitters collector but trust I will someday as I see from some of the pictures that I have gathered, that they come in some nice amber colors.

What I find especially interesting is the secondary embossing which is noted as the following taken from the pictures I posted. Notice the “S. M.” initials flanking the bunghole on most examples. The “S.M.” has been replaced by “SOLE AGENTS” on the yellow example below. The name “BARNETT & LUMLEY” is also different. I wish I could find some more information on this barrel. Hopefully this will be forthcoming so I can update the post.

S. M. BARNETT & COMPANY

S. M. BARNETT & COMP’NY

SOLE AGENTS / BARNETT & LUMLEY

Three advertisements submitted by Eric McGuire showing MIST OF THE MORNING being sold as a Bitters product. (top) New York Herald, 14 October 1868, (middle) New York Herald, 28 September 1869, (bottom) Cincinnati Daily Gazette, 31 December 1867.

PS: The two pictures of the barrel superimposed on mist photographs is just me playing around.

Figural Barrel, MIST OF THE MORNING / S. M. BARNETT & COMPANY, deep amber, 10″ high, applied top, bold embossing, America, circa 1860 – 1880 – sold GreatAntiqueBottles.com

“MIST OF THE MORNING / S. M. BARNETT & COMP’NY” Figural Whiskey Bottle, America, 1860-1880. Barrel form, golden amber, applied sloping collared mouth with ring – smooth base, ht. 9 7/8 inches. H #585 Strong embossing, good color, fine condition. Ex Charles B. Gardner collection #585. – Norman C. Heckler & Company

A MIST OF THE MORNING / S. M. BARNETT & COMPANY figural glass whiskey bottle, America, 1860 to 1880. Barrel form, yellow amber with an olive tone, applied sloping collared mouth and smooth base.

Golden Olive Green Barrel Form Bottle marked in raised letters “MIST OF THE MORNING/ SOLE AGENTS / BARNETT & LUMLEY”, tapered lip and concave base. 10″

“MIST OF THE MORNING / S. M. / BARNETT & COMPANY”, (Denzin, BAR-61), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, yellow amber barrel, 9 3/4”h, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Fine condition. When the original mold was made for this bottle, like lot 26 had the words Sole Agent on each side of the indented circle. This embossing was later peened out of the mold and replaced with the letters S. M. Purchased from Dick Judge in 1970. – Glass Works Auctions #112 – Bob Ferraro Collection – Session 1

“MIST OF THE MORNING / SOLE AGENTS / BARNETT & LUMLEY”, (Denzin, BAR-62), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, deep reddish barrel, 9 3/4”h, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Near perfect condition and in a difficult to find color! For whatever reason some mold alteration can be seen on several of the logs. Considerably harder to find than lot 25 the Barnett & Company embossed barrel! Purchased from Pacific Glass Auctions in 2001. – Glass Works Auctions #112 – Bob Ferraro Collection – Session 1

Nevada Bottle Pics to help prime the Reno Expo!

Posted on 9 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Hi Ferdinand,

Here’s a few pictures of 6 Nevada sodas (and a couple extra of a crude & bubbly green WS Wright). Maybe some other collectors can send in some of their favorite Nevada bottle pics to help prime the Reno Expo coming up in a few weeks!

Thanks,
Denny

OK Nevada and Western Collectors…let’s see some Nevada glass!

Three (3) W.S. WRIGHT’s (Virginia City). Early Pacific Glass Works blown bottle. 1. Bluish Aqua 2. Green, crude & a thousand seed bubbles 3. Turquoise – Dennis Bray

This is the green Wright out in the sunlight. I was trying to get a few shots with the light showing off the bubbles, crudity & color (you don’t see very many green examples). – Dennis Bray

Three (3) various Nevada sodas. 1. BREMENKAMPF & REGLI, Eureka, lime green 2. STEPHENS & JOSE, Virginia City, bluish aqua 3. PIONEER / BROWN & CO, Hamilton, light blue – Dennis Bray

Posted in Bottle Shows, Bottles and Extras, Club News, Collectors & Collections, Color Runs, FOHBC News, News, Soda Water | Tagged Bremenkampf & Regli, Dennis Bray, Eureka, Nevada, Pacific Glass Works, Pioneer Brown & Company, Soda Water, Stephens & Jose, Virginia City, W.S. Wright | Leave a comment

Barrel Series – April Fools Joke in July? Now That’s the Stuff

Posted on 9 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

THAT’S THE STUFF

THAT’S THE STUFF figural barrel whiskey bottle, America, 1840 to 1880. Bright yellowish golden amber, crudely applied flared mouth and tubular pontil scar. Probably one of only three known examples.

“I haven’t seen one since, I liked the slogan so I went for it”

John April

No, this is not a “John” April Fools joke but a pontiled barrel that most of us have never seen or heard of before. And look at the embossing slogan! I think Rick Ciralli summed it up best when he said “Shut the Door…” It is really unusual to emboss a slogan on a bottle as usually the product name and/or maker name is embossed prominantly. Reminds me of the tiny “TRY IT” flask (also pictured below).

That’s the Stuff is the Right Stuff! A few facebook comments…

[PRG] “What in the world is this? Never seen before! Thin applied lip too cool”

[Mathew Tigue Levanti] “wow, is it a fantasy bottle?”

[Tom Doligale] “Nice bottle guitar man!”

[Tom Leveille] “That is one awesome barrel”

[Rick Ciralli] “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR….”

THAT’S THE STUFF figural barrel – I haven’t seen one since, i liked the slogan so I went for it. Ex: Spiller collection, the other sticker says A.G.E. Laconia 71. – John April

THAT’S THE STUFF figural barrel – Open pontil. Ex: Spiller collection, the other sticker says A.G.E. Laconia 71. – John April

The tiny “TRY IT” flask – John April

Cullet and Slag Glass Information

Posted on 8 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Put this in the “Learn something new every day” file…

Incoming email this morning. I put the question up on Early American Glass on facebook and quickly received the following comments from Charles Flint and Steven James Anderson.

Howdy Ferd & Jeff (Wichmann),

Can you guys please help me find an old picture of a pile of cullet or slag glass? It was commonly used in the early glass houses for the manufacturing of insulators. I need some sort of picture that depicts the fact lesser quality glass could be used to press an insulator versus blowing a bottle. I’ve searched on-line for something and cannot come up with anything to save my life! A scanned picture from a book would work too, but I keep striking out there also…

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks guys, DB

From Charles Flint:

I don’t think most 19th century Glass Factories could afford cullet. I believe they only purchased cullet for rare colors that they didn’t have formulas for and most of that cullet came from Europe. I doubt any of the bottle and utilitarian glass factories would use cullet. Colors came from different minerals added to the quartzite (silica). I think only the glass factories that made stained glass wanted the rarest colors added to the marbleized batch so they would only purchase in small amounts of odd color cullet.

From Steven James Anderson

Good morning Ferd, Cullet was used to save on raw materials and energy, as it would help the batch of melting silica/soda lime mixture “flux” together more efficiently. Early glass houses would pay people for their broken glass by the pound, to aid in their efforts of “batchmaking”. Slag is the impurities that don’t really mix in, and the junk that gets separated during and after the batch is used. The fact that there is so much unmelted silica (referred to as “snow” by insulator collectors) and swirled color in many insulators, is due to the fact that they were often first out of the batch, since high quality was not a priority. Cullet is not really found per se, as it was constantly used. Chunks of slag are found, because it was the tail end junk of the mix, usually to impure to use. “Slag glass” as it became an art form in itself, was purposely mixed different colors of glass, like pouring several colors of paint together in a pan, and using it randomly.
Really, Cullet is what we find when we go digging, and everything is broken :o( I don’t know if this was helpful, but I know Charlie Flint and some others do have collected pieces of slag they have posted before. Good luck on your mission, Steve PS: Sorry Ferd, I had an early Brookfield somewhere, chock full of unmelted silica, but can’t seem to put my hands on it amidst all the collected “stuff”.

From Charles Flint:

Old Picture of Cullet or Slag Glass Slag pictures (see below)

The two pieces of green slag is from the Lenox Glass Works. circa 1870-1890s. The blue/green slag came from the Cummington, MA Glass Works which I know nothing about.

From Charles Flint:

“There were ads for old glass by glass works.” But I think that was rare and by isolated glass factories. The sand for making glass was reasonable but transporting was very expensive. When the Sandlake / Rensselaer Glass Works in NY blew up in 1852 they salvaged as much as they could and rebuilt it in Berkshire Village, MA because it was closer to the quartzite sand source. That factory was up and running in 1854 to about 1908. They ran out of charcoal for fuel and had to bring coal in by RR and that was very expensive and couldn’t compete with glass works closed to the coal fuel source. This is a fabulous book to read if your a glass historian … http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Berkshire_Glass_Works.html?id=fXEUE2-hFJ0C

From Charles Flint:

“Trace Element Constraints on the Source of Silica Sand Used by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. www.historycooperative.org

NJ3: White sand from a meter-scale lens that occurs in beige, pebbly sand at Menantico Ponds wildlife management area, Millville; these white sand lenses are very white on the surface but below a few mm in the ground are dark grey due to organic-rich, muddy material (N39º22’02.6″ W74º59’51.8″).

*see Warren Friedrich comment below

Posted in Glass Companies & Works, Glass Makers, Insulators, Questions, Technology | Tagged Charles Flint, Color, cullet, Cummington, Glass, Insulators, Lenox Glass Works, silica, slag, snow, Steven James Anderson | 1 Comment

Barrel Series – Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic

Posted on 8 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

From an old Indian recipe in possession of the family of the proprietor for upwards of a century is now offered to the public as one of the most healthy and wholesale beverages extant and as a tonic is unsurpassed.

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC

08 July 2012 (R•131515) (R•091516) (R•080718) (R•082618)

Old Sachems – No better time than now to review my favorite figural barrel. This brand has the great indian chief name, the New York locale, the balanced form, production history and comes in some great colors as you can see from my line-up above. It may also have been the first figural bitters right up there with the Constitution Bitters out of New York. Still working to determine this.

When I find a distinct color that I do not have, I get so excited that I can not even put it into words. I move the bottles around like chess pieces, trying to find the right partners. I also find myself constantly looking at the run for spiritual enlightment. I even nap in a room and fall asleep watching the colors change as the sun and clouds move throughout the day. Nirvana. Honestly, I also make many errors, like when I travel back from a show or receive a special delivery of a new Old Sachems, only to find out that the greatly anticipated color does not fit in with my run, usually because it is so similar to another.

Now look at the olive color Old Sachems, 2nd from the right in the three pictures above. This is new. Unveiled here today. Ex: John Feldmann. This is the first bottle I am posting from the large Bitters bottle purchase in mid June from John.

From the best we can tell, this barrel first appeared around 1857 or so.

Old Sachem Bitters sitting on center top shelf of a Thompson & Co. Grocer ad in 1860 – Image provided by Ted Krist

Old Sachem Bitters arriving in Honolulu, Hawaii – Polynesian, Saturday, November 12, 1859

Here is a collection of images and favorites from my collection, my photo archives and some of my bottle collecting friends.

Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic – Wm. Goodrich, New York Geo. Hunnewell, agent, New York lithograph of Sarony, Major & Knapp, 449 Broadway, N. York. circa 1859. Print showing a Native American man, possibly a chief, full-length portrait, standing, facing right, holding a spear in left hand; in the background are the tee-pees of a Native village during an assault on the village – Library of Congress

OldSachem_Nashville_Union_and_American_Thu__May_9__1861_

Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic advertisement – Nashville Union and American, Thursday, May 9, 1861

Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic advertisement – The Indiana State Sentinel, Wednesday, July 31, 1861

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

O 46 OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC

OLD SACHEM (au) / BITTERS / AND / WIGWAM TONIC ( ad ) // c //
L…Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic, Wm. Goodrich,
Proprietor, George Hunnewell, Agent, 145 Water Street, New York
9 1/2″ x 2 1/4 (8 1/8)
Round Barrel, 10-10, NSC, Applied mouth, Amber, Puce, Apricot, and Plum, Common
Yellow and Amethyst, Rare; Green, Very Rare, Aqua with and without Rough pontil mark, Very rare; Aqua with Metallic pontil mark, Extremely rare; Amber and Gold with Rough pontil mark, Very rare

There are a number of variants of this bottle which have slightly differing embossing pattern, and slight differences in the diameter of the bottle.

Label: From an old Indian recipe in possession of the family of the proprietor for upwards of a century is now offered to the public as one of the most healthy and wholesale beverages extant and as a tonic is unsurpassed. Sold by principal grocers, druggists and hotels throughout the union. Endorsed by a professor at Yale College. Drug
Catalog: 1871, Schieffelin New Haven Daily News, April 7, 1859, Harpers Weekly, October 8, 1859.

Color example for Old Sachems Bitters and Wigwam Tonic – photograph Bitters Bottles

George Goodwin began manufacturing patent medicines in the 1840’s at 76 Union in Boston. Around 1850, he and Dr. John O. Langley of Langley’s Bitters became partners and in 1854, moved to 99 Union.

By 1857, the firm was named Geo. C. Goodwin & Co., and had taken in William B. Hibbard as a junior partner. Goodwin retired in 1859 and his son Charles C. Langley, and Hibbard ran the business. In 1863, they moved to 38 Hanover. Eventually the company became on of Boston’s largest wholesale drug firms.

Old Sachem Bitters Headquarters almanac illustration from Merrick & Moore. Image from Ted Krist. The “T S, X C, M R, 1858” copy exists here too. Still need to figure that out.

1899 Business stationery of Geo. C. Goodwin & Co., patent medicine warehouse, Boston Ma. – Library of Philadelphia

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC BITTERS from the famous Carlyn Ring sale

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC color run – Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC in a light copper peachy color, Spectacular bottle. Hard to
describe color. Light tone, crystal clear, light weight. Strong embossing. Ex: Mike Henness.
– Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC, Killer bottle in sage green. Whittled. Literally attic mint having come out of an attic of a 1700’s house in South Glastonbury, Connecticut many years ago along with many other bottles. Pick of the litter. Picked up at Baltimore show from Noel Thomas – Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC – Light topaz w/apricot overtones, crudely applied square collar mouth. Rare color. Great window bottle. Purchased from Jeff Noordsy – Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC – Striking rasberry puce color. Really jumps out with other Old Sachems. Lots of character. – Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC – Pure yellow, purchased at the Baltimore Antique Bottle Show from Jeff and Holly Noordsy in 2003 – Meyer Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC in a moss green – Bitters Bottles Supplement

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC barrels – Dick Watson Collection

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC barrels in an array of colors. – HistoricBottles.com

Legendary run of OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC figural barrels from the John Feldmann collection (These are John’s darker colors, the picture below shows the lighter barrels)

Legendary run of OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC figural barrels from the John Feldmann collection (These are John’s lighter colors, the picture above shows the darker barrels)

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC figural barrel from the great Sandor Fuss collection. I have seen this bottle three times now in person and I have to admit, this is a killer. You have to see it in person. Tones of character and the citron – ginger ale color is incredible. This bottle was publicly announced in a sale from John Pastor to Sandor. Ex: Mike Henness.

“OLD SACHEM / BITTERS / AND / WIGWAM TONIC”, (Ring/Ham, O-46), New York, ca. 1855 – 1865, bluish aqua barrel, 9 1/2”h, open pontil, applied mouth. Perfect condition, full of seed bubbles. This is the extremely rare smaller size aqua pontiled bottle. As difficult that it is to acquire the larger size aqua bottle, it is much harder to find the smaller one! Purchased from Mike Henness at the 2007 Auburn, California Bottle Show. – Glass Works Auctions #112 – Bob Ferraro Collection – Session 1

Scott Grandstaff – Tooling Around

Posted on 7 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I’m dying to get to Reno. Thinking of looking forlorn on the side of the road with a big Expo sign and teardrops, and “have a little gas money” at the bottom.

I have to admit, everyday is a surprise when I receive emails from collectors talking about their collections and interests. Not only do I get to look at some great pictures but I get to read the emails which paint a pretty good picture too. Below you will see some correspondence and links from Scott Grandstaff.

Please make sure you check out his web site Tools and read about his home made tools. I really enjoyed this. Thanks Scott. Reno or bust.. man!

[email #1]

Hi Ferdinand

Thank you for taking the Federation presidency!! Thank you very much! It’s a fine and noble you are doing, Bravo! Let me know if you need something?

I just saw your Peachridge site. Lovely!! So glad you are doing it and starting the virtual museum. Since you are rounding up pix, I have a few. These are posted on the web for one temporary reason or another. I have others. But unless you need them uploaded, they would be attached pix. Not huge, couple hundred K at most. No megabytes. 🙂

yours Scott (Grandstaff)

[email #2]

Yo F

Good to hear from you too. OK here are some of my more favorite pix. The sun was in a good mood these days. 🙂 No great rarities, but good pix are hard to get! I have more of course, ever since Bottles and Extras I knew there would always be times we couldn’t get decent art. Having a stash of pictures to lean on was paramount.

At one time I built an “electric chair”. An old chair frame with frosted glass in the seat and back and assorted lights I could swap around underneath and in back. I still have some old b&w prints that came out pretty arty. They should, for all the film I burned! The only real consolation was the old Frodshams photo in Medford, Oregon. Not only the best lab in 3 states, but old Frodsham only hired the prettiest girls in the whole area. Like to kill me first 2 steps through the door, and only got worse from there. hehheeh

Oh, forgot to tell you, the reason for the little labeled Fellows from last time? I am one. Also the F in the bottom of the cross on Old Valley? That’s Fellows too. Fellows, Fellowes and Fellers are all the same, depending on where they lived. (obviously “them Fellers” was down south where my immediate family is from, so I am technically a Fellers.)

The famous Fellows Syrup of Hyposhosphites was the branch that wanted to stay loyal to the King and emigrated to Canada during the revolution.

I’m dying to get to Reno (FOHBC 2012 Reno Expo) . Thinking of looking forlorn on the side of the road with a big Expo sign and teardrops, and “have a little gas money” at the bottom. Think that’d do it? Heheheehehe

The tools thing started when I was very young and never stopped. I needed tools. Old tools were basically free and higher quality than new if you could fix them up and make them work again. So I got into it and from there began to redesign old ones and eventually create new designs of my own. Over the years there began to be first some collectors at all, and then more collectors, and finally national as well and regional groups forming. What I had always done as a hobby for free caught on, and “art tools” of very high quality are being made all around the globe now. I got to meet and help start many of the top names, since I was already around. Strictly on the web of course, I seldom ever leave home.

If you are really bored, here are more. These are pretty much all original design. I don’t copy. http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/hometools/. My life is odd. As long as I hold still and don’t move much, I have everything I really need and pretty comfortable.

But outside in the world I am just another old broke hippie (who doesn’t look the part, shhhhhhhhh ;^) .

yours Scott

Posted in Collectors & Collections, Cologne, Druggist & Drugstore, Flasks, Fruit Jars, Inks, Medicines & Cures, Scents | Tagged Scott Grandstaff, tools | Leave a comment

Barrel Series – Turner Brothers New York & San Francisco

Posted on 7 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

TURNER BROTHERS | NEW YORK

07 July 2012 (R•081414 with information from Ann Huberty Duncan who is a direct descendent of the Turner Brothers) (R•091516 – Ferraro example) (R•042019 – 3 part advertisement) (R•091219 – Advertising Cover)

The Turner Brothers New York is an exciting figural barrel that comes in some wonderful amber and green colors with tonal shifts left and right. There are also variants with the embossing copy positioning and size of the typography. You can notice these variances in the examples I have posted further below. There is also a Turners Brothers square bottle that had a label for Turner’s Forest Wine Bitters. Some think the barrel contained whiskey while the square contained bitters. What is great about the Turner name is that it ties directly into New York and California.

The six (some say five and this is incorrect) Turner brothers were manufacturing soda water, ginger wines, berry wines, and medicinals in Buffalo, New York as early as 1847. By 1853, they had opened a branch depot in San Francisco and were listed as syrup and cordial manufacturers.

The Turner Brothers advertised in the October 1858 Nevada Journal newspaper that they were the manufacturers of Turner’s Ginger Wine, Forest Wine Bitters, syrups, cordials and an unrivalled Vegetable Bitters. Sometime in 1865, the Turner Brothers sold the business to the firm of McMillan and Kester. Thereafter McMillan & Kester started advertising that they were the proprietors of the Turner brands. (source Rick Simi – Western Bitters News)

Here below is an advertisement from the Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel from November 29, 1862. The top third advertises Turner’s Forest Wine Bitters. The middle portion advertises Turner’s Ginger Wine while the bottom third is being used for Turner’s Essence of Jamaica Ginger. The products were sold Wholesale by Turner Brothers, Corner Washington and Franklin streets, New York, Niagara street, Buffalo, N.Y. and Corner of Broadway and Front streets in SanFrancisco.

The Turner progenitor was Duncan Turner who emigrated from Dumbartonsire, Scotland to Canada and then New York City in 1818. His wife Mary Shepard Clark had previously emigrated to NY from England 3 years earlier.

In 1819 Duncan and Mary moved to rural Delaware County, New York where other Scots had established farms. Mary and Duncan had six sons and one daughter. (Malcolm, Margaret [known as Ellen], James, Thomas, Archibald, Robert, George). They established themselves as tenant farmers in an undeveloped area that still had Indians living nearby. All the children were born in Delaware County, N.Y., but, unfortunately, baby Margaret died at age 1.5 years in 1925. She was buried in the Kortright Parish Church cemetery, Kortright, N.Y. The only source for the death of Duncan Turner in 1834 at age 50 has been the Turner obelisk in a Brooklyn cemetery. According to the 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Mary Turner (widowed) and her sons were living in Buffalo, running a spirits, wines, and cordials factory. By the mid 1850s, the brothers had also established additional factories in San Francisco and New York City. Robert ran the San Francisco business; James was in charge of the factory in Buffalo, New York; and Malcolm was president of the Turner Brothers factory in New York City. George, Thomas, and Archibald were partners.

After selling the wine, spirits, cordials business, the Turner Brothers established the Turner Brothers Bank headquartered in New York City, sometime in the mid 1860s during the railroad expansion and boom. Later, Malcolm Turner traveled to Europe to establish overseas bank branches in Germany, Paris and London. As managers of the overseas branches of the Turner Brothers’ Bank, Robert and Rebecca Turner lived in Europe in the early 1870s.

Later, due to having overextended their investments in the railroad boom. the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in Europe, and the U.S. Panic of 1873, the Turner Brothers were forced to declare bankruptcy in 1876. Archibald and Thomas Turner sold their partnerships prior to the declaration of bankruptcy and thereby saved themselves from insolvency. Archibald later became president of several banks in NYC.

The Turner Brothers (note there are 6) are each depicted on this Civil War era scrip note payable in Buffalo or New York City. The portraits are extraordinarily realistic and were engraved by W.L. Ormsby. The note also bears the New York Bank Note Co. imprint who did the actual printing. – PCS Currency

Turner Brothers 1883 advertising cover. Manufacturers of Ginger Wine, Bitters, Syrup, Cordials, & Native Wines. Illustrations of New York City, Buffalo and San Francisco offices. – Joe Gourd Collection

Niagara Street, between Virginia and Carolina, the Turner Bros building (originally built as a sarsaparilla, gingers and bitters manufacturer in 1852) – Buffalo Rising

Full page Turner Brothers advertisement in Colville’s San Francisco Directory 1856-1857 – San Francisco Public Library

Use Turner’s Regulator for Health trade card, Turner Bros & Co., San Francisco, Cal

TURNER BROTHERS listing – Thomas’ Buffalo City Directoty

T 67 L Turner’s Bitters, Circa 1858 – 1870 L . . . Turner’s Bitters TURNER BROTHERS / NEW YORK ( ) // c // 9 7/8 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 Barrel, 10-10 Amber and Green, NSC

TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK, figural barrel, labeled bitters. Yellow shading to apricot puce. Smooth base, applied disc top. Hammered with whittle and a seedy crude example in a great color, shading from yellow amber in the top 1/3 of the bottle to apricot puce. 9.75”. Meyer Collection (Galleria Auction 2006)

TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK, figural barrel, American Bottle Auctions – Grapentine III Auction 43 – Pure olive green, Applied top, smooth base, loaded with bubbles and overall whittle and crudity. – Meyer Collection (Notice the companion TURNER BITTERS square)

TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK, figural barrel, a very strong example in reddish amber – Meyer Collection (American Bottle Auctions)

A TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK figural whiskey bottle, America, 1860 to 1880. Barrel form, golden yellow with an olive tone, applied square collared mouth – smooth base. – Norman C. Heckler & Co.

TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK whiskey figural bottle, America, 1860 to 1880. Barrel form, golden amber with a red tone turning more yellow in the upper portion of the bottle, applied square collared mouth – smooth base. – Norman C. Heckler & Co.

TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK figural glass whiskey bottle, America, 1860 to 1880. Barrel form, black amethyst, applied square collared mouth and smooth base. Bright, clean example with strong embossing. Rare color.

“TURNER BROTHERS / NEW YORK”, (Denzin, TUR-13), New York, ca. 1860 – 1870, yellow amber with good olive tone barrel, 10 1/8”h, smooth base, applied mouth. A tiny flake is off the top edge of the lip. Crude pebbly glass, lots of air bubbles. Acquired from Glass Works Auctions, October 20, 2003, lot 114. – Glass Works Auctions #112 – Bob Ferraro Collection – Session 1

Two men drinking and playing cards with a TURNER BROTHERS NEW YORK square bitters – tintype

Snuff Jars from the Jane & Charles Aprill Collection (and some more)

Posted on 6 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Snuff Jars from the Jane & Charles Aprill Collection (and some more)

06 July 2012

Charles Aprill continues to dazzle us all with the pictures he keeps posting. We know the Aprills from New Orleans for the best of blue glass (Read: The Charles & Jane Aprill Blue Gallery). Just when you think you are getting a handle with the blues, Charles starts posting picture of some drop-dead, killer snuff jars. Then pictures start showing up with these great labels on the jars. I have put together a few examples to illustrate my point. Charles, I can not wait to visit and see your collection!

Barrel Series – The Mysterious Blue Barrel

Posted on 6 July 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

UNEMBOSSED BLUE FIGURAL BARREL

06 July 2012 (R•092016)

Here is a great figural barrel that many collectors consider very desirable because of the form, size and color. The barrel is larger than most bitters barrels and really jumps out in a crowd whether an example shows up at a bottle show or positioned within a collection. Why do I call this bottle mysterious? Like many bottles, far too many, I can not tell you who made the bottle, what it contained or where it was made. Most collectors consider the contents either whiskey or bitters.

Pictured below are some examples spotted throughout my travels. I remember my friend Jerry Forbes, ‘hawk eyeing’ an example at the FOHBC Memphis National last year during Early Admission. He purchased the bottle within seconds as he wisely knew, someone else was positioning themselves to do the same. My advice, if you see an example, try to get it. This bottles balances out and compliments any collection of early American glass.

FIGURAL BARREL, Deep Sapphire Blue, 10″ Tall, Bitters type Figural Barrel Bottle. American, circa. 1860-1880. Barrel form with ten rings above and ten rings below a wide center band, applied square collared mouth. Smooth base Great color. Good form. – Norman Heckler Auction 61, Lot #60, June 2003 – Meyer Collection

Unembossed Blue Figural Barrel spotted on the shelves of the great Ferraro Collection (Connie & Bob Ferraro)

Unembossed Blue Figural Barrel, Deep Sapphire Blue – spotted at the 2012 Baltimore Antique Bottle Show

Blue Barrel part of the Jerry Forbes booty from the FOHBC National Show last July in Memphis, Tennessee

Unembossed Blue Figural Barrel, Deep Sapphire Blue – spotted at the Houston 2011 Bottle Show

Unembossed Blue Figural Barrel spotted on the shelves of the great Feldmann Collection

Blue Barrel dominating this picture – Jeff Burkhardt collection

Blue Barrel from the Meyer Collection. This is the source picture for the Peachridge Glass web site.

Blue Barrel showing up in the Dr. Daniel Bennett Collection at American Glass Gallery.

Blue barrel spotted at the FOHBC 2012 Reno Expo – Dave Olsen

Unembossed Barrel, (unlisted), American, ca. 1865 – 1875, cobalt blue barrel, 10”h, smooth base, applied mouth. A tiny chip is off the side of the lip. A pinhead in size flake is off a lower ring. An impressive ‘splashy’ barrel that adds a lot of pleasing color to any bitters collection! Purchased from Gary Eichhorn at the 1988 FOHBC Expo in Las Vegas. – Glass Works Auctions (Bob Ferraro Collection) Session 1

Hello Ferdinand:

Melinda

P.S. I can take them from my Dad’s house and take better pictures and send them. These originals were taken quickly and in the attic.

MIST OF THE MORNING

10 July 2012 (R•091516)

“Looks like you need to break down and buy one of these barrels Ferd. MIST OF THE MORNING was advertised as a bitters only”

S. M. BARNETT & COMPANY

S. M. BARNETT & COMP’NY

SOLE AGENTS / BARNETT & LUMLEY

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Hi Ferdinand,

Here’s a few pictures of 6 Nevada sodas (and a couple extra of a crude & bubbly green WS Wright). Maybe some other collectors can send in some of their favorite Nevada bottle pics to help prime the Reno Expo coming up in a few weeks!

Thanks, Denny

OK Nevada and Western Collectors…let’s see some Nevada glass!

THAT’S THE STUFF

“I haven’t seen one since, I liked the slogan so I went for it”

John April

[PRG] “What in the world is this? Never seen before! Thin applied lip too cool”

[Mathew Tigue Levanti] “wow, is it a fantasy bottle?”

[Tom Doligale] “Nice bottle guitar man!”

[Tom Leveille] “That is one awesome barrel”

[Rick Ciralli] “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR….”

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Put this in the “Learn something new every day” file…

Incoming email this morning. I put the question up on Early American Glass on facebook and quickly received the following comments from Charles Flint and Steven James Anderson.

From Charles Flint:

From Steven James Anderson

From Charles Flint:

From Charles Flint:

From Charles Flint:

From an old Indian recipe in possession of the family of the proprietor for upwards of a century is now offered to the public as one of the most healthy and wholesale beverages extant and as a tonic is unsurpassed.

OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC

08 July 2012 (R•131515) (R•091516) (R•080718) (R•082618)

O 46 OLD SACHEM BITTERS AND WIGWAM TONIC

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I’m dying to get to Reno. Thinking of looking forlorn on the side of the road with a big Expo sign and teardrops, and “have a little gas money” at the bottom.

TURNER BROTHERS | NEW YORK

07 July 2012 (R•081414 with information from Ann Huberty Duncan who is a direct descendent of the Turner Brothers) (R•091516 – Ferraro example) (R•042019 – 3 part advertisement) (R•091219 – Advertising Cover)

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Snuff Jars from the Jane & Charles Aprill Collection (and some more)

06 July 2012

UNEMBOSSED BLUE FIGURAL BARREL

06 July 2012 (R•092016)

Read More on Figural Barrels

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Thanks,
Denny