Some nice Fruit Jars in the North American Glass Auction

Posted on 24 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Greg Spurgeon with North American Glass has some really cool fruit jars in his current auction. Many are recent finds. These are five of my favorites. Especially like the Louisville Glass Works jar. Check it out! Visit Auction

MILLVILLE ATMOSPHERIC FRUIT JAR in amber. Rare. This particular example is a fresh find, recently discovered during the clean-out of a residence outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All previous known examples of this jar (around 12 jars) came from a single find, discovered during the clean out of another residence in the town of Milwaukee, back in the late 1960's. The former occupant had been a homeopathic physician, who had presumably special-ordered these amber jars from Whitall-Tatum for use in his medicinal business in the late 1800's. This one is in virtually attic-mint condition, even including the original sealing gasket - North American Glass

Sapphire blue MASON'S CFJCo IMPROVED quart, extremely rare, milk glass insert and a zinc screw band - North American Glass

THE WHITNEY MASON PAT'D 1858 quart in amber. Rare jar and a great looking example. In the standard aquamarine color this is a common jar, but only a handful of examples in amber are known to exist. It remains a mystery as to why a small number of these jars would have been manufactured in this unusual color - North American Glass

NE PLUS ULTRA BODINE BROS Circle & Square pint with pontil. Extremely rare in pint size. This example is fresh to the market and is being offered in the exact condition as it was recovered from a river in New Jersey 2 years ago. Could be professionally tumbled to near perfection by the new owner if desired, or left just as it is. In my opinion the jar displays perfectly fine just as found, and thereby can tell its own story. The color is a richer shade of aqua or blue-green - North American Glass

LOUSVILLE KY GLASS WORKS, quart, pontil, extremely rare. This jar was unearthed in Cincinnati just this spring, becoming only the second example known to exist. An important artifact from the earliest era of Louisville glass manufacturing. - North American Glass

Posted in Advice, Auction News, Fruit Jars, Glass Companies & Works | Tagged Atmospheric, auction, Bodine Bros, Fruit Jar, greg spurgeon, Improved, Kentucky, Louisvilly, Masons, Millville, North American Glass, Whitney Mason | Leave a comment

Visit to the Belmont Mansion – Nashville

Posted on 23 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Today I toured Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee as part of a business project with my company FMG Design and had the good fortune to get a personal tour of the center-piece Belmont Mansion. I do not have pictures of old bottles and glass here today except for the formal dining room photograph, but I did quiz a few folks about campus building projects, excavations and locations for dumps on the campus. All well preserved, I can only wonder what may have been beneath my feet today. I kept hoping to ‘bump into’ a cache of Imperial Levee’s Adelicia Acklen brought back from one of her southern plantations. There is some great history here folks.

Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville, Tennessee on the campus of Belmont University that today functions as a museum.

Present day Belmont Mansion at Belmont University - Nashville, Tennessee

[Wikipedia] In 1849, Adelicia Hayes Franklin married Joseph Alexander Smith Acklen, a young attorney from Alabama, and they immediately began construction of Belle Monte (Belmont) on 180 acres (73 ha) in Davidson County. It was completed by 1853 as an Italian villa style summer home. Adelicia and Joseph used Belmont as a summer home to escape from the heat of Adelicia’s seven Louisiana cotton plantations, which totaled 8,600 acres. The Acklens built, furnished, and landscaped one of the most elaborate antebellum homes in the South, totaling 36 rooms and 19,000 sq ft. The estate contained a variety of buildings with the house adorning the top of the hill. Beside the house, there was a T-shaped guest house and art gallery. The south wing of the guest house contained guestrooms and a bowling alley. The art gallery had a corrugated glass roof and comprised the north wing. The grounds also included lavish gardens, conservatories, aviary, lake and a zoo. The conservatories housed tropical fruit and flowers along with camellia japonica, jasmine, lilies, and cacti. The zoo featured bears, monkeys, peacocks, singing birds, a white owl, alligators from Louisiana and a deer park. Covered balconies with cast iron railing and trim surrounded the house to protect windows from the sun. Atop the house, a ten-foot octagonal cupola vented the house during the summer months and provided an “astronomical observatory” used for viewing the stars, the estate and downtown Nashville.

Joseph and Adelicia had six children together, but their twins died of scarlet fever at the age of 2 in 1855. In 1863, Joseph died in Louisiana while watching over the plantations during the Civil War. Left alone, Adelicia secretly negotiated agreements with both Union and Confederate authorities to allow 2,800 bales of her cotton to be shipped to Liverpool, England, and sold for a total of $960,000.

Despite a two-week occupation by Union General Thomas J. Wood prior to the Battle of Nashville, Belmont Mansion and its contents went undamaged during the Civil War. Only the grounds, where thirteen thousand Union troops spent those first two weeks of December 1864, suffered damage.

Immediately following the war, Adelicia and her four children traveled to Europe. While there, she continued amassing her large art collection, including five major marble statues by America’s most important sculptors working in Rome. These including works by Randolph Rodgers, William Rinehart, Joseph Mozier, and Chauncey Ives. Four of these pieces remain in the mansion today. Adelicia was also presented at the Court of Emperor Louis Napoleon and his wife Empress Eugénie.

Months before her death, Adelicia sold Belmont, and the surrounding land, to Lewis T. Baxter for around $54,000. In 1890, it opened as a women’s academy and junior college. The school merged with Ward’s Seminary in 1913 and was renamed Ward-Belmont. The Tennessee Baptist Convention purchased the school in 1951, and created a four-year, coeducational college. In 2007, Belmont University separated from the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Today the mansion is owned by the Belmont Mansion Association and Belmont University while it is operated and preserved by the Belmont Mansion Association.

Gilt frame mirrors hang over marble mantels reflecting the elaborate gasoliers and elegantly furnished parlors. Much of the original Venetian glass still adorns the windows, doors, and transoms of Belmont. The Grand Salon is considered by architectural historians to be the most elaborate domestic interior built in antebellum Tennessee. The gardens are now maintained as part of the University campus, including five cast iron gazebos. The 105-foot water tower remains on the grounds and today serves as a Bell Tower for Belmont University. The Belmont Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Belmont Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

This is the earliest known photograph made of the mansion and the grounds by A. S. Morse a photographer who worked in Nashville when the Federal troops occupied Nashville during the Civil War.

Acklen, Adelicia with horse Bocephalus, Artist: Cooper, William Browning - circa 1845

Adelicia Acklen, circa 1870 by Giers of Nashville

After more than a century in hiding, the Belmont Mansion’s formal dining room has been restored to resemble the room where Adelicia Acklen once hosted parties and ceremonial meals. The project took 12 years of research and restoration. Eight of the 18 seats around the formal dining room table are original chairs provided by the Acklen family.

“Entertaining was such an important part of 19th century life, and the dinner was the apex of entertaining,” said Belmont Mansion Executive Director Mark Brown.

Around at 1857 the Acklens built the conservatoires and green house shown in this ca. 1895 photograph. The Water Tower was design by Adolphus Heiman and built in 1857. The Windmill was added following the civil War to replace the steam engine which was used to pump the water to the tank on top of the tower.

This is a view from the front steps of the mansion, circa 1875 showing the water tower in the distance

About Belmont Mansion, Battle of Nashville Preservation Society and Lotz House

A National Historic Site since 1971, Belmont Mansion currently operates as a house museum, maintained by the Belmont Mansion Association. Belmont Mansion is open daily for guided tours, Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For inquiries you may visit our website www.belmontmansion.com or call 615-460-5459.

The Battle of Nashville Preservation Society, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation of historic Civil War sites in Davidson County, Tennessee. The BONPS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with open membership. BONPS has been instrumental in helping preserve Fort Negley, Shy’s Hill, Confederate Redoubt No. 1, and the Battle of Nashville Monument, among other sites. For more information visit: www.bonps.org.

The Lotz House Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to protecting, preserving and educating people on the history and culture of the historic Civil War Battle of Franklin, Tennessee in 1864. The foundation is committed to enriching lives through preserving the stories of the time along with the lifestyle, furnishings and fine art of the period. For more information visit: www.lotzhouse.com.

Posted in Art & Architecture, Civil War, Digging and Finding, Early American Glass, History, Museums | Tagged Acklen Hall, Adelicia Hayes Franklin, Battle of Nashville, Belmont, Belmont University, Civil War, Joseph Alexander Smith Acklen, mansion, Nashville, Tennessee, Thomas J. Wood, Union | Leave a comment

Dr. Stephen Jewett’s / Celebrated Health Restoring Bitters / Rindge, N.H. on eBay

Posted on 22 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Dr. Stephen Jewett’s / Celebrated Health Restoring Bitters / Rindge, N.H. on eBay

22 May 2012

Just lovin’ this Dr. Stephen Jewett’s on eBay. Great bottle, photographs and description. It closes later this afternoon, Let’s see where it settles. Worth every bit of what the seller (bottleninja) wants in my book.

STODDARD N.H., circa 1850 pre civil war, in excellent condition. Light color!

Up for sale! A very impressive early bitters for your consideration. This is a bottle that usually never becomes available for sale. Acquired from a New Hampshire collector / dealer. Originally owned by Boo Morcom. Offered hear is a prime example. Rectangular shape with wide beveled corners. 7 1/4″ tall. Embossed DR STEPHEN JEWETT’S / CELEBRATED HEALTH RESTORING BITTERS / RINDGE, N.H. Applied square collar lip with sharp edges, There is a minute, I say, minute amount of roughness, along a portion of the outer edge, some what typical for this type of closure in the manufacturing. I do not see anything distracting but certainly has to be mentioned. Small drip of glass were the lip is attached, to add to the character. The lettering is bold throughout, with out any high point ware. A very clean bottle that has not been tumbled. The base has a very impressive rough circular shaped pontil scar. Most of these Jewett’s in color I have seen have a iron pontil. The color is a lighter variant almost a delicate pitkin color. Very yellow amber with a good olive tone, almost like greenish straw, but a very light color that shows off all the whittle, and tiny seed bubbles. The bottle sparkles as the pics indicate.

Condition; there is a very small amount of ghostly exterior haze on the lower front panel and perhaps some very minor interior content remnants. This bottle has a lot going for it. A Classic New Hampshire piece, pontil, colored med. A lot of cool embossed on three panels. The Doc, the town, and the goods. Pontiled, and in super shape. Also to consider the lighter color, in a classic medicine form.

Posted in Advice, Bitters, eBay, Medicines & Cures | Tagged Boo Morcom, Dr., eBay, Jewett's, New Hampshire, Rindge, Stephen Jewett's | Leave a comment

Handsome Young Man in Uniform (Civil War?) with Fish Bottle

Posted on 21 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

An important advertising card sold on eBay last evening for a surprisingly healthy $787.77 which shows the strong demand for pieces relating to the great bottles we collect. In this case it was a ‘Handsome Young Man in Uniform (Civil War?) with Fish Bottle’ as described on eBay. This caused quite a stir and was watched by many. I probably had a dozen or so reminders and prompts for the listing as some know I collect figural bitters and specialize in color runs. See: Meyer Fish Bitters color runs

Anyway, I assure you that the winning bidder will be happy to add this piece to his collection. Wouldn’t it be fun to find out that this was the blue example? Ha! Can pigs fly?

Uniform update from Ron Coddington: The gold borders of this carte de visite are consistent with Civil War images, and the soldier pictured here appears to be wearing a cavalrymen’s jacket. I’ve seen a number of images of soldiers posing with beer bottles, but not a bottle of this type. At first glance I thought the bottle had a candle sticking out, but it looks more like a tall cork.

Original antique Carte de Visite By "Traveling Artists" Peter & Kresge (probably from Pennsylvania) Handsome Young Man in Uniform (Civil War?) with Fish Bottle - eBay description

Reverse - Original antique Carte de Visite By "Traveling Artists" Peter & Kresge (probably from Pennsylvania) Handsome Young Man in Uniform (Civil War?) with Fish Bottle - eBay description

I sure would like to find a labeled example of a Fish Bitters that I have pictured below. These a simply great figural bottles.

The photos of the "Fish Biter" above are courtesy AntiqueBottles.com. Original label sold on eBay by adaman for $560 around 2005 reported by Reggie Lynch.

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Civil War, Collectors & Collections, Color Runs, eBay, Ephemera, Figural Bottles, History, News | Tagged Civil War, eBay, ferdinand meyer, Fish Bitters, fish bottle, Peter & Kresge | Leave a comment

Looking at earlier Baltimore ‘Washington Monument’ Historical Flasks

Posted on 20 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I had a little “Aha!” moment today when I came across a post by Steve Sewell over at AntiqueBottles.net where he succintly explained why early Washington Monument historical flasks did not have the Washington sculpture on top of the monument as later flasks such as the Baltimore “Corn for the World” flasks.

Corn for the World / Washington Monument historical flask with the George Washington sculpture on top of the monument.

“Determining the age of the flasks is quite easy as to the monument on each bottle is void of Washington’s statue affixed at the top. The Monument was partially completed in 1825, 10 years after its inception although a statue of Washington himself was soon to come”.

Steve Sewell

Example of the earlier Washington Monument without the George Washington sculpture. Fells Point/Slope-Monument Balto. Flask. (GVI - 2). American, CA. 1840 - 1860. Deep amethyst, Pontil base, sheared mouth, half-pint. Baltimore Glassworks, Baltimore, MD. Extremely rare color with the boldest mold impression - Dan Morphy Auctions

[Wikipedia] The Washington Monument in the elegant Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland was the first architectural monument planned to honor George Washington. In 1815, a statue was designed by Robert Mills, who also designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Construction began in 1815 and was completed by 1829. The 178 foot doric column holds a ground-floor museum offering information about Washington as well as construction of the monument. Climbing the 228 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city from the historic neighborhood where it is located. Its neighbors include the Peabody Institute.

The glorification of Washington began long before his death in December 1799, and the dedication of a memorial in his honor seemed certain. A monument honoring Washington in Baltimore was first proposed in 1809, and a committee was formed to commission and fund the monument. In 1811, the first of six lotteries, authorized by the Maryland General Assembly, was held, eventually raising enough funds to construct a Washington monument in Baltimore. Mills’s design was chosen in an architectural competition in 1815, and the cornerstone laid on July 4 of that year.

Early designs included rich ornamentation, six iron galleries dividing the hollow shaft into seven sections, and a quadriga surmounting the column. The design of the completed column is very similar to the Colonne Vendôme, which ultimately derived from Trajan’s Column and was adopted in this time of Neoclassicism in American architecture.
The monument, which was constructed of white marble from Cockeysville, rises 178 feet and consists of three main elements: a low, rectangular base containing a museum; a plain, unfluted column; and, atop the column, a standing figure of Washington. By the time of the monument’s completion in 1829, financial constraints had forced a series of design compromises which simplified the monument.

“Tradition recalls a prodigy occurring when the statue was raised to the summit of the monument – a shooting star dashed across the sky and an eagle lit on the head of the settling general.”

William Rusk, in his book “Art in Baltimore: Monuments and Memorials”, tells the following story about the raising of Italian sculptor Enrico Causici’s marble statue of Washington in 1829. “Tradition recalls a prodigy occurring when the statue was raised to the summit of the monument – a shooting star dashed across the sky and an eagle lit on the head of the settling general.”

Enrico Causici of Verona, Italy, who had sculpted several panels of the Rotunda of the United States Capitol. Causici created the statue of Washington out of three blocks of marble weighing about seven tons each. Financial considerations having eliminated the Roman chariot statue design, the sculptor instead depicted Washington resigning his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental armies.

Before the monument could be completed, the monument which now resides in Washington Monument State Park (Boonsboro, Maryland), near the Appalachian Trail, was constructed in 1827, making it the first such in the nation. The iron fence around the base was designed by Mills and added in 1838. It contains some of the symbolism that had been deleted from the column due to cost considerations.

This historical flask commemorates George Washington with a figural bust on the front and has the Washington monument located in Baltimore on the reverse. Determining the age of the flasks is quite easy as both monuments on each bottle are void of Washington’s statue affixed at the top. The Monument was partially completed in 1825, 10 years after its inception although a statue of Washington himself was soon to come. These bottles were made between 1824 and 1829 just a few blocks South and East from the monuments site, as in November of 1829, Washington’s statue was finally placed atop the long shaft seen today. Later bottles from the Baltimore glass works and also from these Fells point works have Washington on the monument making them easier to date also. Both bottles are listed as scarce, are a pretty shade of light green, have busts of Washington not seen on like bottles and have rough pontils. Reference: Steve Sewell

Information on the Drake’s Plantation Bitters Variants

Posted on 19 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Drake’s Plantation Bitters mold variants (from left to right). D102, D103, D104, D105, D105.5, D106, D108, D108.5, D109, and D110 – Brian Shultis

Information on the Drake’s Plantation Bitters Variants

19 May 2012

Drakes authority Brian Shultis recently commented on facebook:

“There has been a lot of talk about Drake’s mold variants on here. I will post up a few comparison shots for those who don’t already know. Maybe it will interest a few collectors. First comparison is between a D 105 and D 106. Also, I noticed some of the auction houses don’t even list Drake’s by mold variant in their descriptions. Usually it is just listed as a 4, 5 or 6 log Drake’s”.

This made me want to pull out my Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles and Bitters Bottles Supplement books and look more closely at my bottles, of which I have many as I specialize in color runs. I have listed each Ring & Ham Drake’s variant along with a picture of the bottle, if available, for illustrative purposes.

Drakes Plantation Bitters (6 log) – Meyer Collection

Drake’s Plantation Bitters was a very successful brand, probably exceeded only by Dr. Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters. Because of the large number of these bottles that were produced in the 4, 5 and 6 log cabin designs, it is probable that many molds were used. A careful study of the bottles would undoubtedly identify additional molds. ~~The 4 log variant is the oldest bottle.~~ Information listed in Ring and Ham but can not be supported.

The gentleman pictured in the ca. 1870 tintype above was fond enough of the product to have his picture taken with it!

D 102

D 102 // s // motif arabesque / DRAKES / motif arabesque / PLANTATION / BITTERS enclosed in a rectangle // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching/ PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Amber, Puce and Amethyst-Rare;
Green-Extremely rare
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over the label panels

D 102 Arabesque DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS – Meyer Collection

D 103

D 103 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC and LTCR, Applied mouth, Amber and Puce – Common;
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels

D 103 DRAKES’S PLANTATION BITTERS – Meyer Colection

D 104

D 104 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Rare
6 logs over label panel on all four sides

D 104 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS comparison – Brian Shultis

D 104 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS label panel – Brian Shultis

D 105

D 105 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Amber and Puce – Common;
Yellow olive and Green – Rare; Aqua – Extremely rare
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels

D 105 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS – Forbes Collection

D 105.5

D 105.5 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Amber, Wide or expanded mouth, Extremely rare

Unlisted 5-log variant (D 109) with wide or expanded mouth similar to a D 105.5. – Brian Shultis

D 106

D 106 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC and LTCR, Applied mouth, Amber and Puce – Common;
Green – Very rare
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels
Variation in the word Bitters with smaller letters and off center placement, Variation with line under Bitters

DRAKES D 106 & D 105 comparison – Brian Shultis

D 106.5

D 106.5 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 1/4 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Amber, Very rare
17 logs including the base, a vertical log one log high at each corner of base, 6 logs over label panels. There are two tiers of thatching on reverse. Embossing is larger and more bold than on the previous bottles. The log pattern around the base and corners are indented and distinctly rounded. Thatching and log pattern are very bold, and the 1860, X, and BITTERS embossing is larger and very bold.

D 107

D 107 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 3 3/4 (6 1/4)
Square cabin expanded to become bulbous, Amber, LTC, Rough pontil mark
Extremely rare
One known example which is believe to be unique

The unique and bulbous D 107 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS as pictured in Bitters Bottles Supplement

D 107.5

D 107.5 // s // S. T. // DRAKE’S / 1860 in thatching / PLANTATION in thatching / BITTERS in thatching // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / tier of thatching interrupted by 1869 raised and interrupting thatching / 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Scarce
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels
Roof embossing like D 108, roof configuration and base like D 105

D 108

D 108 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 raised and interrupting thatching / 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Amber and Puce – Common;
Green – Very rare
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels.

DRAKES D 108 & D 106 comparison – Brian Shultis

D 108.5

D 108.5 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / X / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 raised and interrupting thatching / 3 tiers of thatching //
9 7/8 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Amber, Extremely rare
17 logs including the base, 6 logs over label panels, base corners are chamfered on the bottom log.

Base on a D 108.5 Drake’s (chamfered base corners). Apparently two known examples – photo Brian Shultis

D 109

D 109 // s // DRAKES in thatching / PLANTATION in thatching / BITTERS in thatching // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1869 / tier of thatching // 3 tiers of thatching //
10 x 2 7/8 (6)
Square, LTC and LTCR, Applied mouth
Amber and puce, Scarce, Green – Extremely rare
15 logs including the base, 5 logs over label panels
Date of reverse usually misread as 1862

D 109 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS (5 log variant) – GreatAntiqueBottles.com

D 110

D 110 // s // S T // DRAKE’S / 1860 / PLANTATION / BITTERS // 3 tiers of thatching // tier of thatching / PATENTED / 1862 interrupting thatching / 3 tiers of thatching
10 1/4 x 2 5/8 (6)
Square cabin, LTC, Applied mouth and Tooled lip;
Amber, Common; Yellow, Scarce; Yellow olive, Scarce
15 logs including the base, 4 logs over label panels
Tooled lip example known with 1898 date on label

D 110 DRAKE’S PLANTATION BITTERS (4-Log variant, thin and tall neck) – Meyer Collection

Posted in Advice, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Facebook, Figural Bottles | Tagged 4-Log, 5 log, 6 log, bitters, Brian Shultis, Drake's Plantation Bitters, Drakes, mold, Plantation, thatching, variants | 18 Comments

Figural Pig Series | Duffy Crescent Saloon Figural Pig Bottle

Posted on 19 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

DUFFY CRESCENT SALOON

Figural Pig Series | Duffy Crescent Saloon Figural Pig Bottle

19 May 2012

Now here is a figural pig bottle that I do not possess and would very much like to add to my “pig pen”. The rare “pig bottle” embossed DUFFY (on banner) / Embossed Rooster / CRESCENT (inside crescent moon / SALOON / 204 / JEFFERSON STREET / LOUISVILLE / KY that have been found in amber, clear, aqua and cobalt blue glass are most likely products of either Kentucky Glass Works or Southern Glass Works. They do not carry a glasshouse marking to show where they were produced, but the approximate years they could have been made points to one of these two factories. Only one example of the cobalt pig has so far been found and showed at an auction in Indiana. Read more: Louisville Glass Factories of the 19th Century – Part 3 by David Whitten

There are some absolutely stunning examples of this highly detailed figural pig that have sold in auctions in past years. I have pictured a few below for comparison. I find it interesting that the mouths are unfinished on such detailed bottles.

Figural Pig, DUFFY (on banner) / Embossed Rooster / CRESCENT (inside crescent moon / SALOON / 204 / JEFFERSON STREET / LOUISVILLE / KY, circa 1880 – 1900 – GreatAntiqueBottles.com

Aqua Duffy Saloon Figural Pig Bottle, American, ca 1878-79, made by either the Kentucky Glass Works, Louisville, Ky., or the Southern Glass Works. In deep aquamarine with molded hooves, ears and facial details, and with a rooster on a crescent moon and Crescent Saloon/214 Jefferson Street/Louisville/KY, long smooth base and rough sheared lip; 7.625″ long x 3.25″ high. Ex Dr. Burton Spiller Collection, Ex Jim Cope Collection – Cowan’s Auctions

Amber Duffy Saloon Figural Pig Bottle, American, ca 1878-79. An amber Duffy Saloon figural pig bottle made by either the Kentucky Glass Works, Louisville, Ky. or the Southern Glass Works. In molded amber glass with hooves, ears and facial details, with a rooster on a crescent moon and Crescent Saloon/214 Jefferson Street/Louisville/KY, long smooth base; ht. 3.5, lg. 8 in. Descended in family who purchased in the 1930s. Condition: Rough sheared lip – Cowan’s Auctions

Figural Whiskey Pig, “DUFFY (motif of rooster on crescent moon) / CRESCENT / SALOON / 214 / JEFFERSON STREET / LOUISVILLE / KY.”, (Denzin, DUF-21), Kentucky, ca. 1865 – 1875, deep bluish aqua figural pig, 7 3/4” long, rough sheared mouth. A slight in manufacturing underfill exists on a rear foot near the testicles. Found in shades of amber, like lot 13, clear glass and on rare occasions, aqua. How rare? It’s been 12-years since we auctioned the last one! Gene Heisey Collection – Glass Works Auctions

Amber Duffy Saloon Figural Pig Bottle, American, ca 1880-81, made by either the Kentucky Glass Works, Louisville, Ky., or the Southern Glass Works. In deep amber with molded hooves, ears and facial details, and with a rooster on a crescent moon and Crescent Saloon/204 Jefferson Street/Louisville/KY, long smooth base and rough sheared lip. Retains traces of original gilding on moon; 7.625″ long x 3.25″ high – Cowan’s Auctions

Figural Whiskey Pig, “DUFFY (motif of rooster on crescent moon) / CRESCENT / SALOON / 204 / JEFFERSON STREET / LOUISVILLE / KY.”, (Denzin, DUF-22), Kentucky, ca. 1865 – 1875, golden yellow amber shading to a darker amber in the head figural pig, 7 5/8” long, rough sheared mouth. Pristine perfect, lacking any trace of wear or stain, as nice as any we’ve seen! Gene Heisey Collection – Glass Works Auctions

Another case of bottle envy concerned the Blue Pig, a one-of-a-kind creation that held whiskey bottled by Duffy’s Crescent Saloon. Only a handful of these particular pig-shaped bottles exist in any color, but this brilliant cobalt color was unique, and Van Brocklin was highly skeptical it was genuine.   After months of inquiring to a man in Indiana, he finally came face-to-face with the Blue Pig, which the potential seller had encased in bubble wrap in a cooler.   “You could see the color so intensely,” Van Brocklin said. “I was going ‘Oh, man.’ I really didn’t believe it until I saw it.”   And, of course, he bought it. The neck and opening of the bottle are on the pig’s rear end, meaning people drank from the pig’s butt.   “It’s absolutely one of the best bottles I’ve ever owned,” Van Brocklin said.

DUFFY CRESCENT SALOON / LOUISVILLE figural pig, which is unique in cobalt blue – Ralph Van Brocklin

Ralph Van Brocklin in front of some great bottles including his cobalt blue Duffy Saloon figural pig – Southeast Bottle Club 2005

Posted in Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles, Glass Companies & Works, Spirits, Whiskey | Tagged Bottle, Cowan's, Crescent, Denzin, Dr. Burton Spiller, Duffy, Figural, Gene Heisey, hog, Jim Cope, Kentucky, Kentucky Glass Works, Louisville, Pig, Saloon, Southern Glass Works | 3 Comments

Figural Pig Series – Something Good in a Hogs … – Drink While it Lasts from this Hogs …

Posted on 19 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“Using the cork to seal the contents at the rear allowed crude and rude jokes or slogans to enhance the product”

The next segment in the Figural Pig Series will focus on three whiskey nips that are embossed with slogans referring to the pig or hogs hind quarters or of course, ass. These phrases are “SOMETHING GOOD “IN A HOGS” (hand and finger pointing to rear of pig and mouth of bottle), DRINK WHILE IT LASTS, FROM THIS HOGS … and “GOOD OLD BOURBON IN A HOGS …” Quite humorous and representative of the times when drinking values were changing in America. These are fun bottles and reasonable obtainable. Each is different and look great when grouped.

Pigs were a sign of prosperity during the 1870’s–1890’s. The pigs were fed corn and corn was also used in the distilling of whiskey. The critters were cute and popular with the public so the distillers capitalized on these figurals as a marketable tool. The pig also represented the evils of drink. Using the cork to seal the contents at the rear allowed crude and rude jokes or slogans to enhance the product, for example “Something Good in a Hog’s –>” (with the arrow pointing to the rear). Beside glass, these pigs appear in pottery form. Anna Pottery from Anna, Illinois produced the famous Railroad Pig that goes for top dollar. The Kirkpatrick brothers who worked in Anna summed up their feelings in an article in the Jonesboro, Indiana Weekly Gazette in 1869: “It is rather a hoggish propensity to be guzzling whiskey, and if the habit is indulged in, will soon reduce a man below the level of the hog, and cause him to wallow in the gutter.”

Glenn Poch

SOMETHING GOOD “IN A HOGS” …

SOMETHING GOOD / “IN A HOGS”… (hand and finger pointing to rear of pig and mouth of bottle)
Clear glass, circa 1885 – 1900, American, 4 1/4”, PAT. W on smooth base, tooled lip. A scarce little whiskey nip.

SOMETHING GOOD / "IN A HOGS" ... figural whiskey pig - Meyer Collection

DRINK WHILE IT LASTS / FROM THIS HOGS …

DRINK WHILE IT LASTS / FROM THIS HOGS …
Clear glass, circa 1885 – 1895, American
6 3/4”, smooth base, sheared and tooled lip. About perfect. One of the more difficult to obtain of the figural whiskey pig bottles

DRINK WHILE IT LASTS / FROM THIS HOGS ... figural whiskey pig - Meyer Collection

GOOD OLD BOURBON IN A HOGS …

GOOD OLD BOURBON / IN A HOGS …, (Denzin, GOO-31), American, ca. 1875 – 1885, medium honey amber figural pig, 6 3/4” long tooled mouth.

Figural Whiskey Pig, “GOOD OLD BOURBON / IN A HOGS -”, (Denzin, GOO-31), American, ca. 1875 - 1885, medium honey amber figural pig, 6 3/4” long tooled mouth. Perfect condition, not even a trace of wear! Gene Heisey Collection.

Posted in Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles, History, Humor - Lighter Side, Spirits, Whiskey | Tagged Ass, Bourbon, Figural, Glass Works, Glenn Poch, hog, Meyer Collection, Pig, Whiskey, whiskey nip | Leave a comment

Figural Pig Series | Beiser & Fisher – NY Figural Whiskey Pig

Posted on 18 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

BEISER & KEISER N.Y

“This rare whiskey bottle is among the very rarest of the figural pigs and it is the key bottle that many collectors are missing in their “run” of piggies”.

Jeff Noordsy

Not much is know about the rare BEISER & FISHER – NY figural whiskey pig. It is however, an American bottle, circa 1865 – 1875. You do not see these bottles often, but in my opinion, the pig is a necessity for the figural bitters and whiskey collectors.

Always in amber, the pigs are stylized and ‘boxy’ in their form. They measure about 9.626″ inches long by 4″ inches tall. With an applied double ring top and a smooth base, these bottles are really exciting and look great when grouped with a Suffolk Bitters and a Berkshire Bitters.

Left: Berkshire Bitters | Right: Suffolk Bitters

Here are a few pictures I have put together. I ask for additional information and example pictures if you possess one of these pigs.

BEISER & FISHER figural pig - Cowan's Auctions - Ex: Dr. Burton Spiller Collection

BEISER & FISHER figural pig embossing detail - Cowan's Auctions

BEISER & FISHER - NY figural whiskey pig - Meyer Collection

BEISER & FISHER – NY Whiskey Pig , amber with an olive cast, figural pig, smooth base, 9 3/8"L x 3 3/4"H, applied double collar, American, C. 1870. - sold from Jeff and Holly Noordsy

Posted in Figural Bottles, Whiskey | Tagged Beiser & Fisher, Figural, Jeff Noordsy, Live Auctioneers, Whiskey | 1 Comment

Lots of Bottles found in 200-year-old shipwreck discovered in northern Gulf of Mexico

Posted on 17 May 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

This has been a fascinating story to follow. Please make SURE you watch the Video! Be patient as it takes a few moments to load. I am very much interested in where this ship was going, where it sank, what is was carrying and which flag was it sailing under. Elizabeth and I are certified rescue divers but wow, we can’t go this deep. This is ROV territory! I am trying to get the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors involved. Ferdinand

“Some of the more datable objects include what appears to be a type of ceramic plate that was popular between 1800 and 1830, and a wide variety of glass bottles”.

While most of the ship's wood has long since disintegrated, copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline as a protection against marine-boring organisms remains, leaving a copper shell retaining the form of the ship. The copper has turned green due to oxidation and chemical processes over more than a century on the seafloor. Oxidized copper sheathing and possible draft marks are visible on the bow of the ship - NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program

(CNN) — A wooden ship believed to be over 200 years old was discovered during a recent exploration of the northern Gulf of Mexico, according to a press release from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Scientists were able to view the remains of “anchors, navigational instruments, glass bottles, ceramic plates, cannons, and boxes of muskets” aboard the ship, NOAA stated.
“Artifacts in and around the wreck and the hull’s copper sheathing may date the vessel to the early to mid-19th century,” said Jack Irion, a maritime archaeologist with the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

“Some of the more datable objects include what appears to be a type of ceramic plate that was popular between 1800 and 1830, and a wide variety of glass bottles. A rare ship’s stove on the site is one of only a handful of surviving examples in the world and the second one found on a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Scientists aboard the NOAA ship “Okeanos Explorer” were able to view the wreckage using advanced multi-beam mapping sonar technology and a remotely operated underwater vehicle, named “Little Hercules.” Little Hercules made 29 dives during the 56-day mission in March and April, according to NOAA.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management requested that NOAA investigate the site after it was originally detected as an “unknown sonar contact” by Shell Oil Company during a 2011 oil and gas survey of the Gulf, government officials said.

The expedition also used “telepresence” technology that allowed scientists and citizens on shore to partake in the exploration via the Internet as it happened. According to daily logs posted on NOAA’s website, others followed the exploration remotely using e-mail, on-line chat rooms, video streams, and file transfer sites to exchange information.
“Shipwrecks help to fill in some of the unwritten pages of history,” said Frank Cantelas, a maritime archaeologist with NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. “We explored four shipwrecks during this expedition and I believe this wreck was by far the most interesting and historic.”

The shipwreck site was located approximately 200 miles off the U.S. Gulf coast in water that was over 4,000 feet deep, according NOAA. Until now, the area has been relatively unexplored.

NOAA's Seirios Camera Platform, operating above the Little Hercules ROV, images the anchor and remnants of a copper-sheathed shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico - CNN

Photograph of the remains of the ships’ steering gear from the wreck of a wooden hulled sailing ship in over 7,000 feet of water. Image courtesy of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

View video footage captured by the Little Hercules remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and camera platform during the April 26 ROV dive from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the Gulf of Mexico Expedition 2012. The dive was conducted at site 15577 – a recently mapped but never-before seen shipwreck in the western Gulf of Mexico. The dive revealed the remnants of a copper-sheathed sailing ship, likely from the early to mid-19th century. While most of the wood has since disintegrated, the oxidized copper sheathing remained along with a variety of artifacts. These included plates, glass bottles, guns, cannons, the ship’s stove, navigational instruments, and anchors. This was a spectacular dive that represented a truly remarkable find. Video courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Gulf of Mexico Expedition 2012.