Two examples of a C.A. Richards 99 Washington St. Boston

Posted on 30 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Two examples of a C.A. Richards 99 Washington St. Boston

30 May 2012

An interesting bottle closes on eBay today. This is an extraordinary example of a C. A. RICHARDS 99 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON square. I believe it is a Bitters though there is thought that is is a Whiskey too. I first saw a C.A. RICHARDS on eBay a year or so ago. It seemed like it stayed up there forever. I suspect the example never sold and was moved to American Glass Gallery. If not, the amber example that just closed on AGG was the third example to pop up recently.

Today’s post was prompted by the killer green example. Yum. Wish it had BITTERS embossed on it. That would really be interesting!

Updated 14 September 2012 (R•083014)

Calvin A. Richards

One practically unknown retailer of the period, whose name is associated with whiskey and wine from the Bertrand cargo, was Calvin A. Richards. Boston City Directories (1861, 1867) list Richards as a retailer of wines, cigars and cigarettes at 91 Washington Street during the period between 1861 and 1867. He apparently retailed several brands of bitters in addition to bar goods. Dr. Abbott’s Bitters, made by C. W. Abbott and Company, Baltimore, bearing a paper label with the signature of C. A. Richards, was one such product. Richards was also the proprietor of Richard’s Sonoma Wine Bitters made from California grapes and “aromatic and healthful plants” (Watson, 1965, pp. 247, 270). His obituary in the Boston Evening Transcript for Tuesday, February 15, 1892, which appears below, indicates that, although he sold wines and liquors for a short time, he was successful in other business ventures, including real estate:

CALVIN A. RICHARDS DEAD. He Succumbs to Heart Disease About Noon

Sketch of His Career.

Calvin A. Richards died at his home 394 Beacon street today shortly after noon. Heart disease is the cause ascribed. At quarter before twelve he answered a telephone call from his office and within half an hour from that time he was dead. Mr. Richards was about sixty years of age. He was a member of the Common Council in 1858, 1859 and 1861, while in 1862 he was a member of the Board of Aldermen.

As a businessman Mr. Richards had been very successful. He began with the manufacture of proprietary articles and with the money made this way he opened a liquor store on the corner of Washington street and Williams court, where he continued for a long time. His earnings he invested in real estate at the South End, including the Metropolitan Hotel. In 1874 he was induced to go into the board of direction of the Metropolitan Street Railroad and he in a short time succeeded President Draper. To take this responsible position Mr. Richards was induced to relinquish many business cases, and endeavor to ascertain if the old-time prestige of the valuable property could be recovered. The Highland Railroad had secured a franchise and was launched into immediate success. The energy at once displayed by Mr. Richards was felt in every department, and his direction was always noted for prompt, vigorous policy. After the Metropolitan was absorbed by the West End Railroad Mr. Richards became connected with the latter road as general manager under President Whitney, but after a few weeks in that position he resigned.

Mr. Richards was one of the largest owners of real estate in the city. For thirty years he has been a large investor in property from Dover street out, and he is believed to have been the largest single owner of real estate in that section. He also owned the John C. Paige building at No. 20 Kilby Street and the Richards building at No. 114 Hate street. For about twenty years he was a resident of West Chester Park, and for the last two years he had lived on Beacon street.

Mr. Richards was the son of L. D. Richards (I think this should be Isaiah D. Richards), who died a few years ago, and with whom he was a partner in the liquor business. He had a wife and one daughter, and his brother Henry also survives him. The funeral services will be held at Mr. Richard’s late residence, 394 Beacon street, Thursday noon. The burial will be private.

H. A. Richards

H. A. Richards, whose name and address appear on cases of Kelly’s Old Cabin Bitters, may have been a brother or a cousin of Calvin Richards. No references to H. A. Richards were found in the Boston Public Library, indicating that he may have been in silent partnership with Calvin, although the addresses differ.

Boston, MA – C.A. Richards 10¢ – Heritage Auctions

eBay

C A Richards 99 Washington St Boston Bottle. 9.5″ tall Green Bitters Teal Color. We have a Green, Teal color, CA Richards 99 Washington St Boston Bitters Bottle. Measures about 9.5″ tall and about 2.75″ wide. There are no flea bite cracks or breaks. There are beautiful bubbles in the glass and an iridescent in the color. This is a beautiful bottle. (so far this one is my favorite) What a great find. Great addition to your collection. Please ask all questions before bidding.

American Glass Gallery

C.A. Richards / 99 Washington St. / Boston.” Whiskey Bottle, America, 1865 – 1875. Attractive orangy amber near the shoulders with some rich deeper reddish and puce tones, particularly through the center and lower portions of the bottle, square with beveled corners, applied sloping collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 ½”, near mint; (a pinprick bit of roughness on the edge of the applied lip and a couple of tiny open surface bubbles). A heavy crude example with great character and color.

See Another Similar Post on eBay: Collectible Antique Bottle James Dingley 99 & 1585 Washington St Boston

See picture of another example (near bottom of post) that sold on eBay where seller said this was a Stoddard product.

Note example or variants with slightly different embossings (Co. after C.A Richards) at bottom of post.

C. A. RICHARDS 99 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON Bottle – eBay

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

C. A. RICHARDS 99 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON Whiskey Bottle – American Glass Gallery

C. A. RICHARDS 99 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON, Rare Stoddard Red Amber Bitters Bottle c 1870 with embossing as follows (C. A. Richards 99 Washington St. Boston ), cork top finish with an applied lip , Red Amber in color, blown glass, measures 9 1/2 inches tall, has a small lip chip and content residue, I GUARANTEE this to be a Stoddard Glass Bottle, this bottle is in Good Condition – antique bottles on Etsy

Collectible Antique Bottle Yellow Bitters C.A. RICHARDS 99 WASHINGTON ST. BOSTON Approx. 2 3/4″ sq x 9 1/2″ high. Yellow glass bottle. Applied taper lip, stretch marks in neck, hundreds of tiny seed bubbles plus a few larger ones, smooth base. An absolutely stunning bottle. Embossed on front/ C.A. Richards & Co. – 99 Washington St. – Boston, Mass. – eBay

Just acquired this great group of CA Richards bottles. The bottle in the middle retains 90% of the original label! – Jeff Noordsy (added 31 August 2012)

Two “C.A. Richards & Co / 99 Washington St / Boston” Rye Bottles, probably a Stoddard glasshouse, Stoddard, New Hampshire, 1860-1872. Square with beveled corners, red amber and olive amber, applied sloping collared mouths – smooth bases, ht. 9 1/2 inches and 9 5/8 inches. Form similar to L/P plate 11, row 3, #7 These two beautifully colored bottles have partial front and rear labels noting that they are “Extract Of Rye”, one example has a partial box, bottles in fine condition, good colors, strong embossing. Kris Kernozicky collection. – Heckler Auction 103

Labeled C.A. Richards Golden Sheaf Whiskey – ebay

Posted in Auction News, Bitters, eBay, News | Tagged 99 Washington St., American Glass Gallery, Boston, C.A. Richards, eBay, Kris Kernozicky, Norman Heckler, Stoddard | 2 Comments

Lester E. Gibb’s Bone Liniment

Posted on 30 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“A cure liniment for external use only: For Skin Inflammations, Soreness, Eye Inflammation, Frost bit, Weeping Sinews, Burns, Cancer Humors, Chilblains, Rheumatic Affections, Itching, Ring Worm, Facial shaving Injuries, Strained Cords etc.”

This post is prompted by Connecticut collector and glass authority, Rick Ciralli who picked up a new GIBB’S BONE LINIMENT this past weekend. He sent me a picture which I included in another post (read: Cocamoke Bitter Co. – Hartford, Conn.). The Gibb’s is a fascinating old bottle with tons of character, and I am sure, history. Let’s follow and look at some of the dialogue and historical information I have reposted below. I would like to update this post as new information comes forward. Thanks.

[PRG note from Rich Ciralli] The testimonial at the bottom is from Gibbs and he mentions A A Cooley of the Hartford area. Note the address on the bottom right hand corner. Charlie (Flint) has info that the family was only about 60 miles from Coventry. Many of us think it might be a Coventry product but this ad brings it closer…great stuff to debate…

[PRG note from Rich Ciralli] A.A. Cooley was quite the merchant in his day, as you know. He sold his own products and those of others as well. I have never seen this ad/poster print before, look at the dates, they all coincide with the Coventry glassworks years in operation. They closed in 1848 according to town records and others…AA Cooley and State Street in Hartford…it’s all good! Isn’t there a Gibbs variant with the 4×4 on the base? I swear I saw one years ago…maybe I’m wrong.

[PRG: Historical note from DiggerDirect on Antique-Bottles.net] “Dr. Gibb’s from Stockbridge, Vermont” Researching an unrelated item, I came across this clip (see below) from a Geneva, NY newspaper dated Friday Morning, April 21, 1853. Time period roughly right, Could be just a dead end lead, but a lead none the less.

[PRG: Historical note from AntiqueMeds on Antique-Bottles.net] There was an L. E. GIBB’S B. LINIMENT aqua bottle. Assuming its the same guy. Trying to figure out where it is from.

[PRG: Historical note from ePackage on Antique-Bottles.net] It’s listed here as a Vermont Med, maybe the guy who runs the site knows more info and you could e-mail him….Jim
http://www.vtmedicines.com/buyselltrade.htm. This is the original page I found it on….
http://www.vtmedicines.com/bottle222.htm

[PRG internet notation for three historical documents] Connecticut State University Library: Includes note that states recipe for bone liniment was an original of Lester E. Gibbs in his own handwriting.

[PRG: Interesting past eBay listing for a found, but damaged GIBB’S BONE LINIMENT]. Antique Civil War era crude Keene or Stoddard olive green glass mold blown hexagonal patent medicine bottle with its embossed GIBBS BONE LINIMENT. Today we are listing all the better damaged bottles we found in a Civil War era farm near Canton, Maine. The family found most of the bottles first. During the 1960’s, they were attracted to the bottle digging fade sweeping the nation. They made a modest attempted at gathering the old bottles scattered in the buildings of the farm, brought them all to the main house, washed them and then scattered them about the home, mostly on window sills. They did not discriminate but kept all the bottles they found including the damaged ones. We separated the better damaged bottles for today’s listing. It is a nice group. This bottle is the classic Keene or Stoddard Glass Works Gibbs Bone Liniment bottle. It is a New England early American glass legendary classic and a beautiful specimen of the crude early New England glass in the rich olive green color. Although damaged, it appears that the bottle was …possibly intentionally broken… to allow, with hand grinding, the bottle to be used as an applicator (by stuffing a rag in the angled end) for glue, stain… or even “bone liniment”. Very good damaged as found condition. The patent medicine bottle has the whole top of the bottle gone with the edges of this break hand ground at an angle, a ¼”spider or star check at the top shoulder of one blank panel and a corner chip at one hexagonal corner of the base, all as found. Otherwise the bottle is perfect… and a crude beauty. Right out of the farm house, it has appropriate and light soiling for it’s age and from it’s old farm residence. Please see photographs. As found in an estate near Canton, Maine.

[Incoming from Charles Flint from Lenox, Mass.]

Gibbs Bone Liniment

Owned and produced in 1843 by Capt. Lester E. Gibbs of Blanford, MA. (I believe the business was short lived). Hexagon shaped glass bottle in olive/green, applied collared lip with an open pontil and the size: 6 ½” high. A cure liniment for external use only: For Skin Inflammations, Soreness, Eye Inflammation, Frost bit, Weeping Sinews, Burns, Cancer Humors, Chilblains, Rheumatic Affections, Itching, Ring Worm, Facial shaving Injuries, Strained Cords etc.

I am descended from the Flint/Lloyd/Gibbs family of East Otis/Blandford. My Great Great-grand Father Loren Flint (Otis) married Delila Lloyd of Blandford, which was directly related to the Gibbs of Blandford.

The original Gibbs 1843 poster is in the collection of Blandford, Mass Historical Society. They were so kind to supple me with most of this information.

I think business people did business with the glass works choose the ones closes to them. Travel was a very difficult, roads weren’t so good in 1843 so Coventry was the path of least resistance from Blandford only 43 miles and the closest glass factory.

LESTER E. GIBBS' BONE LINIMENT - poster image Charles Flint

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT - Rick Ciralli (This is the bottle Rick picked up this past weekend)

Rare GIBBS BONE LINIMENT Medicine Bottle - New England Glasshouse c. 1840 - Medium yellowish olive green, hexagonal, applied sloping collared mouth blowpipe pontil scar, ht. 6 3/8”, near mint; (a tiny 1/8” flake at the base corner on the reverse, and a partially open small bubble on base, otherwise perfect). A bright, clean example with strong embossing. There is an attractive heavy swirl of extra glass on the interior that gives added character to the bottle. This bottle was likely blown at Stoddard. - sold by Early Vermont Medicines

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT - Medium yellowish olive green, hexagonal, applied sloping collared mouth blowpipe pontil scar, ht. 6 3/8”, near mint; (a tiny 1/8” flake at the base corner on the reverse, and a partially open small bubble on base, otherwise perfect). A bright, clean example with strong embossing. There is an attractive heavy swirl of extra glass on the interior that gives added character to the bottle. This bottle was likely blown at Stoddard. - eBay sale 2005

GIBB'S / BONE LINIMENT, olive green, hexagonal, pontil scar, 6 1/2"H, applied sloping collar, a mint bottle with a few freckles of exterior bloom. American, C. 1850, scarce. This VERY boldly embossed colored pontiled medicine bottle is as fine an example as you will find in terms of color, character and condition. - sold by Jeff and Holly Noordsy

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT - Open Pontil: This is a beautiful antique bottle that I purchased at an estate sale. It measures 6 1/2" tall and has no chips or cracks that I can find. Its a little dirty inside the bottle but I believe it can be cleaned. - previously sold on eBay

Researching an unrelated item I came across this clip from a Geneva NY newspaper dated Friday Morning April 21, 1853. Time period roughly right, Could be just a dead end lead, but a lead none the less. - DiggerDirect on Antique-Bottles.net

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT - Botte in front of Advertisement - Charles Flint

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT in natural daylight - Michael George

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT in a rich green - Charles Flint

GIBB'S BONE LINIMENT close-up. Look at the crude typography - Michael George

Posted in Advertising, Digging and Finding, Ephemera, History, Medicines & Cures, Questions | Tagged A.A. Cooley, Antique-Bottles.net, Bottle, Charles Flint, Connecticut, Coventry, Early Vermont Medicines, Gibb's Bone Liniment, Hartford, Medicine, New England, New England Glass House, Rick Ciralli, Stockbridge, Stoddard, Vermont | Leave a comment

Cocamoke Bitter Co. – Hartford, Conn.

Posted on 29 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Cocamoke Bitter Co. – Hartford, Conn.

29 May 2012 (R•042614)

Early American Glass collector and authority, Rich Ciralli (Bristol, Connecticut) contacted me Saturday about a Bitters bottle that he recently obtained. I didn’t have an example so this is always exciting news. According to Rick:

“It was found in a basement from an old timer in Thomaston. He said he had it for over 25 years. His health has deteriorated and he has Parkinson’s disease. He called me to come over and look at some of his bottles. I felt compelled to help him and we had a great time in his basement, dodging spiders, going through his bottles. He said he enjoyed them for so many years, time to pass them on. I also acquired a GIBBS BONE LINIMENT, and a couple of very good inks along with this rare Bitters from Hartford. I have never seen or heard of another before this…”

Upon review of the pictures and digging around, I can see that this is a rather late bottle. I found a patent registration for 1883 which corresponds with the Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles. I am surprised that it has an applied top. The typography is serifed and surprisingly similar to the typestyle on the extremely rare COCA BITTERS (see picture below) which I possess a stellar example. Interesting enough, a COCA BITTERS was dug in Hamden, Connecticut in July, 1973. Probably the same bottle maker.

Cocamoke Bitters advertising trade card – Gourd Collection

It is also worth pointing out that the word ‘BITTER’ is used on the bottle instead of “BITTERS”. The patent notation says ‘Cocamoke Bitters Co.”. I can not find much more information regarding this bottle and that includes a search for information relating to Patrick Donaghue.

COCAMOKE BITTER CO. – Rick Ciralli holding bottle

C 182 COCAMOKE // f // COCAMOKE BITTER CO. / HARTFORD / CONN. // f //
Patrick Donaghue 21 State Street
9 3/4 x 2 3/4 (7 1/8) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied Mouth, Rare
No “S” in BITTER
Trade Cards available
Trademark 3008 dated February, 1883

US PATENT OFFICE, 1883 – Donaghue, Patrick, Hartford, Conn. “Cocamoke Bitters”, 3008, Feb 27

COCAMOKE BITTER CO. – Rick Ciralli

C 178 COCA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

GIBB’S BONE LINIMENT – Rick Ciralli

Posted in Bitters, Digging and Finding, Medicines & Cures, Trade Cards | Tagged bitters, Coca Bitters, Cocamoke Bitter Company, Connecticut, Gibbs Bone Linement, Hartford, Joe Gourd, Meyer Collection, Patrick Donaghue, Rick Ciralli, State Street, Thomaston | Leave a comment

Bottle and Glass Shards – Pieces of Wisdom

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Glass shard coloration, “This particular piece was the opposite; found in the sun and saw the real color later”. – Brian Wolff

John Akers (see more of John’s Cartoons) produced some artwork for the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) for their signature magazine Bottles and Extras. This art appears each issue as a header for a section with special news, finds and of course wisdom. I use this art as a lead-in for a group of pictures of bottle and glass shards that have been posted in recent facebook chatter and on Peach Ridge Glass previously. These pieces of glass really do tell a story.

Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters glass shards – Chris Rowell

Off With their Heads! – Mount Vernon Glass Works – Brian Wolff

Here is some Wistarburgh glass excavated from the site by Boo Morcom some 50 years ago. It amuses me to see how similar the glass is to English counterparts… how does one tell the difference? Does it matter when dealing with object 250+ years old? I should note that some excavated Wistar glass has distictive characteristics, but this stuff looks very English and may be some of the earliest from the factory. – Michael George

Funny we are talking about the New York strap handles… here is a slide from a presentation that did on NH glass. Note the handle form, from Temple NH in 1780! You also have a glimpse here of other excavated Robert Hewes glass. – Michael George

Shards from the Ken Wilson dig at the Glastonbury Glass Works. In the photo you will see several objects that obviously do not “fit” with what was being blown at Glastonbury, two later pieces (the base of a strap sided flask and the top to a Kilmer’s or Hood’s) and a contemporaneous piece of clear blown three mold that was almost certainly blown elsewhere. Obviously, MANY of the shards found on a Glass House were likely produced there but not ALL of them were. I am especially wary of singles and/or pieces that have no previous relationship with the Glass House site. – Jeff Noordsy

Found this GI-30 tumbler shard this weekend. The upper vertical ribbing is there very faintly and was swirled as the lip was formed. The GI-30 mold was used at Mt Pleasant in aqua and olive green glass. I feel that the mold was used almost exclusively for the glassblowers personal use, not as a commercial enterprise. I have some shards of amazing vessels in this pattern that I will found over the years. For those who do not know me, I have been researching Mt Pleasant for about 35 years. I have an extensive collection of organized shards from the area. My aim is identifying what was made there then trying to obtain intact specimens. The glassworks operated from 1846 when it moved from Mt Vernon, NY to 1866 when it moved again to Saratoga Springs and became known as the Congessville works. About 10 years after its closing at Mt Pleasant the entire village site was abandoned, minimizing later deposits of non-Mt Pleasant manufactured glassware. – Richard Strunk

“Here’s how I display some of my pieces, in large clear glass jars. They really look great in the windows!” – Bill Bixby

For you guys discussing NY state handle forms..I dug this at Mt Vernon last year. It is a limeish green color. – Richard Strunk

Many Willington Cathedral Pickle shards – Bill Bixby (Ellington, CT)

Recently dug glass shards with many London Jockey Club House Gin pieces

Yellow glass shards of a London Jockey Club House Gin

My best piece of BTM. GI-30 witchball. I found 2 of these broken in a glassblowers house dump site about 25 years ago. Norm H owns the only intact one knows. I saw his 2 weeks ago, it is larger with less pattern defination. The aqua piece I believe was a small handled creamer. This was found in a large factory and domestic dump site around the same time. – Richard Strunk

Base of a pitcher, excavated at Lyndeborough NH 1870s. – Michael George

Okay all you BTM and ink experts…. I’m trying to identify this shard dug in Central NY (Mt Vernon?) It appears to be GII-18 similar to GII-18A but not the small size ink shown in Covill. It is photographed next to a GII-15 for size comparison. You will note that the base is unmarked and the vertical ribs along the sides near the base are very short. Anybody have a whole one? – Mark Yates

Pitkin Glass Works Ruins, Manchester, CT – supervised dig. – Dana Charlton-Zarro

Note the GII-18 inkwell in the center, it was produced at Stoddard and excavated at the factory (yes BTM was produced there) and this piece was broken half way through the process. The neck would have been sheared, refired, and folded over (tooled) to create the disc top. – Michael George

Cut in half geometric ink pertaining to the Pitkin ink discussion. it looks like one piece to me, no discontinuities. I can see in color or glass texture from body to neck. I think I may have seen an ink with a different colored mouth in a auction somewhere years back? – John April

Annular Inkwell Shards, here are some shards excavated at the Pitkin site and used in a presentation I did a few years back at the Eastfield Village work shops. The simple fact there were so many in different colors, sizes etc…is some pretty credible attribution. – Rick Ciralli

Little balls of fun – Mt. Vernon Glass Co. – Brian Wolff

Speaking of the “elusive” Temple glass… here are some lip treatments from the factory. I don’t think these have ever been published anywhere. – Michael George

Here is a “Hutchins & Mason” waterproof blacking bottle. Although it is embossed “Keene, NH” it was made at Stoddard. There were shards found at the factory. – Michael George

Berkshire Glass Works Slag in Cobalt Blue. – Charles Flint

Here’s a cool pic from my presentation on Pitkin Glass at the Eastfield Village workshops. We had positive matched shards to Inkwells,snuffs, utilities, sunburst and pitkin flasks, chestnut & globular bottles to name a few. Everyone was having a great time studying and learning. We need to see more of this stuff…. – Rick Ciralli

Mt. Vernon factory lip chestnut shards – Brian Wolff

Huge pile of broken Victorian-era pottery and porcelain shards, (some are 1830s-1860s) with a bottle display case in the background was taken at the FOHBC Antique Bottle Show, in Louisville, Kentucky, June 28-29, 2003. It is a display of items rescued at a downtown Louisville construction area dig, The bottles in the background were a sample of the rarest Louisville-related bottles.

Small collection of 13 hat and salt (pontil) Whimseys

Posted on 27 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I like when I do a general post about a specific topic and I get comments and additional information and pictures. The beauty of this site and the digital age in general, is that I can update, modify and correct as I need to. This work is now archived for everyone forever. Once something is printed, it is cast in stone.

In this case, my post Toppin’ it off with a few Glasshouse Hat Whimsies generated the following from Mike in Maine. To me, it is like Christmas or my Birthday (uh..that’s tomorrow…send Bitters Bottles!) when I get new material! Look at these great E A R L Y pieces that make a rather nice group. I will add the Hats to the previous post, but I felt like these beauties needed to be nested together. Thanks Mike.

Ferdinand,

Liked the article on whimseys you posted. Have a bunch of pics… Small collection of 13 hat and salt (pontil) whimseys. See attached.

Mike in Maine

GIII-7 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

GIII-4 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

Stiegel type footed salt (1785-1800)

Diamond Daisy Pattern Salt - Stiegel (1790-1810)

Stiegel type footed salt (1785-1800)

GII-18 Hat Whimsey attributed to New England Glass Company (1830's)

GIII-7 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

GII-18 Hat Whimsey attributed to New England Glass Company (1830's)

GII-16 Hat Whimsey attributed to New England Glass Company (1830's)

GIII-3 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

Diamond Footed Salt - Stiegel (1790-1810)

GIII-23 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

Diamond Footed Salt - Stiegel (1790-1810)

Posted in Blown Glass, Collectors & Collections, Early American Glass, Figural Bottles, Glass Companies & Works, Glass Makers, Salt, Whimsies | Tagged Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, Diamond Daisy, Footed Salt, Hat, Mike in Maine, New England Glass Company, salt, Stiegel Glass Works, Whimsey, Whimsies | Leave a comment

Chief Mike – Barber Shop Art & Collectables

Posted on 27 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I have to say, I meet some interesting people online through this site, the FOHBC site and the facebook bottle and glass sites. In this case it is Chief Mike Murro. Enjoy…

Barber-shopping for me started with shining shoes with my grandfather in a little town of Ludowici, Georgia…so I have been exposed to barber bottles – hair tonics – shaving mugs since the1960’s….

Although career-wise, my occupation is a marine engineer, as sail on a ship as chief engineer with weeks marine hence the name Chief Mike…we build beaches all over the United States….

My schedule is three weeks on the ship and three weeks home. So it gives me lots of time to hunt out barbershop treasures.

My main collecting interests, are label under glass hair tonics, shaving mugs but only those for the occupation of barber and I am sure my collection is the largest in that respect. Also have a large gathering of shoeshine items such as, signs, stands, mutoscope signs etc…

As a hobby, I buy-sell-trade & restore barber chairs, barber poles, for collectors and as eye candy for car collectors. Work 2-3 shows a year at the Barrett Jackson Auction with fantasy – pinup artist Greg Hildebrandt helping him sell his art work and offer my goods at the show too.

Tonics are for the intentions! Intentions of the evenings….

Visitors in the Longwood area are always welcome to pay a visit!!! as my house is a Barbershop Museum…..

See more of Greg’s art at Spider Web Art Gallery. My items are also in one of Gregs paintings…just so you see the connection…

Pinup artist Greg Hildebrandt piece with some of Chief Mikes barber shop items used as props.

Some of Chief Mikes collection:

Chief Mike – Barber Shop Art & Collectables

Shelf of label under glass Hair Tonics.

And to think this old cup was for soap! Barbers were not the usual folks to have their own shaving mug…so good examples are desirable.

Koken Back Station…Refinished and well stocked.

Cigar label…one of the rarest!

Straight razor display case

Proud barbers cup! Another fine example.

Tonsorial parlors stuff

Lug line up of Loken label under glass Barber Bottles

Chromo advertising page – with Ken Osteen.

Vegederma and Cybeline..the genie hair tonics!

Mineral Point, Wisconsin..reverse painted sign.

Oldie NY shop token! 1837

Fan hanger hair restorer sign Mrs. Allens – with Ken Osteen

Grand-daddy James Clyde Gordon giving a haircut to Alvin Young while J.C. Swindell sits in the opposite chair telling hunting stories…Ludowici, Georgia…Mr. Clyde had a 99 year lease on this barbershop for five dollars a month!…little uncle Johnny is in the background looking on… Waiting to sweep hair… Shine shoes…run errands… Child labor was a life saver for everyone..and dagd gum it ..it still is!!!!!!!!

Some Beautiful Carnival Glass Pieces

Posted on 26 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

My experiece with Carnival Glass is limited based on just owning a few insulators that caught my eye over the years. I pictured my PYREX CD 233 to the left. The color is quite nice.

I did a Peachridge post earlier on Glasshouse Hat Whimsies (Read: Toppin’ it off with a few Glasshouse Hat Whimsies) and came across a Carnival Glass hat whimsey that I really liked and included in the article. I see this glass in the many antique shops I visit but usually bypass because of my hunt for Civil-War era glass.

Because of my lack of knowledge and desise to know more, I took a few moments to review Carnival Glass history on various web sites and have put together a few pictures of earlier and later pieces for comparison.

My passion for glass leads me in many directions sometimes, and away from my area of expertise. We need to broaden our horizon with glass history. I honestly can appreciate contemporary glass, early american glass, bottles, depression era glass and hope to visit the Getty Villa Museum soon to really see some ancient glass. Read more: Maryo Visit to the Getty Villa

Carnival glass has been known by many other names in the past: aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as ‘poor man’s Tiffany’.

CD 118 No Embossing, This unique style is one of the rarest Hemingray carnival glass insulators produced. Of the handful still around, most are found with damage. This particular piece has been repaired. - Hemingray.info

Carnival glass is moulded or pressed glass, always with a pattern and always with a shiny, metallic, ‘iridescent’ surface shimmer. The keys to its appeal were that it looked superficially like the very much finer and very much more expensive blown iridescent glass by Tiffany, Loetz and others and also that the cheerful bright finish caught the light even in dark corners of the home.

Exquisite Carnival Glass Vase

Both functional and ornamental objects were produced in the carnival finish and patterns ranged from simple through geometric and ‘cut’ styles to pictorial and figurative. A wide range of colours and colour combinations were used but the most common colours accounted for a large proportion of output, so scarce colours can today command very high prices on the collector market.

Carnival glass has been known by many other names in the past: aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as ‘poor man’s Tiffany’. Its current name was adopted by collectors in the 1950s from the fact that it was sometimes given as prizes at carnivals, fetes & fairgrounds. However, that can be misleading as people tend to think that all of it was distributed in this way but evidence suggests that the vast majority of it was purchased by the housewife to brighten up the home at a time when only the well off could afford bright electric lighting.

Some carnival glass is still produced today although in very small quantities. At the height of its popularity in the 1920s huge volumes were produced and prices were low enough for the ordinary home to afford.

Starting at the beginning of the 20th Century Carnival Glass was eventually produced on every continent except Africa and Antarctica but largely and initially in the U.S.. All the major European glass making centres except Italy produced some and it was very popular in Australia.

Carnival glass gets its iridescent sheen from the application of metallic salts while the glass is still hot from the pressing. A final firing of the glass brings out the iridescent properties of the salts, giving carnival glass the distinct shine it is known for.

History

Carnival glass originated as a glass called ‘Iridill’, produced beginning in 1908 by the Fenton Art Glass Company (founded in 1905). Iridill was inspired by the fine blown art glass of such makers as Tiffany and Steuben, but did not sell at the anticipated premium prices and was subsequently discounted. After these markdowns, Iridill pieces were used as carnival prizes.

Iridill became popular and very profitable for Fenton, which produced many different types of items in this finish, in over 150 patterns. Fenton maintained their position as the largest manufacturer and were one of very few makers to use a red coloured glass base for their carnival glass. After interest waned in the late 1920s, Fenton stopped producing carnival glass for many years. In more recent years, due to a resurgence in interest, Fenton re-started production of carnival glass until its closure in 2007.

Most U.S. carnival glass was made before 1925, with production in clear decline after 1931. Some significant production continued outside the US through the depression years of the early 1930s, tapering off to very little by the 1940s.

Often the same moulds were used to produce clear and transparent coloured glass as well as carnival versions, so producers could switch production between these finishes easily according to demand.

Colors

Carnival glass was made in a wide array of colors, shades, color combinations and variants. More than fifty have been formally classified. These classifications do not go by the surface colors showing, which can be even more varied, but by the ‘base’ colours of the glass before application of the iridizing mineral salts.

In order to establish the base color you have to find an area of the item which had no mineral salts applied, which is usually the base, and hold the item up to the light in such a way that you can see through that area. This is usually easy enough to do, but it can still be difficult for the inexperienced to differentiate the exact base color between the many possibilities as there are often only subtle differences, as well as variations.

The final (post doping) surface shades vary also according to the depth of base color as well as any special treatments and the type and amount of salts used. This last variable caused significant variation to occur even between batches of what should have been, essentially the same colour or colour-way. This happened most frequently in early production but to such an extent that collectors now differentiate between these items, describing the degree of iridescence showing.

The most popular color for Carnival Glass is now known by collectors as ‘marigold’ although that name was not in use at the time. Marigold has a clear glass base and is the most easily recognisable carnival color. The final surface colors of marigold are mostly a bright orange-gold turning perhaps to copper with small areas showing rainbow or ‘oil-slick’ highlights. The highlights appear mostly on ridges in the pattern and vary in strength according to the light.

Marigold carnival glass is the most frequently found color and in general commands lower prices in the collector market. However, variants of marigold such as those based on ‘moonstone’ a translucent white and ‘milk glass’ an opaque white base, can be more sought after. Other base colors include; amethyst, a reddish purple; blue, green, red and amber. These basic colors are then further delineated by shade; depth of color; color combinations such as ‘amberina’; color pattern such as ‘slag’; special treatments such as ‘opalescent’ and finally luminescence such as that given off by ‘vaseline glass’ or ‘uranium glass’ under ultra violet light (blacklight).

Shapes

Carnival Glass was produced in a wide variety of items, from utilitarian to the purely decorative. Even within groups of items a variety of shapes can be found with further variation in edging and bases as well as different treatments of the basic shape while still malleable fresh from the mould. For example, of three items coming from the same mould, one could be left as is, another folded inwards and the third splayed outwards. Edge styles varied from plain to include frilled after moulding, or pie crust, furrowed or bullet, as a part of the mould pattern.

The basic items produced included bowls, plates, vases, jugs or pitchers and tumblers but many other more specialised items of tableware were made also. These included large centre piece items such as jardinières and float bowls as well as smaller useful items such as butter dishes, celery vases and cruet sets. In smaller numbers and less often found are items to do with lighting or associated with smoking and those designed solely for show as ornaments such as figural sculptures or statuettes.

Patterns

Carnival glass was produced in large quantities in the US by the Fenton, Northwood, Imperial, Millersburg, Westmoreland, Dugan/Diamond, Cambridge, and U.S. Glass companies as well as many smaller manufacturers. Competition became so fierce that new patterns were continually being developed, so each company ended up making a wide range of patterns of most types adding up to a panoply of choice. By selling sample pieces to carnival fair operators, it was hoped that a winner would then go on to purchase further items in the same or a similar pattern. Pressed glass ‘blancs’ were bought in and iridized by third parties as well.

Different and in many cases highly distinctive carnival glass patterns were designed and by non-US makers, most notably by Crown Crystal of Australia, now famed for their depiction of that continent’s distinctive fauna and flora in their glass. Sowerby (England) are notable for their use of swan, hen and dolphin figural pieces in carnival finish as well as pieces which have figural parts such as bird figured legs. There is even a figural boat. Of their non-figural production, the strong, bold and easily recognizable ‘African Shield’, ‘King James’ and ‘Drape’ patterns provided a good canvas for shimmering carnival colours.

German production of carnival was dominated by the Brockwitz glassworks, with mainly geometric patterns which take their cues from cut glass. Other major European makers included Inwald (Czechoslovakia), Eda (Sweden) and Riihimäki (Finland). These again produced cut glass styles and simple geometrics with a few floral patterns. However, the most distinctive continental European patterns are probably the similarly styled ‘Classic Arts’ & ‘Egyptian Queen’, produced by the Czech Rindskopf works, sporting stained bands of figures over a very simple geometric form in a very even marigold.

In other parts of the world most notable are the Argentinian Cristalerias Rigolleau for their innovative and highly distinctive ash trays and Cristalerias Piccardo for their highly desirable ‘Jewelled Peacock Tail’ vase. Finally, the Indian Jain company should not go unmentioned, notable for their distinctive elephant, fish and hand figural sections incorporated into the body of trumpet shaped vases and for their desirable and highly complex goddess vases.

Carnival glass is highly collectible. Prices vary widely, with some pieces worth very little, while other, rare items command thousands of dollars. Examples of carnival glass can be easily found in antique stores, and there is a very active market for it on eBay.

Identification of carnival glass is frequently difficult. Many manufacturers did not include a maker’s mark on their product, and some did for only part of the time they produced the glass. Identifying carnival glass involves matching patterns, colors, sheen, edges, thickness, and other factors from old manufacturer’s trade catalogs, other known examples, or other reference material. Since many manufacturers produced close copies of their rivals’ popular patterns, carnival glass identification can be challenging even for an expert. [source: Wikipedia]

Blue Carnival Glass Rooster Candy Dish - A beautiful blue iridescent carnival glass rooster candy dish that has been in the family for decades. My Mom, being the bird lover she was had this proudly displayed in one of her curio cabinets. The colors are just so gorgeous with finely tuned details specifically around the feathers and base of the piece. - Poetic Shutterbug

Pitcher and three tumblers from the Paneled Dandelion pattern by Fenton. The pitcher is 12 1/2" tall and each tumbler is 4" tall. Exotic pressed leaf design, with colors that change depending on the angle of the reflected light. Sometimes these pieces look blue, other times green, and sometimes marigold! - Replacements, Ltd.

Vintage Northwood Grape & Cable Standard or Table Water Set, 7 pcs, circa 1900 - 1940 - Bonanza

Carnival Glass Dish

The first featured carnival glass piece from our museum is a 3-toed bowl from the Grape and Cable pattern by Fenton Glass. 5” tall and 8 1/2" in diameter. Large leaves and a rope metaphor are featured as part of the design motif for this rare piece of art glass. - Replacements, Ltd.

Good Luck Carnival Glass Bowl detail - Ruby Lane

Northwood PEACOCK AT THE FOUNTAIN carnival glass pitcher, c. 1915 - Silver Quill Antiques

Fenton WATER LILY Vintage Marigold Carnival Glass Footed Sauce Bowl. Little marigold carnival glass sauce dish or bowl made by Fenton in the Waterlily pattern aka Lotus and Poinsettia. The dish is ruffled and stands on three ball feet. Beautiful iridescence more concentrated in the folds and center of the dish. Measurements: 6" wide and 2-1/4" tall - Ruby Lane

Vintage Indiana Glass covered canister manufactured in the Grape Harvest pattern. - The canister measures approximately 9 inches tall with the lid on. The opening across the top measures almost 6 1/4 inches. The container displays beautiful metallic iridescence on the teal blue base glass. - Jane K. Cleland

Collection of ten better pattern Carnival glass bowls - Auction of Estate Antiques 2004

Posted in Carnival Glass, Depression Glass, Dinnerware, Glass Companies & Works, Glass Makers, History, Insulators, Vases | Tagged aurora glass, Cambridge, Carnival Glass, diamond, Dugan, Fenton, Imperial, iridescent, Iridill, Loetz, metallic, Milersburg, Northwood, rainbow glass, shiny, Tiffany, Westmoreland | Leave a comment

A letter for Davenport’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters?

Posted on 26 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

A letter for Davenport’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters?

26 May 2012

Ferd – Thought you would like the attached 1849 letter I recently added to my collection…from George Dixon in Dedham, Mass. to William Potter in South Dartmouth, Mass.

He is inquiring as to the stock of medicines that Potter has and includes a question about “[illegible] Bitters” but given the context of the letter I think he almost certainly means “Davenport’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters.” See also the attached advertisement from the December 28, 1839 Hartford Times which shows that Dixon was sole agent in Massachusetts for Davenport’s products including the bitters. Feel free to share as you see fit. I love how postal history and bottle history can intertwine! Wondered….

1) if you have a Davenport’s bottle in your collection?

2) how it would stack up in the “what is our oldest bitters?” timeline given that it was being sold in the 1830s?

All My Best, Jim Schmidt

Visit Jim’s Civil War Medicine (and Writing)

Jim: I have not heard of a Davenport’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters nor is there one listed in Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles or Bitters Bottle Supplement. I would suspect the Jaundice Bitters reference might be to the J 25 JAUNDICE BITTERS, prepared by Thomas Hollis, Druggist and Chemist, 23 Union Street, Boston, Massachusetts. 4 x 1 1/2 x 7/8 Packaged Dry, Printed Wrapper on Box. on part of the rather long label under directions it says “An excellent beer can be made by infusing the Bitters in water, and adding molasses and yeast as usual” Yum… I wonder if Dr. Davenport repackaged this product with his name as your ad suggests?

Read More on the oldest Bitters: Constitution Bitters – The oldest Figural Bitters?

Read More on the oldest Bitters: Is the Cooley’s Anti Dispeptic Bitters our oldest Bitters?

[PRG: from Dear Old Greene County]

In Times of the Catskill Whig

From the Catskill Messenger, published by Ira Du Bois in 1830, a copy of which was preserved by the late Judson Wilcox, we are able to secure a number of interesting matters. The paper was 4 pages of 6 columns and the subscription price was $2.50 per year.

One of the most conspicuous matters advertised was Wheaton’s Itch Ointment, 25 cents, “Cures in an Hour,” The itch was called loathsome disease. Also a cure for “fever and Ague.”

Croswell and Brace, druggists, of whom we are able to present pictures, sold “Jaundice Bitter.” “Davenport’s Celebrated Eye Water,” and “Bilious Pills.” Henry Mc Kinstry sold “Hygiean Medicine” which was guaranteed to cure Small Pox, Kings Evil, Apoplexy, Palsy, Consumption, and other ills including St. Vitus Dance. This medicine was alleged to have been recommended by a lot of Royal Eminent Gentlemen. $2.00 packet.

The shipping was done by Penfield and Day who operated the sloops Buck Tail and Shakespeare.

The streamers Champlain and North America between Albany and New York landed at Catskill running day trips and the Dewitt Clinton and the Ohio and Robert L. Stevens night line on same route did not stop at Catskill.

T. C. Atwater sold saw mill cranks, iron and steel.

Griggs and Bullock sold ploughs

J. W. Hunter sold crowbar drafts.

S. Bosworth and J. Gebbard sold satin beaver hats.

T. C. Atwater sold bark mills.

H. Comfort sold prepared floor plank.

Francis Sayre offered $1000 for any stove that beat his invention.

S. W. Bullock and Co. sold leather rollers.

Riesdolph and Van Kuren took care of the horse shoeing.

C. Trowbridge operated a soap and candle factory.

Thomas Reed taught a select school on William street, district school building.

The block of stores occupied by William L. Du Bois, Howard Smith, the Examiner and the old building on the Hasselman lot since remodeled, was built by Mackey Croswell, and the Croswells and Dr. Brace had their offices on Greene street. Here the first Catskill Packet was printed and this building was later moved to the corner where the express office now is where they opened a drug business. In 1822 they built the brick block, where they continued. Later Benjamin Wey and Wm. L. Du Bois at the same stand, Mr. DuBois over 61 years.

Newspaper advertisement for Jaundice Bitters

THOMAS BROWN& CO., at the GREEN STORE, Near the Capitol in Concord, N.H. Advertisement for Patent Medicines

Dr. D’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters – image Jim Schmidt

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, Medicines & Cures | Tagged Dartmouth, Davenport's, Dedham, George Dixon, Jaundice Bitters, Jim Schmidt, Massachusetts, oldest bitters, William Potter | Leave a comment

Toppin’ it off with a few Glasshouse Hat Whimsies

Posted on 26 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

There has been some interesting dialog over at Early American Glass on facebook prompted by a posting by Jeff Noordsy (visit Jeff and Holly Noordsy) of a rather nice Hat Whimsey (see green example that Jeff picked up at the Coventry show below).

I thought that it was high time that I look into this area a little deeper as I have always admired these gracious and sensual pieces of glass. It is also interesting to see how the glass hat whimsey has progressed through different periods of time. Seeing later Hobnail, Carnival, Windmill, Fostoria, Fenton and Murano pieces is really interesting.

The American hat is a fashion icon that may not ever have the prominence and stature it once had with men. Now it might be baseball caps though I do see a fresh fashion move with the generally hip crowd wearing hats but I think this is a momentary fad.

* Image update on 19 July 2012

Later Windmill Hat (left) and Hobnail Hat Whimsies

Glass House Whimsies are non-production glass items made by the glass workers on their own time, possibly for their own use and enjoyment, or to demonstrate their ability with glass, or as a special presentation item.

Blown Saratoga NY Hat Whimsey 1830 – EarlyAmericanGlass.net

[The Whimsy Club] Glass House Whimsies are non-production glass items made by the glass workers on their own time, possibly for their own use and enjoyment, or to demonstrate their ability with glass, or as a special presentation item.

Glass House Whimsies are often referred to as “End-of-Day” items. This terminology implies that the items have various colors because they were made with the scraps of glass left over at the end of the work day. It also implies that the item was made after the regular work day production was complete. Although this may be partly true, the glass used for making Whimsies was generally not an inferior glass and some items may have been made on the lunch hour. Whimsies were also made at the cut glass factories.

WHAT ARE GLASSHOUSE WHIMSIES?

GIII-25 Cobalt Blue hat. Blown three mold hat, probably produced at Sandwich, MA circa 1830s. – Michael George (BottleShow.com)

Glasshouse whimsies, being non-production items means they were not part of the glass factory regular production. In fact, other than the use of factory glass, the whimsies have no connection to the glass company or factory. The 19th century was the hey day for glasshouse whimsies, and it extended into the 20th century until machines finally took over production at all of the glass factories. When this happened, the glass was no longer accessible to the glass blowers.

These whimsical items the glass blowers made on their own time included canes, chain, hats, sock darners, doorstop turtles, bellows bottles, bells, witch balls, banks, powder horns, pipes, rolling pins, horns, and many more items. In fact, there are additional items coming to our attention every year. These include witch wands, gavels, screw drivers, pistols, and swords. Some of these whimsies may be made of clear or aqua glass. Others may be of a single color like amber or cobalt blue, while others may have many colors.

The many whimsies of aqua color (canes, witch balls, chain, etc.) were probably products of a window glass or bottle factory. Bottle glass was usually aqua due to the natural iron in the sand, which discolored the glass. Window glass may have been chemically treated to produce a somewhat clearer glass. Seldom was green, amber, cobalt blue or ruby red available to the workers of these bottle and window glass factories. The more colorful whimsey items may have originated in larger glass works which had many pots and possibly several colors available at one time. Glasshouse whimsies are referred to as Friggers in England and as End-of-Day in other areas.

Glass workers did not have time to amuse themselves with their creations during working hours. Pay scales were equated to the volume of the product or numbers of piece work. At some glass houses there were terms like “Turn” which meant you worked a certain length of time, which may have been four hours. During that “Turn” the shop had to produce a “Move” which equaled a certain number of items. The number of items for a “Move” was derived through negotiations between the union and the company. Workers working together enabled a shop to produce a “Move” in a “Turn”, thus preventing any work on personal creations, other than at lunch time or at the “End-of-Day”.

Glass workers had a difficult life, with the heat, the smoky, dusty, air and the pressure to complete a “Move” to make the maximum wage. The opportunity to make a useful item for home or just an attractive item for pleasure was one of the few benefits that had the owner’s consent. Even though the glass workers had unions, they were not able to acquire many benefits because the owners would stop production and close before giving in to union demands. This happened at Sandwich Glass Works in 1888.

A major problem the workers faced when they made a whimsey, was preventing someone else from taking it. The item had to be cooled in the lehr overnight, and whoever was first to get to work the next morning had the opportunity to grab the whimsey if he was so inclined. Some workers just expected their whimsies to disappear and were surprised when it was still there for them to have.

There are some types of whimsies being made today. Are these reproductions or just the present day workers demonstrating their ability with glass? What classifies a glasshouse whimsey as being reproduced? When does the apparent time period of “originals” cease and the time period of “reproductions” begin? All glasshouse whimsies are one-of-a-kind and therefore should be judged on their own individual quality and beauty and not necessarily on their age. This is especially important with glass, because it is very difficult to judge the age of a piece of glass.

A few pictures from a range of sources and time periods.

“Picked up this handsome hat at the Coventry Show this past weekend. My strong sense is that it is New York State and likely a Congressville made piece” – Jeff Noordsy (A later post on facebook after receiving a variety of comments: “Am I allowed to change my mind? Spent some time with this today and it’s more delicate than I would think of Congressville. You folks who guessed “Willington” are probably on a better track”)

Freeblown Hat Whimsey, golden olive amber, tubular pontil scar, 1 5/8″H x 4 1/8″ across the brim, tooled rim, mint. New England, probably blown at a Stoddard, NH Glass House, C. 1850. Although it is not heavily worn, this freeblown hat is DEFINITELY period and almost assuredly Stoddard or Keene, NH in origin. Hats of this general size, shape and construction are typical of Stoddard’s output, although they are a scarce item and nearly impossible to locate in the current market – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

American Blown Glass Hat Whimsy’s & Glass Christmas Lights, lot of 7, all clear blown glass, except one hat whimsy which is mold blown. Includes 5 Christmas lights with ground pontils, bulbous form; 3.25″, 3″, 2″, 2″ & 1.75″ high x 2.25″, 2.25″, 1.75″, 1.75″ & 1.25″ diameter; PLUS a blown glass top hat with ground pontil; 3.75″ long x 3″ wide x 2.75″ high; AND mold-blown hat with stop-fluted base; 4.25″ long x 4″ wide x 2.5″ high. – Cowan’s Auctions

Three Blown Glass Hat Whimseys. Attributed to Massillon, Ohio, mid 19th century. Amber. 3″, 3 1/4″, 3 1/2″h. – icollector.com

Hat Whimsey – Keene Glassworks circa 1825. GII.18, extremely rare in olive amber. Less than 1/2 dozen examples known – Daniel Baldwin

Three Whimsey Hats – The Whimsey Club

GIII-23 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820 -1840)

BA-Dugan Circle Scroll JIP hat whimsey from tumbler – Carnival Glass Auction Extates

Two Blown Glass Hat Whimseys. Attributed to Massillon, Ohio, mid 19th century. Miniature amber, 2″h., and sapphire blue, 2 1/4″h. – icollector.com

Freeblown Hat Whimsey, golden olive amber, tubular pontil scar, 2 ¼”H and 3 5/8″ at widest point, tooled rim, mint. New England, almost certainly blown at a Stoddard, NH Glass House, 1842-1860, ex. Lyman and Sally Lane, ex. Woody Douglas. This exact hat is pictured as #5 in the top row of plate 2 in the book “A Rare Collection of Keene and Stoddard Glass.” We have owned and treasured this hat for roughly five years, having acquired the piece from Woody Douglas. It remains the best example of a Stoddard hat we have seen. – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

GIII-3 Hat Whimsey attributed to Boston & Sandwich Glassworks (1820-1840)

Whimsied from a Fenton Waterlily and Cattails marigold tumbler, this unusually shaped piece is one of just a couple known. – David Doty’s Carnival Glass

Miniature Hat Whimsey, aquamarine, pontil scar, 1 5/8″H, folded rim, a mint hat with some exterior “bloom” that resulted from the manufacturing process. American, probably blown at a South Jersey Glass House, C. 1850. This truly “miniature” hat is the smallest example I can recall seeing with a neatly folded rim. – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

Blown Glass House Whimsey, deep aquamarine, cylindrical with widely flaring brim, pontil scar, 5 7/8″H x 10″ across brim, outwardly folded rim, about mint (minor potstone radiation in shoulder). American, probably blown at a Southern New Jersey Glass House, C. 1850, rare size. This oversized hat is a superb example of the mid-Nineteenth century wares produced in the South Jersey (Germanic) tradition of glassblowing. Most likely blown using a dip mold typically utilized in making demijohns, this well-constructed piece would have served as both a whimisical and utilitarian purpose. – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

American Fostoria 10″ Whimsey Hat. Due to it’s size, could possibly be a one of a kind piece. Piece was acquired from an estate from the Moundsville, W.Va area, once home of the Fostoria Glass Co. Whimsey was probably made by a former Fostoria employee on his spare time. Not certain what mold this Hat could have been formed out of but I’m guessing either the Sweetpea Vase or one of the Centerpiece’s. Across the top at it’s widest point, Topper (Cowboy) Hat measures 10″ and across underside of the base it measures 6 1/4″. – eBay

A free-blown reddish amber bottle glass hat. Very similar to Whitney glass. I am sure it is an early south Jersey piece. 2 1/2″ tall by 2 3/4″ wide and 3 3/4″ long. – Jim Davies

An assortment of free-blown hats. All of them have some age to them but I really can not say where they are from. Old cobalt hats are hard to find – Jim Davies

Hat Whimsey, golden olive amber, two-piece mold cylinder with manipulated wide brim, pontil scar, 1 3/8″H x 3 ½” at widest point, mint. New England, probably blown at a Stoddard Glass House, Stoddard, NH, C. 1850. Of the few utility bottle hats we have offered over the years this is unquestionably my favorite. Hats of this type are quite rare and the extra wide brim on this example truly makes it “unique.”. Jeff and Holly Noordsy

American Whimsy Blown Glass Top Hat, early 19th century. Emerald green with slightly folded brim at sides, snap pontil, 4″ h. x 6.4″ long. These were made by many different American companies including Sandwich. – Live Auctioneers

Blown teal glass hat whimsey, 19th c., 2 3/4” h. – Live Auctioneers

Here is an early bowler’s hat, acquired from an old time collector in CT who acquired it from Gardner. I have since located it in Wilson’s book, fig. 94. One thing that is real neat about it is that it looks like it was German half post, or double-dipped… maybe to give it the bulbous form? – Michael George

Vintage Murano Glass Hat Whimsy – Planet Glass

Here is the hat made from the 12 sided bottle. This one belongs to the New Hampshire Historical Society. Great rarity! – Michael George

Hats off to ya fellas! – Michael George

The hat in front on the left was blown in the same mold as the utility bottle – Eric Correla

Nice NH piece made from a large utility bottle! – Michael George

Posted in Blown Glass, Collectors & Collections, Depression Glass, Early American Glass, eBay, Facebook, Figural Bottles, Freeblown Glass, Glass Companies & Works, Glass Makers, History, Whimsies | Tagged Carnival, Congressville, Coventry, David Doty, Eric Correla, Fenton, Fostoria, Glass, glasshouse, Hat, Hobnail, Jeff Noordsy, Jim Davies, Massillon, Murano, Planet Glass, Sandwich, Stoddard, Waterlilly, Whimsey, Whimsey Club, whimsical, Whimsies, Whitney, Willington, Windmill | Leave a comment

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters on eBay

Posted on 24 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters on eBay

24 May 2012 (R•041117)

Watching this oddball on eBay. I cleaned the pictures up as the background was a bit competitive with the nice bottle. With about 1 day left in the bidding, the bottle price has already surpassed the $1,000 mark. I bet the west coast guys are on this with the Sacramento city location.

[eBay description]

Very likely a “one of a kind” bottle. Very Rare, C. Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound on a “recycled J. Hostetter’s stomach bitters bottle”. That’s right the front of this bottle is labeled while the back is a re-used Hostetter’s bottle. I have never seen another one like it!!. Bottle is sealed with contents still inside. Bottle has no chips or cracks and is a beautiful rare example of bitters bottle and their multiple uses. A real gem!! C. Schnerr’s MFG Chemists of Sacramento, California.

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters – front label side – eBay

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters – front label detail – eBay

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters – HOSTETTER’S STOMACH BITTERS embossed side side – eBay

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters – top view – eBay

Examples of different HOSTETTER’S STOMACH BITTERS – Meyer Collection

07 April 2017 (from Carol Guida)

Hi – I saw your post about the Schnerr’s Cherry Tonic bottle that sold on eBay. I am from California an stumbled upon a lot of information on the Schnerr Bottling Company while I was doing some research on the Carpenter Hotel (circa 1900) at Emigrant Gap. As far as I know, the hotel is no longer standing – but the owners of that hotel and the Emigrant Gap Hotel had a business and personal relationship with the owners of the Schnerr Company. I am wondering if the bottle was so expensive due to the scandals that surrounded the Schnerrs? I captured some of the Schnerr scandal and here is what I know (PS: I am a Sierra History buff and not a bottle collector but thought you might be interested in this history. Also – there is a lot of information here so at the end, I put in a short timeline):

THE CARPENTERS AND EMIGRANT GAP

The Carpenter Hotel was built by William Carpenter. William came to California 1852 and he had 740 acres of land in Emigrant Gap and 1700 acres near Truckee. He was a rancher and also had a home in Folsom area.

He died at his Folsom home in February 20, 1906 from a herromage. His daughter was Annie (see above article). His sons were William Jr. and George (see article above). William Jr. died of TB in Folsom in 1906.

Annie was married to Edward Schnerr of Sacramento on March 21 (or April 6), 1906, just one month after the death of her father and shortly after the death of her brother. Edward was 39 and Annie was 43 (a spinster). They moved into 2515 H St, Sacramento. None of William Carpenter’s children had children of their own.

Edward Schnerr lived in Sacramento and along with his brothers Antoine and Constant Jr, owned the Schnerr Bottling Company (inherited from their father in 1897). The first reference I have to the Soda Works company was before it was renamed to Schnerr. In 1890, it was called the Capital Soda Works company owned by Constant Schnerr Sr.

I recently received a copy of a receipt that shows that Schnerr and Company sold beer to the Emigrant Gap Hotel. It would be likely that his company could have been selling beer at the Carpenter Hotel as well. This could explain how Annie met Edward.

In 1907, Annie was awarded her father’s estate with property in 3 counties as the sole heir. She then deeded 1500 acres of land in Nevada County over to Mr. Cox, a friend and the administrator of her estate. The land was deeded with the understanding that she could reverse the deed at any time. She also purchased 4 additional pieces of property in Sacramento. That same year, Edward and his 2 brothers (Antoine and Constant) had their sister committed as an incompetent with a guardian placed over her. (Note: She had been committed before by her mother in 1901).

Annie died suddenly on October 29, 1908.

DIED.SCHNERR —Passed away at her late residence, 2515 H street, in this city, October 29, 1908, Anna E. Carpenter Schnerr. beloved wife of Edward Schnerr, daughter of the late William and Julia Carpenter, a native of Folsom, Cal. Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral from the family residence, 2515 H. Saturday morning at 9:30 o’clock, thence to the cathedral, where requiem high mass will be celebrated for the repose of her soul, at 10 o’clock.

Once Mr Schnerr inherited his dead wife’s family fortune (1909), He sold the house on H st to C. N. Post in November 1909.

He retired from his company (C. Schnerr and Company – Bottling Company and Soda Works) at about 43 years old in March of 1910.

Edward Schnerr remarried May 18, 1911 to a Mary Isabella Norton (19 or 20 years old to his 44), had 2 children (1912, 1913) and died in 1941. Mary was the daughter of Thomas Norton of Sacramento.

AND NOW IT GETS INTERESTING . . . .

While Annie was still alive, Edward was involved in a major scandal in February 1907 and his brother Antione involved in a divorce scandal in 1908.

Below are some of the newspaper articles about the scandals:

February 2, 1907 – Sacramento
ALLEGED BLACKMAILING SCHEME EXPOSED!

Miss Ethel Fair, Who Claims to be a Granddaughter of Late Senator, Tells Story. DR. F. STEELE UNDER ARREST

For the alleged threat to kill Miss Ethel Fair, who says she Is a granddaughter of the late Senator James G. Fair [NOTE: If she was she would have been an illegitimate daughter of Charles Lewis Fair – the senators scoundrel of a son], and who lives at 1016 ‘Twentyeighth street in this city, because she would not enter into his scheme to blackmail prominent business man of Sacramento and a respected woman, Dr. Fred Steele and his brother, Charles Steele, are in the city jail.

According to the story told by Miss Fair, Dr. Fred Steele, who has offices on K street, alone approached her with the blackmail proposition. Several months ago the brothers, Dr. Fred Steele and Charles Steele, according to the information gathered by the police and the city attorney, came to this city and represented themselves to be fortune-tellers and clairevoyants. They took office rooms and started out to forecast future events and made such good headway that they moved into the business section and started an office, the State Medical on K street, near Sixth.

Soon after the change in location, Miss Fair went to the offices to have her fortune told. Miss Fair, according to the story as told by her to the police, went to consult the doctor about certain litigation in the Fair estate, in which she Is interested. Dr. Fred Steele “told her fortune,” but omitted any mention of the litigation, saying he would tell her some other time, as he wanted to consult the spirits again. Accordingly, Miss Fair departed and a few days later called again to hear what the spirits had revealed to the clairvoyant, but on this occasion and many others during succeeding weeks he put her off with the same old excuse, that the spirits refused to “come through.”

Finally they received her answer, she says, but it was unsatisfactory, and to appease and placate her for the bad news, Dr. Steele told her be would secure for her a position In one of the local stores, where she would be able to earn her living and to live comfortably.
The same old story was handed out whenever she appeared in the office until last Sunday, when, she says, Dr. Steele made known to her the work he intended her to do.
Alleged Blackmail Scheme, His first scheme, the girl says, was to secure $15,000 from Edward Schnerr, a wealthy merchant. According to the programme, Miss Fair was to play the part of Dr. Fred Steele’s wife and then attract Mr. Schnerr’s attention and make arrangements to inveigle him into a lodging-house. The dummy husband was to appear in the room and by bluffing, and with the aid of Constable Tim Hagerty, secure $15,000 from Schnerrin order to keep the scandal quiet. Incidentally Hagerty, who Is well known In this city, solemnly and it is believed truthfully declares that he never heard of such a thing.
The next turn in the blackmailing line. Miss Fair told the police, was to be directed against Mrs. Perkins of this city. It was proposed with the aid of Miss Fair and the officer to get Mrs. Perkins into a compromising or embarrassing position and demand $l8,OOO to squelch the affair. Still Another Story. This was not all. After they should , have divided the proceeds equally in both cases, Dr. Steele and Miss Fair were to go to Los Angeles, where she said he knew a wealthy landowner. This time Miss Fair said she was booked to marry the millionaire, and Dr. Steele was to give her a slow poison to administer to the husband, and after his death, which would be accomplished within a few months with no evidence of the poison, the fortune was to be divided and Dr. Steele would disappear and Miss Fair could live on in the southern city in comfort and with a big fortune at her command. To all of these overtures couched, the woman says, in alluring language and with the temptation of positive security, she made emphatic refusal.

Then it was that Dr. Steele is alleged to have made the threat to kill her if she should tell of the schemes he had proposed. He took a revolver out of a side drawer, she said, and showing It to her said he would not only blow out her bralns, but kill Edward Schnerr as well. This all occurred, the woman explained, last Sunday in Dr. Steele’s office, and she left the place with his threat ringing in her ears. She told the police she worried about the threat and the blackmail scheme in which It was proposed to get the money from Mr. Schnerr. After two days’ study over it she decided to tell Schnerr of the proposal Dr. Steele made to her, and to put him on his guard against any such attempt.

When Mr. Schnerr had heard the startling story of the scheme to fleece him out of a small fortune he went to Chief of Police Denny and reported. Detectives Pennish and Ryan were detailed on the case, and after an Investigation arrested the Steele brothers, but have placed a charge against only Dr. Fred Steele.

Deplores Publicity. Miss Fair deplores the fact that the case has been taken to the courts, as she. In telling Mr. Schnerr, only wished to put him on his guard. She tells the story straight and said yesterday to the police that Dr. Steele told her the game was easy to turn, as he, with the help of another woman, fleeced a certain young doctor of this city out of $5000. The woman, he said, left for the east soon after the fleecing operation and she had $2500 in her purse as her share in the job. He told her there was no trouble in doing the work and it was perfectly secure, as he is too foxy to be caught. According to Miss Fair’s story, told to the police in the presence of Dr. Steele, he told her that Sacramento offered a fine field for such business and they could “skin*’ a large number here this winter. All she would have to do was to follow his instructions and then receive her portion of the spoils.
Steele’s Sweeping Denial. Dr. Fred Steele makes a sweeping denial of the whole affair, saying Miss Fair had been persecuting him for several months and when she left his office last Sunday she said she would have revenge for an insult he had offered her. His brother, Charles Steele, was released from custody yesterday, as Miss Fair said he was In no way, as far as she knows, connected in the proposed blackmailing scheme. The case came up In the city Justice’s court yesterday morning and was I continued until today on account of j the desire of City Attorney Howe to make a further investigation and secure some witnesses. The case as it stands at present consists of the startling accusations of Miss Fair and the sweeping denial Dr. Fred Steele. It will be up in the city court again today when Miss Fair will tell her story. She promises to tell all she knows and will not mince any of the details of the alleged transaction. She did not take part in having the matter investigated, but says now that it has gone this far . She will stand by her story told to the police. On the other hand. Dr. Steele promises to make a few startling on the line that the whole affair is the result of a desire for revenge on the part of Miss Ethel Fair.

February 5
MISS FAIR MAKES MODEL WITNESS Tells Again the Story of Dr. Fred Steele’s Alleged Threats —Courtroom Crowded and Case Continued,

The examination of Dr. Fred Steele was resumed in the city justice’s court yesterday. The courtroom was crowded to suffocation, and when the continuance for the day was taken at 5 o’clock the crowd had heard what it came to hear and went away satisfied, for Miss Ethel Fair told again and agrain under examination by the attorneys her story of how Dr. Steele made threats to take her life. The spectators did not come to the justice’s court to hear of the threats agalnst the life of Miss Fair, but did wanted to hear something about the proposal she alleges Dr. Steele made for blackmailing Edward Schnerr and Mrs. Perkins. Without a single hesitation or deviation from the story told by her as it appeared in The Union several days ago Miss Fair told her side of the case. At adjournment time the prosecution rested, having presented only one witness in support of its serious charges. Then the defendant, Dr. Steele, took the stand, but did not testify for the hour was growing late and he will be given a chance to place his version of the trouble before the court next Wednesday morning. The attorneys for the defense promise to place five witnesses on the stand. Some of these, It is said, will prove the good character of Dr. Fred Steele, while others, it Is said, will be put on for the purpose of discrediting the story told by Miss Ethel Fair.

An effort was made yesterday by Dr. Steele’s attorney to wring from Miss Fair all that happened on the occasion when she alleges Dr. Steele asked her to take part in the blackmailing scheme to get $15,000 from Edward Schnerr and $l8,000 from Mrs. Charles Perkins, but she stuck to her text and refused telling anything other than what directly applied to the charges she makes. At the conclusion of the case, as presented by the prosecution. Dr. Steele, through his attorney, moved for dismissal of the charge. This was refused by City Justice March and the defense will place its witnesses on the stand tomorrow. Dr. Steele promises a sensation when he has a chance to tell his story and hints that the startling exposures made by Miss Fair will sink tnto insignificance.

February 7. 1907

ETHEL FAIR NOT IN COURT Examination of Dr, Steeie on Charge of Threats to Take Life Concluded and Taken Under Advisement,

The preliminary examination of Dr. Fred Steele, who is charged by Miss Ethel Fair, who claims to be a granddaughter of the late Senator Fair, with threats against her life, was concluded in the clty justice’s court yesterday afternoon, and Justice March took the matter under advisement until next Monday morning at 10 o’clock. The principal witness yesterday was Charles Steele, clairvoyant and half-brother of the defendant. Charles Steele, under direct and cross-examination, told his version of the alleged threats against the life of Miss Fair, and also said that the charges that his brother had made proposals whereby Miss Fair was to enter into blackmailing schemes against Edward Schnerr and Mrs. Charles Perkins were false. He claims he was In the adjoining office two weeks ago when Miss Fair alleges Dr. Steele made the proposals and threats, and that ho did not hear a word of such proposals or threats. He went even further and testified that had anything of the kind been broached to Miss Fair by his brother he would have heard it. The witness occupied the stand during a greater part of the forenoon and for an hour in the afternoon session. Thls testimony was to the same effect as that given last Monday by Dr. Fred Steele, and consisted of a sweeping denial of all the charges. Several character witnesses were called on behalf of the defendant, but in most of the cases they failed in that role and were led to admit that they did not know anything about Dr. Steele’s reputation. George Bock and James Shlnkle said they had known Dr. Steele for several months, and always found him to be a gentleman, but had never heard his reputation discussed.

Constable Tim Hagerty was placed on the stand by the defense for the purpose of disproving that part of the story told by Miss Fair in which she said he was to enter into the blackmailing scheme to force Edward Schnerr to pay $15,000. Constable Hagerty said he had met Dr. Steele only a few times and all the reports that he and Dr. Steele had entered into an agreement to fleece Edward Schnerr were false. While his evidence was not material and had no hearing on the being held in the court, it was allowed for the purpose of clearing up the matter in connection with the alleged blackmailing programme. As was the case in the first two days of the examination, the courtroom was crowded to overflowing, not even standing-room remaining.

Nothing of a sensational nature was adduced, and the complaining witness, Miss Fair, was not in the courtroom, although she was waiting In the city attorney’s office. She appeared at the. city court unattended and quietly went to the inside office to wait for a call if wanted to take the witness stand. Those in attendance at the trial were unaware of her presence, and at the conclusion of the examination she departed as quietly a.s she came. Before leaving .she stepped into the courtroom and asked if it would be necessary for her to appear next Monday, and said: ‘‘My, I am awful glad this is all over, and I do hope he will not bother me any more.” She seemed to be laboring under suppressed excitement, until assured that no barm would come to her.

February 9 1907

DR STEELE HELD IN $500.00 BONDS City Justice March Felt the Story Told by Miss Ethel Fair That Her Life Was Threatened Was True.

To protect Miss Ethel from the threats against her life made by Dr. Fred A. Steele, the latter was yesterday placed under $5O0 bonds to keep the peace for six months, and in passing the judgment City Justice March warned Dr. Steele not to molest or bother Miss Fair in any way on penalty of the forfeiture of the bonds. Yesterday afternoon Steele had not provided the bonds, but his cash bail jof $500 was still In possession of the court clerk and will be so held until he provides bonds.

The trial of Dr. Fred A. Steele was held in the city justice’s court last week, and Miss Ethel Fair alleged that he had made threats to kill her if she told anyone of several blackmail schemes he proposed to have enter with him. It will be remembered that at the hearing Miss Pair said that one I Sunday afternoon while In Dr. Steele’s office he proposed that she play the part of his wife and then go out and make arrangements to meet Edward Schnerr, a wealthy merchant, in a lodging-house. The plan, she said, was to have Dr. Steele appear on the at the proper time. He was to represent a badly wronged man and to assuage his wounded feelings and the breaking up of his family the victim (Mr. Schnerr to be asked to provide salve to the tune of $15,000. (After this trick should have been turned), the girl said Dr. Steele assured her they could weave a tangle about Mrs. Perkins and secure $18,000 from her in order to keep a bogus scandal quiet. To all of these proposals Miss Pair said she would not listen and refused to have anything to do with them. She left the office In a rage and subsequently told the story to Mr. Schnerr. She said she told Dr. Steele what she was going to do he took a pistol from a drawer and threatened to kill her, and said he would also kill Mr Schnerr if she told him. Mr. Schnerr took the matter to the police and Dr. Steele’s arrest followed. In passing judgment City Justice March said he believed every word the prosecuting witness (Miss Fair) had said on the stand, but he was not prepared to say whether Dr. Steele had made the threats in a jest or really meant them.
I have not been able to find out anything else about what happened with the scandal, Mr. Steele or Ms. Fair except that if Miss Fair was the granddaughter of James G Fair, she would have been the illegitimate daughter of either James G Fair Jr who drank himself to death in 1892 or of Charles L Fair and Caroline Dexter Smith (aka Maud Nelson. Maud Ulman, Maud Thomas), a women of questionable repute who worked at a men’s resort in San Francisco before her marriage Charles and his wife were killed in a car accident in France in 1902.

ANTOINE’S SCANDAL

October 18, 1908
S. SCHNERR’S SIDE OF STORY Says She Is Victim of Conspiracy, and That Charges Are False, October 18 1908

Mrs. Alene Schnerr, wife of Antoine Schnerr,gives out the following statement: I “The charges of infidelity in the complaint of my husband are absolutely untrue and unfounded, and no one knows this better than my husband, and, when the case comes to trial, I will prove beyond all doubt that the said charges are unfounded; and further, that they were brought as a result of conspiracy on the part of my husband and his relatives to obtain possession of my separate property, and force me into relinquishing all claim to the same.
“I have placed my case in the hands of Messrs. Devlin & Devlin, my attorneys, and they have brought for me a suit for divorce against my husband based upon extreme cruelty. Doubtless, my husband, anticipating such a suit, filed his complaint first, but that will not make any difference, as I will prosecute the case I have , brought, and defend the case he has brought. “I have also brought a suit against him and secured an injunction from ; the superior court preventing him from assigning, transferring, or collecting certain notes and mortgages which he obtained from me by misrepresentation and fraud. “I inherited certain money from my father’s estate, and loaned out the same in my separate name, and with the interest which accumulated on said I loans, and also from other moneys of my own, made other loans, all in my own separate name.

“Last December my husband took a trip to Honolulu, and. as he was to be gone several months, he suggested ‘ to me that it would be advisable to assign the notes and mortgages to him, so that if anything should happen to me while he was gone, he would be able to secure the same without administration on my estate. He said that they would be kept in the safe deposit box to which I have access, and having full confidence and faith in my husband, I executed the i assignments referred to, but with no I other intent or purpose than that if anything should happen to me while he was gone he would be able to succeed to them without administration. “A few days ago he came to me and said that he was about to have the notes and mortgages renewed at a higher rate of interest, and that for this purpose it was necessary that I should indorse the notes over to him so as to facilitate the renewal thereof, and having faith and confidence in his statement, I indorsed the notes over to him.

Since that time I have learned that he did not intend to have the notes renewed in my name, but through the fraud and artifice that he employed, desired to have them renewed in his own name, and prevent me from enjoying my separate estate and property. “As soon as he accomplished his purpose of having all my property In his hands, he brought the suit for divorce, endeavoring to intimidate me. so that I would not seek to have my property returned.

“I do not intend to let him profit by the fraud and artifice which he has employed, but have brought suit to recover the possession of the notes and mortgages, and, as stated above, an injunction has been issued to prevent him from transferring or collecting the same, and all the parties who are indebted to me have been notified not to pay him.

“The basis of my complaint in the divorce is extreme cruelty.

“Last Thursday morning I was on Seventh street with a lady friend, when my husband and his brother,Edward Schnerr approached us and created a scene on the street in which I and my name were as viciously attacked by my husband and said Edward Schnerr, and they both threatened to drag me down; but I intend to have my good name sustained, get my legal rights, and have all my property restored.
Antoine’s wife won her suit for divorce in December 9 1908. I do not have her maiden name, so I do not know what happened to her after her divorce in October 1908.

In 1911, Antoine remarried Verda Simmons in Sacramento in 1911 (19 years old to his 37) and moved with her to Hawaii (he was bottling dairy cream at the time to ship from California to Hawaii). Antoine is buried in Hawaii though Verda does not have a death date on the gravestone.

In February 1908, the Schnerr bottling company got in trouble with the law for labeling beer bottles as soda bottles and selling them to an unlicensed hall. Here is the story:

BEER AT ART BOTTLED HERE Chief Sullivan Finds Dance Brand Is Put Up in Sacramento.The beer sold without a license over the bar at the Art dance hall bv Dick McCreadie and Joe Sullivan was bottled but not brewed in this city. Chief of Police Sullivan stated yesterday that he has information that the liquor was bottled at the Schnerr place, K street, Third and Fourth, and was put up by order of Dick McCreadie. The beer, he said. Was brewed by the Fredericksburg company. In order to deceive the police and the people the beer was bottled in soda water bottles, W’hlch were not labeled or marked In any way. The ice chest, in which the police found the beer, when they arrested McCreadie and Sullivan last Saturday night, also contained soda water bottled In the same kind of bottles. Chief of Police Sullivan has samples of both in his possession and he will use them as evidence when the case comes to trial in the city justice’s court.

After Edward Schnerr was awarded Annie’ estate, he filed a claim against Mr Cox to regain the 1500 or 2300 acres of property. He also sold off the property that Annie had purchased in Sacramento. He put the Carpenter Hotel up for a long term lease (Offered 1910, leased in 1912). Mr. Schnerr won the case against Mr. Cox in December of 1910.

In June of 1911, Schnerr Bottling Company (under the management of Constant Schnerr Jr) went under and was sold by it’s creditors.

Timeline.

1892 George Carpenter is murdered in Emigrant Gap (see murder most foul above)
1897 The Schnerr Brothers take over their father Constant Sr bottling company business
1903 The Schnerr Brothers mother dies
1904 William Carpenter’s wife dies of pneumonia
1906 William Carpenter dies suddenly of a hemorrhage
1906 William Carpenter Jr. dies suddenly of tuberculosis
1906 Annie Carpenter sole heir and spinster marries Edward Schnerr
1907 Annie inherits her family estate, buys property in Sacramento, deeds large property to estate executor with the condition that she can recall the deed an any time. The Carpenter Hotel is put up for lease.
1907 Edward gets involved in a major entrapment scandal where entrapment and poisoning is mentioned
1907 Edwards sister committed as an incompetent
1908 Mid October – Antoine gets involved in a divorce scandal over wife’s inherited property, Edward and Antione verbally attack Antione’s wife and the wife wins case
1908 Late October – Annie dies suddenly of an apparent heart attack, Edward discovers body
1909 Edward inherits Carpenter estate
1909 Edward sells Sacramento property
1910 Edward files case against executor deed and wins
1910 Edward retires, stating he has no responsibility or claims for Schnerr Bottling
1910 Edward again puts hotel up for long term lease
1911 Edward remarries 19+ year old in Sacramento
1911 Antione remarries 19 year old and moves to Hawaii
1911 Schnerr Bottling company gets sold by creditors
1912 Edward finds group to lease Carpenter Hotel at Emigrant Gap
1912 Edward has moved to San Francisco and Moss Beach and has first child

Posted in Bitters, Digging and Finding, eBay, History, Tonics | Tagged bitters, bottling, california, Carpenter, chemist, eBay, Emigrant Gap, Hostetter's, Meyer, re-used, recycled, sacramento, Schnerr's, Stomach | 5 Comments

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Two examples of a C.A. Richards 99 Washington St. Boston

30 May 2012

Calvin A. Richards

H. A. Richards

eBay

American Glass Gallery

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

“A cure liniment for external use only: For Skin Inflammations, Soreness, Eye Inflammation, Frost bit, Weeping Sinews, Burns, Cancer Humors, Chilblains, Rheumatic Affections, Itching, Ring Worm, Facial shaving Injuries, Strained Cords etc.”

Cocamoke Bitter Co. – Hartford, Conn.

29 May 2012 (R•042614)

Ferdinand,

Liked the article on whimseys you posted. Have a bunch of pics… Small collection of 13 hat and salt (pontil) whimseys. See attached.

Mike in Maine

Some of Chief Mikes collection:

Carnival glass has been known by many other names in the past: aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as ‘poor man’s Tiffany’.

History

Colors

Shapes

Patterns

A letter for Davenport’s Celebrated Jaundice Bitters?

26 May 2012

[PRG: from Dear Old Greene County]

In Times of the Catskill Whig

Glass House Whimsies are non-production glass items made by the glass workers on their own time, possibly for their own use and enjoyment, or to demonstrate their ability with glass, or as a special presentation item.

A few pictures from a range of sources and time periods.

Schnerr’s Wild Cherry Tonic Compound Bitters on eBay

24 May 2012 (R•041117)

Watching this oddball on eBay. I cleaned the pictures up as the background was a bit competitive with the nice bottle. With about 1 day left in the bidding, the bottle price has already surpassed the $1,000 mark. I bet the west coast guys are on this with the Sacramento city location.

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