Two Exceptional Western New York Bitters

Posted on 24 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Jack Stecher with some nice bottles for sale – Baltimore 2012

Two Exceptional Western New York Bitters

Dr. Hill’s Restorative Strengthening Bitters & Dr. Mavor’s Stomach Bitters

24 March 2012 (R•010514)

It was fun meeting up with you again at the Baltimore show. As mentioned, I am sending you some info on a couple hard to find local bitters. Research didn’t produce much, but the following might be of some interest (also see attached photos).

Dr. Hill’s Restorative Strengthening Bitters Farmer N.Y.

DR. HILL’S RESTORATIVE STRENGTHENING BITTERS, FARMER NY – Stecher Collection

My H 122, Dr. Hill’s/Restorative/Strengthening Bitters/Farmer NY is in an “old amber” coloration and has a dcm, as shown. Ring/Ham pictures an applied mouth, like the #248 example sold in the Sam Greer pontiled med collection/auction back in 1988. I have only seen three of these bitters bottles over the years; this one, a deep amethyst specimen that surfaced in the Ithaca, NY area (near Candor, NY), and an aqua, ip example, which was displayed in a bottle display case in the Corning Museum several years ago. I personally know of no others.

I tracked the amethyst one through a collector/antique dealer in Auburn, NY back in the early 80s, but lost track and didn’t know where it went afterward. Joe Baldwin’s book, Patent and Proprietary Medicine Bottles, 1973, lists several of Dr. Hill’s other medicinal preparations, (C.H. Gardner, mfg., Candor, NY), such as, cordial, cough syrup, fever and ague mix, pain killer, and pulmonary syrup. Farmer, NY, was also called Farmer Village; it became Interlaken, NY in 1904, its current name. Interlaken, NY, is a village positioned between two Finger Lakes in upstate NY. I’ve not been able to locate any historical record of Dr. Hill, from Candor or from Farmer, NY.

DR. HILL’S RESTORATIVE STRENGTHENING BITTERS, FARMER NY – Stecher Collection

DR. HILL’S RESTORATIVE STRENGTHENING BITTERS, FARMER NY – Stecher Collection

DR. HILL’S RESTORATIVE STRENGTHENING BITTERS, FARMER NY – Stecher Collection

Dr. Mavor’s Stomach Bitters

Schermerhorn & Co.

The semi-cabin, Dr. Mavor’s/Stomach Bitters/Schermerhorn & Co., M 51, is from Rochester, NY, although not embossed as such. What the monogram A&C and letters in shoulder panels, B/A/&/C stand for, I have no idea. Suggestions are welcome. I found in the Rochester city directories listings from 1869 through 1879 for Schermerhorn & Co and Josiah Newman (employed by and succeeded Schermerhorn in 1877). They were local rectifiers and dealers in wines and liquors; no surprise there. However, no ads were found for the “bitters” in all those directory years. The applied ring mouth of the bitters and its deep amber color suggest manufacture in the early 1870s. Like the Dr. Hill’s, this bottle is also quite rare. I was fortunate to acquire mine about 10 years ago from eBay. – Jack (Stecher)

MavorsAd1884CDRochester

Josiah Newman advertisement noting Dr. Mavor’s Stomach Bitters – 1884 Rochester City Directory

JosiahNewmanBio

Josiah Newman information – History and Commerce of Rochester

DR. MAVOR’S STOMACH BITTERS, SCHERMERHORN & CO. – Stecher Collection

DR. MAVOR’S STOMACH BITTERS, SCHERMERHORN & CO. – Stecher Collection

DR. MAVOR’S STOMACH BITTERS, SCHERMERHORN & CO. – Stecher Collection

DR. MAVOR’S STOMACH BITTERS, SCHERMERHORN & CO. – Stecher Collection

Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Globe Bitters – Byrne Bros & Co New York

Posted on 24 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Globe Bitters – Byrne Bros & Co New York

24 March 2012

Apple-Touch-IconAThe next bottle in the ‘transitional’ Figural Cannon Barrel Series is the Globe Bitters and is grouped and displayed in my collection with my other ‘Barrel’ forms such as the Warsaw Bitters, Brown’s Castlian, Castilian Bitters and Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters.

Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham in Bitters Bottles say ‘Bell’ as far as the bottle form (see R/H listing below). When I purchased the bottle from a previous Heckler auction the description read ‘Modified lighthouse form’. As I have said in previous posts, I group this type of figural bottle and think of it as a ‘transitional cannon barrel’ though I can not support this with documentary advertising, a patent drawing or label.

I really like this bottle because of the typography and how it is applied to the bottle form. Notice the circular typography on the canted shoulder between the cylinder and the formed neck. The applied lip is also spectacular. I have provided a few pictures below of my run of these bottle forms and my example of the Globe Bitters.

(L-R) WARSAW BITTERS, BROWN’S CASTILIAN, SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS, CASTILIAN BITTERS and a GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

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

G 47  GLOBE BITTERS, Circa 1860 – 1884
GLOBE BITTERS / MANUFACTURED ONLY BY / BYRNE BROS & CO / NEW YORK // c // // s // GLOBE / BITTERS // BYRNE BROS & CO NEW YORK //
11 x 3 1/2 (5 1/2)
Bell, Amber, Applied mouth, Very rare,
Note: 1874-1884: Bryne Bros. & Co. 122 Liberty and 125 Cedar Sts Trade Mark No. 2544

[Heckler bottle description] Also in this shape – Browns Castilian and Castilian Bitters, Modified lighthouse form, applied square collared mouth – smooth base, height 11-1/8 inches (some minor mouth roughness). Good looking bottle with lots of form and character.

GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

Read Further: Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters – Great Form

Read Further: Thad Waterman “Warsaw” Stomach Bitters – Figural Cannon Barrel, Lighthouse or House Roof?

Read Further: Brown’s Castilian Bitters – Transitional Cannon Barrel Figural

Read Further: Castilian Bitters – Brown & Embree Proprietors – New York

Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters – Great Form

Posted on 23 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters – Great Form

23 March 2012 (R•110614)

(L-R) WARSAW BITTERS, BROWN’S CASTILIAN, SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS, CASTILIAN BITTERS and a GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

Apple-Touch-IconAThe next bottle in the ‘transitional’ Figural Cannon Barrel (or lighthouse) Series is the Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters and is grouped and displayed in my collection with my other ‘Barrel’ forms. Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham in Bitters Bottles say ‘Lighthouse’ as far as the bottle form. I can accept this because of the embossed vertical lines on the flared shoulder which seems reminiscent of windows. Again, no advertising, patent drawing or label to substantiate the form.

This is a great bottle. My example is a wonderful dark cheery amber color with nice bottle character. I have provided a few pictures below and with a comparison bottle in a lighter amber that appeared on Ed and Kathy Gray’s website GreatAntiqueBottles.com.

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

F 79  SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS, Circa 1875 – 1885
// s // SOL FRANK’S // PANACEA / BITTERS //
// f // f // f // FRANK HAYMAN & RHINE // c // SOLE PROPRIETORS // f / f //
NEW YORK // c // f // f // f //
10 1/4 x 3 5/8 (5 5/8)
Lighthouse, Round, Amber, LTCR, Applied mouth, Rare

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – photo GreatAntiqueBottles.com

SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS – photo GreatAntiqueBottles.com

164GWA105

“SOL FRANK’S – PANACEA / BITTERS (on shoulder) – FRANK HAYMAN & RHINE – SOLE PROPRIETORS – NEW YORK”, (Ring/Ham, F-79), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, yellowish amber figural lighthouse, 10”h, smooth base, applied tapered collar mouth. Near perfect. Fine example, brilliant color and with a better than average impression, which is usually very faint. One of the better ones! – Glass Works Auctions | Auction 105

Read Further: Thad Waterman “Warsaw” Stomach Bitters – Figural Cannon Barrel, Lighthouse or House Roof?

Read Further: Brown’s Castilian Bitters – Transitional Cannon Barrel Figural

Read Further: Castilian Bitters – Brown & Embree Proprietors – New York

Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Target Balls – Glass Made to be Broken

Posted on 22 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Target Balls – Glass Made to be Broken

22 March 2012

When I think of Target Balls, the first person that comes to mind is Ralph Finch. In looking at his online Journal and website (On Target! The International Journal for Collectors of Target Balls), he is often asked…

“What are Target Balls”

I’m glad you asked!

By Ralph Finch

Nowadays, hardly anyone knows what they are, but more than 100 years ago millions of people knew. From across the United States, throughout England, France, Germany, Italy and other European nations and on down to Australia, people young and old saw target balls in use. Common people to heads of state – U.S. presidents, Queen Victoria, the German kaiser, to name a few – saw target balls fly through the sky. So, again, what are target balls?

You are probably familiar with trap shooting — the firing with a shotgun at round, clay disks thrown into the air — and perhaps you have even done it. But while clay shooting has been around for more than a hundred years, what came before it?

Thousands and thousands of birds, particularly pigeons (which is why clay disks are still called “clay pigeons”) were flung from traps and blown to bits. But from around 1876 to 1885, because of a decline in the availability of live birds as well as changing social attitudes, glass balls often were the target of choice, particularly in exhibition, circus and Wild West show shooting. These balls, similar in size and appearance to today’s glass Christmas tree ornaments, were the “only substitute ever invented for the living bird,” something that Annie Oakley is said to have had silk streamers stuffed inside, something that in one summer the Bohemian Glass Works (in New York City) was making at the rate of 1,250,000 over six months’ time, something Buffalo Bill Cody chased after on horseback, “old ladies” darned socks on and babies allegedly cut their teeth on — all according to an 1878 ad! In their heyday, target balls sold for a little over a penny each; today one ball has sold for as much as $28,500, although “common” balls, generally in amber or blue, can be acquired for as little as $100. (read full post)

Here are a couple of GREAT online resources to investigate. I really like the Glass Target Balls website.

Glass Target Balls

The Target Ball Web Page for the Collectors of Antique Target Balls!

Antique Target Throwers – A History of Trap and Skeet Equipment

Antique Target Ball Hall of Fame

Agnew & Brown Target Ball Hits $29,120 at American Bottle Auctions

The Louisville Slugger: Rare Glass Target Ball Comes to Market

I ‘ve put together a few pictures below of great American Target Balls and related imagery. I encourage you to check out the links above and further explore.

Famous Louisville Glassworks Ball (The Louisville Slugger)

Bogardus 4 Dot – BOGARDUS GLASS BALL PADd APR. 10 1877. – photo Glass Target Balls

AGNEW & BROWN CORNER OF 24th AND SMALLMAN STS.PITSBURGH PA. – photo Glass Target Balls

Target Balls from the Peter Frobouck collection – American Bottle Auctions

Robert Frank Collection of Target Balls – Lompoc, California – photo Ferdinand Meyer

Bogardus Patent Glass Ball Trap Article

Ligowsky Clay Pigeons and Glass Balls and Traps Advertisement

FROM THE JOHNSTON GREAT WESTERN GUN WORKS 169 SMITHFIELD STREET PITTSBURGH PA. RIFLES SHOTGUNS REVOLVERS AMMUNITION FISHING TACKLE CHOKE BORING REPAIRING AND C. WRITE FOR PRICE LIST – American Bottle Auctions

Posted in Advertising, Collectors & Collections, History, Target Balls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Benicia Iridescence on Glass Questions

Posted on 22 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

If anyone can help with Clyde’s questions, I would appreciate it. Clyde found my post Benicia Iridescence and Patina on Bottles – Not a Sick Bottle and tracked me down on PRG. Thanks!

Hello,

I am a collector of sea glass. I have three questions about “benicia iridescence”. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help me find the answers or lead me in the right direction in finding them.

What ingredients in the glass help to create this type of patina, and what earth or water conditions must the glass be put in to earn this patina?

Approximately how long does it take for glass to acquire this type of patina in the right conditions?

Are there any other names for this type of naturally occurring iridescent patina glass?

I have attached a couple photos of pieces of sea glass which has this “benicia iridescence” even though they have been worn by the sea. Perhaps they obtained this patina after, and not during active tumbling in the ocean…if you have any thoughts on this matter it would be of great use to me.

All the best, Clyde S., Canada

Posted in Digging and Finding, Questions, Sea Glass | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

I Bet None of You All Have Been to this Bottle Museum Yet!

Posted on 21 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“I was born in 1926 … I’ve been collecting bottles for 70 years. I have hundreds of Coca-Cola bottles coming from all over the world, especially the United States … the oldest bottle dates back to 1915. I also collect relics of planes or ships … relics of the Second World War that I found buried in the ground. I collect these objects because history is fundamental, and the Second World War was very important in the South Pacific where there were some military bases …”.

Meet Ernest and hear about his Museum and Bottles

Vanuatu is an island chain about 1000 miles off the coast of Australia. A man by the name of Ernest Kalkoa has a Coca-Cola Bottle and WWII Artifact Museum located at Havannah Harbor.

Thanks to the Coca-Cola Bottle Man blog “Collections from Around the World” of which I subscribe.

Posted in Cola, Collectors & Collections, Diving, History, Museums, News, Soda Bottles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Graphic Resource on Beer and History

Posted on 21 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Hi Ferdinand,

Thanks for getting back to me. The graphic highlights a brief timeline of beer and includes some interesting statistics. The piece lives here and you’re welcome to use it as you’d like: http://www.onlinebachelordegreeprograms.com/beer-saved-the-world/

Let me know what you think, I appreciate all feedback.

Thanks!
Peter

Posted in Ales & Ciders, Breweriana, History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Thad Waterman “Warsaw” Stomach Bitters – Figural Cannon Barrel, Lighthouse or House Roof?

Posted on 21 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Thad Waterman “Warsaw” Stomach Bitters – Figural Cannon Barrel, Lighthouse or House Roof?

21 March 2012 (R•053015)

Apple-Touch-IconAToday I add the next bottle to my series of Figural Cannon Barrels or Transitional Cannon Barrels that are thought by some to be reminiscent of other forms such as Lighthouses or Bells. It is tough to say exactly what the bottle designer or client had in mind when making the Warsaw Stomach Bitters without documentary proof such as the patent drawing, label and/or advertising for the subject bottle. Like I said previously with the Castilian Bitters and the Brown’s Castilian, I group these types of bottles together in my collection and call them Transitional Cannon Barrels. See new information below documenting that this product is from New Orleans.

Bottle has a “steep roof” because the Polish population which centered in Chicago had houses with steep roofs so snow would not stick.

Historic City of Gdansk, Poland

I can find very little information on this bottle other than what is printed in Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles. What they note actually adds to the mystery when they say “Bottle has a “steep roof” because the Polish population which centered in Chicago had houses with steep roofs so snow would not stick”. Where did Chicago come from? Polish too? The “WARSAW” name leads us there but why is “WARSAW” with quotation marks?R/H also says an example was found at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Wow.

Example found at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Look at the Quotation Marks around “WARSAW”

The nickname Thad is typically short for the name Thaddeus which is not a very popular name now as noted on census forms and name popularity charts. It looks like a rather serious decline in popularity from 1920 but possibly higher in 1860 or so.

This is a GREAT bottle and extremely tough to get. As usual, I welcome more information so I can add to and embellish this post.

WarsawStomach_GW

“THADS. WATERMAN / S / ((WARSAW)) – STOMACH BITTERS”, (W-54.5), American, ca. 1865 – 1875, medium amber, 8-sided body, 10 7/8”h, smooth base, applied mouth. This is one of three examples dug in New Orleans about 20 years ago. To our knowledge none have been found since. – Glass Works Auctions January 2013

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

W 54.5  THAD WATERMAN WARSAW STOMACH BITTERS, Circa 1870 – 1875
THAD WATERMAN / “WARSAW” // f // f // // STOMACH BITTERS // f // f //
10 7/8 x 3 1/8
8-sided, Amber and green, LTCR, Applied mouth, Very rare
Bottle has a “steep roof” because the Polish population which centered in Chicago had houses with steep roofs so snow would not stick.
Example found at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

NEW MATERIAL (03 September 2012)

Ferdinand,

Regarding the Thad Waterman Warsaw Bitters, I suspect it is fitting that the example you show was found at the mouth of the Mississippi since it is a New Orleans bottle. I haven’t sorted out all the details but found enough online to document the product. It appears Thad was a well known liquor dealer in New Orleans. It is not clear why he chose another liquor business (Colomb, Brooks & Co.) to act as agent for the product, but he did. The attached items (see below) give a little insight into the bitters. One is a page from the 1869 New Orleans Directory that certainly alludes to the Warsaw Bitters, since it uses Waterman’s name.

The other attachment (see below), from the New Orleans Times Picayune of April 8, 1869, which is from a long article describing displays at the third annual state fair in New Orleans. Colomb, Brooks & Co. entered a display of “Waterman’s Warsaw bitters.” That about clinches it. I’ll leave it to others to fill in the remaining blanks, for which there are plenty. I am too busy focusing on California bottles and will probably never finish all I want to cover.

Sincerely,
Eric McGuire

WATERMAN BITTERS, 1869 New Orleans advertisement – submitted by Eric McGuire

WATERMAN’S WARSAW BITTERS, New Orleans 1869 exhibition notice – submitted by Eric McGuire

Watermans_The_Times_Picayune_Sun__Mar_24__1872_

W.T.B. Waterman’s Celebrated Tonic Bitters advertisement – The Times Picayune, Sunday, Mach 24, 1872

THAD WATERMAN WARSAW STOMACH BITTERS – Meyer Collection

THAD WATERMAN WARSAW STOMACH BITTERS – Meyer Collection

THAD WATERMAN WARSAW STOMACH BITTERS – Meyer Collection

(L-R) WARSAW BITTERS, BROWN’S CASTILIAN, SOL FRANK’S PANACEA BITTERS, CASTILIAN BITTERS and a GLOBE BITTERS – Meyer Collection

Read Further: R. & G. A. Wright – Great Gun Cologne

Read Further: General Scotts Artillery Bitters – The Ultimate Cannon Barrel Figural

Read Further: Tobias Barto and his Great Gun Bitters – Reading, PA

Read Further: Figural Cannon Bottles – J T GAYEN / ALTONA

Read Further: A. M. Bininger & Co. Figural Cannon

Read Further: Sol Frank’s Panacea Bitters – Great Form

Read Further: “the Buchanan Cannons”

Read Further: Brown’s Castilian Bitters – Transitional Cannon Barrel Figural

Read Further: Castilian Bitters – Brown & Embree Proprietors – New York

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Some Early Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters Shards Dug by Chris Rowell

Posted on 20 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters glass shards – Chris Rowell

Some Early Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters Shards Dug by Chris Rowell

20 March 2012

Apple-Touch-IconAI thought I would publish some interesting dialog between big time East Coast digger and collector Chris Rowell and one of the top, if not the top Hostetter’s collectors and experts in our hobby, Richard Siri from the West Coast.

[Chris Rowell] Ferd, We dug a pit today with 5 iron pontiled Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters and sadly they all were smashed. But I wanted to ask, have you ever seen an iron pontiled one in any color other then Amber? I know I have seen many smooth base ones in some nice shades of green. But one of the smashed ones was a great light yellow green with an iron pontiled base. It would have been killer crude and whittled also. I will forward you some pictures of the shards if you want. If you know anyone who is a big Hostetter’s collector that might know if the pontiled ones come in other colors if you could ask them that would be great also. Thanks Chris

 [Ferdinand Meyer] Richard; please read note. Thanks. Chris, Richard is the man for Hostetter’s. F

[Richard Siri] Chris: There are at least 2 different molds of iron pontiled Hostettler’s and I have one of each. Also I bought an olive green large one from Norm Heckler years ago that was described as a sticky pontiled one. It came out of a Florida collection. I really don’t believe it’s a true pontiled example. As for the ones I have, they are both amber although I have examples of the same molds that are not pontiled and one of those is a yellow amber. I would very much like to see your shards especially the bases. That’s the fun of collecting Hostettler’s, you can’t live long enough to see them all. Richard Siri

[Chris Rowell] Hi Richard, Thanks for the reply. I knew the green one would have been a special bottle when we found the shards. Overall I have shards to 6 iron pontiled Hostetter’s from yesterdays dig and another pit 3 doors down. Most of them look to have been from examples with the big “R” in “DR” and the round indented base. All of those are amber. The green one and one amber one has the square indented base and the small “r” in Dr. I’m going to copy Ferd on the pics as I’m sure he will enjoy seeing them also. Chris

[Richard Siri] Chris: I figured that the green one would be the one with the square indented base as I have a yellow amber and an olive green one that is the exact same bottle but they are smooth base. The other pontiled one I haven’t seen in any other color other than amber but the same bottle comes in olive with a smooth base. The amber Hostetter’s that was found on the Arabia river boat that was sunk in 1857 was smooth based and that mold is the round indented pontiled one. I have two small Hostetter’s that are extremely crude but smooth based with a dog legged A on the base that could be earlier than the pontiled ones but that’s just my guess. If you ever get tired of looking at those shards I would love to add them to my collection. Richard

Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters glass shards – Chris Rowell

Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters glass shards – Chris Rowell

Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters glass shards – Chris Rowell

Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding, Questions | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Witch Balls – Warding Off Evil Spirits

Posted on 19 March 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“A witch ball is a hollow sphere of plain or stained glass hung in cottage windows in 18th century England to ward off evil spirits, witch’s spells or ill fortune”

Yesterday I did a post on Sulphide Marbles (Read: Sulphide Marbles or Figural Marbles) which got me thinking of all of the other round or cylindrical glass historical and antique objects that we collect including Lightning Rod Balls, Target Balls, Witch Balls, Christmas Ornaments, Paper Weights, Friendship Balls, Gazing Balls (read: Paperweight Collectors Association) and Glass Floats. Wow. I bet there are more.

I consider this aspect another important part of our historical glass collecting community where the common link is our love of glass. Elizabeth and I also collect Lightning Rod Balls and we adore the historical and architectural significance of these glass adornments on weather vanes. Our cactus and succulent gardens at Preach Ridge also have a few strategically placed glass Gazing Balls. Of course we all also remember…

“I’ll get you my little pretty” 

I noticed that the latest Norman C. Heckler Auction had a Witch Ball in their current line-up so why not continue with a little about Witch Balls and a few pictures.

[from Wikipedia] A witch ball is a hollow sphere of plain or stained glass hung in cottage windows in 18th century England to ward off evil spirits, witch’s spells or ill fortune, though the Witch’s Ball actually originated among cultures where witches were considered a blessing and these witches would usually “enchant” the balls to enhance their potency against evils. Later, they were often posted on top of a vase or suspended by a cord (as from the mantelpiece or rafters) for a decorative effect. Witch balls appeared in America in the 19th century and are often found in gardens under the name gazing ball. However, gazing balls contain no strands within their interior.

According to folk tales, witch balls would entice evil spirits with their bright colours; the strands inside the ball would then capture the spirit and prevent it from escaping. Witch balls sometimes measure as large as 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter. The witch ball is traditionally, but not always, green or blue in color and made from glass (others, however, are made of wood, grass, or twigs instead of glass). Some are decorated in enameled swirls and brilliant stripes of various colors. The gazing balls found in many of today’s gardens are derived from the silvered witch balls that acted as convex mirrors, warding off evil by reflecting it away.

Because they look similar to the glass balls used on fishing nets, witch balls are often associated with sea superstitions and legends. In the Ozark Mountains, a witch ball is made from black hair that is rolled with beeswax into a hard round pellet about the size of a marble and is used in curses. In Ozark folklore, a witch that wants to kill someone will take this hair ball and throw it at the intended victim; it is said that when someone in the Ozarks is killed by a witch’s curse, this witch ball is found near the body.

The word witch ball may be a corruption of watch ball because it was used as a guard of evil spirits. It is sometimes claimed that the modern Christmas ornament ball is descended from the witch ball. The ornament was allegedly originally placed on the tree to dispel a visitor’s envy at the presents left beneath the tree. However as the modern Christmas bauble’s origins are documented in Lauscha, Germany in 1847, the provenance of this claim is debatable.

“I’ll get you my little pretty” One of the most famous crystal balls in entertainment history sold for $110,000 plus buyer’s premium.

Pair of South Jersey pitchers and witch balls, ca. 1850, sold for $28,080. (Pook & Pook inc.)

Witch ball used to cap and seal a glass pitcher

Early Boston & Sandwich Witch Balls on display

Reconstructed witch balls measuring 1.25” — 7” diameter; colors include green, aqua, amber, cobalt, and amethyst. Click for enlargement.

Fancy Freeblown Witch Ball, probably America, 1840-1870. Cobalt blue with white loopings, sheared mouth – smooth base, dia. 4 inches.

Witch Balls and Stands offered by Jeff and Holly Noordsy

Huckleberry Food Jar with Witch Ball Circa 1860’s. Olive Green. Size: 11″ high x 5″ dia.

Unlike hanging friendship balls or witch balls that have a loop, gazing balls have a stem so they can securely sit in a stand. Larger sizes can be made, but may be difficult due to the weight of the blown glass.

Nailsea Type Witch Ball, possibly America, 1840-1880. Colorless with an unusual pattern of irregular horizontal white stripes, sheared mouth – smooth base, dia. 5 inches. Rare decoration,

Witch Ball – Tony Lennon Collection

Three jars and three witch balls – Rick Ciralli

HecklerWitchBall017

Freeblown Witch Ball And Stand, probably a South Jersey glasshouse, New Jersey, 1850-1860. A hollow ball on a trumpet form base, colorless with profuse white pulled loopings, sheared rim – pontil scar, overall ht. 11 3/8 inches. Fine early decorative freeblown American glass. – Heckler Auction 102

Posted in History, Witch Ball | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment