19th Century Bottle Collection

[robertk]

I have three distinct memories from my childhood that sparked my interest in treasure hunting. Two were coins that I found (a Franklin half and an Indian Head penny), but the other was bottles. I found some old soda bottles one time that were all embossed with designs and logos and I thought those were so cool. Even back in my youth (the stone age, if you ask my kids), nobody was making cool bottles like that. I just thought they were the neatest thing. I don't know what ever became of those soda bottles, lost again to time, but the love of them has stuck with me. Fast forward several decades, and my digging at the mystery house has found lots of glass. So I have pieced together a few old bottles and rekindled the interest. And now, thanks to @Limitool, my collection just got a huge boost.

I'm especially excited because these share the same timeframe as the mystery house (late 1800s/early 1900s), and there are some connections! There are some intact versions of bottles that I have found broken here, and a piece of china from England with a hallmark very similar to a fragment I found here. I'm stoked to start learning the history behind them!

My thinking is to start a thread for each bottle I can identify (over time), then edit this post as a sort of "index" to them all. With so many, that seems like the best approach. So, here we go, with the first of many (over time, I'm not rushing this). The titles will link to the individual threads

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery	1871	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	8.5" x 3" x 1.75"
Dr. Sage's Catarrh Remedy	1868	Teal	Square with neck	1.25" x 2.375" x 0.75"
Dr King's New Discovery for Consumption	1880	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	2" x 6.5" x 1"
Ely's Cream Balm	1870	Brown	Rectangular with short neck	1.25" x 2.5" x 1"
Dr S B H Co Pr	1885	Teal	Round (Cylindrical)	9.5" x 3"
Mexican Mustang Liniment	1849	Teak	Round (Cylindrical)	4" x 1.5"
Hires Improved Root Beer	1890	Aqua	Square	1.5" x 4" x 1.5"
Otto's Cure for the Throat & Lungs	1890	Aqua	Rectangular flattened	1.125" x 2.75" x 0.75"
Lydia E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound	1880	Aqua	Rectangular flask	3.75" x 6.5" x 1.875"
Brant's Pulmonary Balsam	1890	Clear	Rectangular with neck	2" x 6.5" x 1.5"
L M Green's German Syrup	1890	Green	Rectangular with neck	2.75" x 6.75" x 1.5"
JBL Family Remedies	1890	Clear	Rectangular flask	2" x 5.25"x 1"
JBL Family Remedies (Sample)	1890	Clear	Rectangular	1.25" x 4.25" x 0.75"

Cologne and Perfume Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Hoyt's German Cologne	1870	Clear	Round (Cylindrical)	3.5" x 1.25"

Food, Drink and Condiments

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
HJ Heinz Company 93	Ketchup	1890	Clear	Six-sided tall	9" x 2.5"
HJ Heinz Co 13	Pickles	1890	Clear	Rectangular with short neck	2.25" x 7" x 1.75"
(none)	Whiskey	1880s	Clear	Pumpkin Seed Flask	3.75" x 5.5" x 1.25"
Hoppe & Strub Toledo O	Beer or Mineral Water	1880s	Amber	Round (cylindrical wine)	12" x 3.5" dia.

Other

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858	Canning	1880s	Aqua	Round jar	7" x 3.5"
Six-Pointed Star with MO	Doll Toy	1885	Clear	Round flask with neck	1.5" x 2.75" x 0.75"

 

[robertk]

Apparently after a while I can no longer edit the original post. So I'll continue the listings here.

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Modjeska Derma-Balm	1890s	Clear	Rectangular	4.75" x 1.5" x 1.5"
Modjeska Cold Cream	1890s	White	Round (Cylindrical)	1.75" h x 2.25" dia
Larkin Cold Cream	1880s	White	Round (cylindrical)	1.75" h x 2.25" dia
Resinol Chemical Company	1890s	White	Round (cylindrical)	2.25" h x 1.75" dia

Food, Drink, and Condiments

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Diameter)
K	Peppersauce	1880s	Green	Ribbed or Beehive Round (cylindrical) with long neck	8.5" x 1.875"
D.H. M. Co.	Pickles	1894	Green	Round (Cylindrical)	5.5" x 2.75"

Other:

Embossing (or name)	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Windsor Anvil	Paperweight	1888	Clear	Anvil	2.25" x 4" x 2"
Standard Oil Co Favorite	Sewing Machine Oil	1880s	Clear	Rectangular	5.75" x 2" x 1"

 

[achanceforgold]

That's a really super fantastic collection!
You are going to spend weeks researching those bottles.

 

[pepperj]

I have three distinct memories from my childhood that sparked my interest in treasure hunting. Two were coins that I found (a Franklin half and an Indian Head penny), but the other was bottles. I found some old soda bottles one time that were all embossed with designs and logos and I thought those were so cool. Even back in my youth (the stone age, if you ask my kids), nobody was making cool bottles like that. I just thought they were the neatest thing. I don't know what ever became of those soda bottles, lost again to time, but the love of them has stuck with me. Fast forward several decades, and my digging at the mystery house has found lots of glass. So I have pieced together a few old bottles and rekindled the interest. And now, thanks to @Limitool, my collection just got a huge boost.

View attachment 2202971

I'm especially excited because these share the same timeframe as the mystery house (late 1800s/early 1900s), and there are some connections! There are some intact versions of bottles that I have found broken here, and a piece of china from England with a hallmark very similar to a fragment I found here. I'm stoked to start learning the history behind them!

My thinking is to start a thread for each bottle I can identify (over time), then edit this post as a sort of "index" to them all. With so many, that seems like the best approach. So, here we go, with the first of many (over time, I'm not rushing this). The titles will link to the individual threads

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery	1871	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	8.5" x 3" x 1.75"
Dr. Sage's Catarrh Remedy	1868	Teal	Square with neck	1.25" x 2.375" x 0.75"
Dr King's New Discovery for Consumption	1880	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	2" x 6.5" x 1"
Ely's Cream Balm	1870	Brown	Rectangular with short neck	1.25" x 2.5" x 1"
Dr S B H Co Pr	1885	Teal	Round (Cylindrical)	9.5" x 3"
Mexican Mustang Liniment	1849	Teak	Round (Cylindrical)	4" x 1.5"
Hires Improved Root Beer	1890	Aqua	Square	1.5" x 4" x 1.5"
Otto's Cure for the Throat & Lungs	1890	Aqua	Rectangular flattened	1.125" x 2.75" x 0.75"
Lydia E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound	1880	Aqua	Rectangular flask	3.75" x 6.5" x 1.875"
Brant's Pulmonary Balsam	1890	Clear	Rectangular with neck	2" x 6.5" x 1.5"
L M Green's German Syrup	1890	Green	Rectangular with neck	2.75" x 6.75" x 1.5"
JBL Family Remedies	1890	Clear	Rectangular flask	2" x 5.25"x 1"
JBL Family Remedies (Sample)	1890	Clear	Rectangular	1.25" x 4.25" x 0.75"

Cologne and Perfume Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Hoyt's German Cologne	1870	Clear	Round (Cylindrical)	3.5" x 1.25"

Food, Drink and Condiments

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
HJ Heinz Company 93	Ketchup	1890	Clear	Six-sided tall	9" x 2.5"
HJ Heinz Co 13	Pickles	1890	Clear	Rectangular with short neck	2.25" x 7" x 1.75"
(none)	Whiskey	1880s	Clear	Pumpkin Seed Flask	3.75" x 5.5" x 1.25"
Hoppe & Strub Toledo O	Beer or Mineral Water	1880s	Amber	Round (cylindrical wine)	12" x 3.5" dia.

Other

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858	Canning	1880s	Aqua	Round jar	7" x 3.5"
Six-Pointed Star with MO	Doll Toy	1885	Clear	Round flask with neck	1.5" x 2.75" x 0.75"

Have you had a chance to clean/profile this one up as of yet?

 

[robertk]

Not yet. That one is definitely interesting. I don't think it has any identifying marks on it, other than the distinctive shape. It reminds me of an old Orange Crush or Fanta soda bottle, but those don't match. I haven't looked very hard yet though. Maybe I'll move that one to the front of the line.

 

[robertk]

And now I can't edit my second post. Apparently ten days is the edit cutoff. Anyway, continuing on... (I feel like I'm going to have to collect these all into a complete index when I get done. Which may be a while yet.)

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
The C G Clark Co New Haven CT (Coe's Cough Balsam)	1880s	Green	12-sided cylindrical (dodecagon)	5.5" h x 1.75" dia
Hood's Sarsa Parilla	1880s	Green	Rectangular	9" x 3" x 1.75"
JR Nichols & Co.	1870s	Aqua	Rectangular	10" x 3" x 2"
Dr J Hostetter's Stomach Bitters	1880s	Brown	Tall Square	9" x 2.75" x 2.75"
Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root Kidney Cure	1880s	Aqua	Round cylindrical	3" h x 1" dia

Other:

Embossing (or name)	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Cantata Kerosene Lamp	Lamp	1880s	Clear	Lamp, one-piece, bell base	8.875" h x 5" dia
Hobbs Brockunier & Co (?) Kerosene Lamp	Lamp	1880s	Clear	Lamp, two piece, milk glass base	11" h x 4" dia

 

[Limitool]

You got a hell of a data base thus far Robert and will have a HUGE one if you complete going thru that collection of bottles...!

 

[villagenut]

Pretty sure the one Pepper asked about is a pepper sauce bottle similar to these....

 

[glass half fool]

robertk It appears to me that there may be 2 totally different ways to look at your planned cataloging of the jackpot wind fall collection of old bottles I have over the years found a fair amount of old at least to me items And quiet a few are old soda /beer bottes from the 1890 to 1920 time framed The embossed bottles are my favorites They where produced in such a wide number of variations and colors At the same time I am a sucker for any bottle that has an embossing that references a local company The economy at that time was all small town business And they all carved out their place and made a profit or went away never to be heard of again And many of those bottles show how the technology changed and how that changing methods where required to keep up with the methods that where often in demand by the customer During the time frame from 1890 to 1920 there was the HUTCHISON Stopper the Boob top the Crown top and others Then there the neck the color of the glass land of course the embossing In some cases the embossing was a work oF art In others it was just the company logo on the bottle in some fashion IT is almost and unending number of variation . That is what makes it so much fun YOU never know what may come to the light of day to show it's unique design after being covered over by simple garbage for the last 100 years LI And finding what you hope to see and ending up with a box full of the same items also is part of liking what you dig and digging and learning lie like what you come home with I have found several really nice Lyda Pinkham's bottles after spending about 45 years of never having put my hands on even a broken piece I got 4 total Pinkham's all in good condition and embossed with different contents in the bottle You have hit a gold mine of bottles that will keep your attention and imagination occupied for a long time Have fun and when you find something that i s a little more to your liking send us a story about it here

 

[robertk]

Pretty sure the one Pepper asked about is a pepper sauce bottle similar to these....View attachment 2207290

Yep. See the write up about it here.

 

[robertk]

Starting another post since my edit time has elapsed on the other ones...

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Dr D L I Flanders Diffusible Tonic	1888	Clear	Rectangular	6" x 2.5" x 1.5"
CA Shackleton's Atomizing Inhaler	1881	Clear	Rectangular	4.25" x 1.5" x 1.5"

 

[Crusty Shellback]

I have three distinct memories from my childhood that sparked my interest in treasure hunting. Two were coins that I found (a Franklin half and an Indian Head penny), but the other was bottles. I found some old soda bottles one time that were all embossed with designs and logos and I thought those were so cool. Even back in my youth (the stone age, if you ask my kids), nobody was making cool bottles like that. I just thought they were the neatest thing. I don't know what ever became of those soda bottles, lost again to time, but the love of them has stuck with me. Fast forward several decades, and my digging at the mystery house has found lots of glass. So I have pieced together a few old bottles and rekindled the interest. And now, thanks to @Limitool, my collection just got a huge boost.

View attachment 2202971

I'm especially excited because these share the same timeframe as the mystery house (late 1800s/early 1900s), and there are some connections! There are some intact versions of bottles that I have found broken here, and a piece of china from England with a hallmark very similar to a fragment I found here. I'm stoked to start learning the history behind them!

My thinking is to start a thread for each bottle I can identify (over time), then edit this post as a sort of "index" to them all. With so many, that seems like the best approach. So, here we go, with the first of many (over time, I'm not rushing this). The titles will link to the individual threads

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery	1871	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	8.5" x 3" x 1.75"
Dr. Sage's Catarrh Remedy	1868	Teal	Square with neck	1.25" x 2.375" x 0.75"
Dr King's New Discovery for Consumption	1880	Aqua	Rectangular with tall neck	2" x 6.5" x 1"
Ely's Cream Balm	1870	Brown	Rectangular with short neck	1.25" x 2.5" x 1"
Dr S B H Co Pr	1885	Teal	Round (Cylindrical)	9.5" x 3"
Mexican Mustang Liniment	1849	Teak	Round (Cylindrical)	4" x 1.5"
Hires Improved Root Beer	1890	Aqua	Square	1.5" x 4" x 1.5"
Otto's Cure for the Throat & Lungs	1890	Aqua	Rectangular flattened	1.125" x 2.75" x 0.75"
Lydia E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound	1880	Aqua	Rectangular flask	3.75" x 6.5" x 1.875"
Brant's Pulmonary Balsam	1890	Clear	Rectangular with neck	2" x 6.5" x 1.5"
L M Green's German Syrup	1890	Green	Rectangular with neck	2.75" x 6.75" x 1.5"
JBL Family Remedies	1890	Clear	Rectangular flask	2" x 5.25"x 1"
JBL Family Remedies (Sample)	1890	Clear	Rectangular	1.25" x 4.25" x 0.75"

Cologne and Perfume Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Hoyt's German Cologne	1870	Clear	Round (Cylindrical)	3.5" x 1.25"

Food, Drink and Condiments

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
HJ Heinz Company 93	Ketchup	1890	Clear	Six-sided tall	9" x 2.5"
HJ Heinz Co 13	Pickles	1890	Clear	Rectangular with short neck	2.25" x 7" x 1.75"
(none)	Whiskey	1880s	Clear	Pumpkin Seed Flask	3.75" x 5.5" x 1.25"
Hoppe & Strub Toledo O	Beer or Mineral Water	1880s	Amber	Round (cylindrical wine)	12" x 3.5" dia.

Other

Embossing	Purpose	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858	Canning	1880s	Aqua	Round jar	7" x 3.5"
Six-Pointed Star with MO	Doll Toy	1885	Clear	Round flask with neck	1.5" x 2.75" x 0.75"

Wow what an impressive bunch of bottles. Looks like you have your work cut out for you researching, cataloging and organizing.. have fun with it, wish I were that organized!

 

[robertk]

You step away for a couple of weeks and you can't edit old posts anymore. Sigh. So here is yet another restart of the "index" thread. I'll collect them all into a single index one of these days.

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Scott's Emulsion	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	9.25" x 3" x 2"
Hebblewhite Mfg Co	1890's	Aqua	Rectangukar	4.75" x 1.5" x 1.5"
Dr Miles Restorative Nervine	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	8.25" x 2.75" x 1.5"
Bixby Shoe Polish	1880s	Aqua	Round (Cylindrical)	3.75" x 2.5"
Bixby Royal Polish	1880	Clear	Round. (Cylindrical)	3.75' x 2"
Tall Caswell Apothecary Bottle	1880s	Clear	Round (Cylindrical)	10" x 3.25" dia.

 

[robertk]

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Parker's Hair Balsam	1880s	Brown	Rectangular	10" x 2.5" x 1.25"
Rex C Merritt Drug Store	1906	Clear	Rectangular	3.75" x 1.5" x 0.875"
Modjeska Tooth Powder	1880s	Clear	Rectangular	3.25" x 2.25" x 1.25"
Dr D Jayne's Tonic Vermifuge	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	5.5" x 2" x 1"
Chamberlain's Cough Remedy	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	6" x 2" x 1"
Ayers Ague Cure	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	7" x 2.25" x 1.5"

Food Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
JBL Flavoring Extract Co	1890s	Clear	Rectangular	5.75" x 1.75" x 0.75"

 

[robertk]

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Haslett & Gladding, Druggists	1876	Clear	Rectangular	5.75" x 2.25" x 1.25"
T. Mansfield's Capillaris	1880s	Clear	Round	3" x 2.25" dia.
William S Merrell Fluid Extract	1880s	Clear	Flattened Round	5.5" x 2" x 1.25"
William S Merrell Pill Bottle	1880s	Brown	Rectangular	5.5" x 2" x 1.25"

Other Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
JJ Butler Ink Bottle	1850s	Green	Square Semi-Cabin	2.5" x 1.5" x 1.5"
Carter's Ink Bottle	1910s	Clear	Round	2.5" x 2" dia.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Brad is pretty cool !!! As is your collection !!

 

[robertk]

Medicine Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Parke Davis Cinchona Aromatics	1880s	Clear	Rectangular	3.5" x 1.75" x 1.25"

Other Bottles:

Embossing or name	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)
Whittemore Shoe Polish	1880s	Aqua	Rectangular	5.5" x 2.5" x 1.5"

 

[dognose]

An impressive collection of bottles.
I also have to say that your posting is also very well done. The link presenting more detail and image is very nice. Well done.

My main collecting interest is native American relics. In the 70s and early 80s, during days were hunting relics was not possible I bottle hunted in the Ozark foothills. My record for a single day was 30. This was a location of a late 1800's early 1900's dairy farm where I was able to find bottles in a dump on the sides of the cliffs. The dairy tossed refuse over a cliff area for many, many years. In some areas I was able to find bottles simply by moving leaves and sticks.

In the late 60s through the early 70s we used to walk old railroad tracks and check the ditches on both sides. It seemed folks used to toss bottles out the windows back in the day.

 

[robertk]

My record for a single day was 30. This was a location of a late 1800's early 1900's dairy farm where I was able to find bottles in a dump on the sides of the cliffs. The dairy tossed refuse over a cliff area for many, many years.

That must have been a common way to deal with the trash. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

In the late 60s through the early 70s we used to walk old railroad tracks and check the ditches on both sides.

That's an interesting strategy. But wouldn't you have to be constantly probing the ground to find them (buried over with mud and silt)?

 

[dognose]

That must have been a common way to deal with the trash. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.


That's an interesting strategy. But wouldn't you have to be constantly probing the ground to find them (buried over with mud and silt)?

the ground was crazy rocky and probing was not possible. never did probe. it is in the Ozarks after all.