Blob Sodas

[Road Dog]

Let's see them if ya got them!

 

[Harry Pristis]

Let's see them if ya got them!

Nice range of colors, 'Road Dog' -- I don't think I have one in saphire blue.

I've not photographed these (though someone had before I acquired them years ago), but here's an image of three I just made. The A. P. SMITH is iron-pontiled; the other two are smooth-base.

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[Road Dog]

Great Bottles! I used to have the center and the left one. Sold them just before Jr. was born. I miss that Smith. Got some good money for it though.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Great Bottles! I used to have the center and the left one. Sold them just before Jr. was born. I miss that Smith. Got some good money for it though.

Thanks, 'Road Dog' -- I don't know the market value of these bottles, though I know they are collectible.

Here is another pair that I photographed a little while ago. Neither of these has a pontil scar. Are these good ones?

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[Road Dog]

Yes, they are good ones. I've seen them in years past go over 100 bucks apiece. Here are a trio of Lomax Bottles.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Yes, they are good ones. I've seen them in years past go over 100 bucks apiece. Here are a trio of Lomax Bottles.

Whoo! Lomax! Chicago is my home town, but I could never justify the expense of owning a Lomax bottle. Nice colors!

Show us some more!

 

[Road Dog]

Center is pontilled.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Nice bottles! W. H. Hutchinson of the Hutchinson stopper bottle fame. The stopper came late in his career, apparently, 'cause he is listed as a bottler in Chicago from 1860-80 (your W.H.H. bottles, evidently).

The stopper patent was issued in 1880, and dominated the industry from 1880-1905.

 

[Harry Pristis]

I'm quickly running out of blob-top sodas to show. I had never before tried to photograph these sodas; so, thanks, 'Road Dog' for motivatin' me!

Here's another trio:

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[Road Dog]

You are doing excellent with the pics. You have killer bottles too! That Mayer comes in a stout version too I believe. The Ryan on the right I have one just like it. Probably my favorite soda. Just how it looks and feels. It quite a heavy one.

 

[Road Dog]

Here is a P. Conway. Really nice bottle even with potstone on the front.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Here is a P. Conway. Really nice bottle even with potstone on the front.

I should pay more attention to these bottles. I just breeze past them when they are presented at auction. It is a distinctive American form, I should make an effort to learn more.

Your Conway bottle is eye-candy, like the other blob-tops; but, I know so little about the category, it could be a $50 bottle or a $5,000 bottle and I wouldn't know the difference. Is there a good book that presents some history and rarity (not a price guide)?? Maybe you could share some history and rarity info on your bottles that would enlighten (not just) me.

I think this is my last colored blob-top. Is this a good one?

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[Road Dog]

That is a nice one. Maybe 150 bucks or so. South Carolina pontil Sodas are good and North Carolina Pontil Sodas are name your price. Had a collector 20 years ago tell me that he'd give me 700 dollars for any pontil NC Soda I come across reguardless of color.
I wish there was some books on these Sodas and their rarity. Most of them I just know from going to shows and observing what comes up for sale at various places. I had a green Deegan Soda (non pontilled Pottsville Blob). This bottle I picked up at the Flea for 8 bucks. I only could find a listing for this one in yellow. Finally ended up talking to some diggers from the Pottsville and was informed that they had only seen 2 others over the years. Point is I would have no way of knowing this from books and such.
I know Digger makes a pretty good book on pontil Meds. Wish he would do one for Sodas. His book cover company history and rarity.

 

[Road Dog]

The Twedle's on the left just missed being open pontil. Open pontil Sodas were made from around 1837 -1844. As a rule taper top Sodas are older. The very old Sodas 1840's tend to be smaller and thinner glass as well. This can be seen in the two bottles side by side. Tweddle gets spelled 3 diff ways in their bottles. Also have a Tweddle Jr. also pontilled.

 

[Road Dog]

It's aways good to know the normal colors for a particular Soda (any bottle really). That way those odd ball ones will jump out at you. You always hear about Cobalt Blue Sodas, but the trick is to spot the ones that should be Cobalt and are not. So, a Soda in a plain aqua or green would be worth more and be far rarer if the norm for that Soda is a Blue.
Another thing to look for is pontil Sodas from states that aquired their statehood late. Babies are hard to find.
In 1848 the Eagle Glass Works of Kensington, Philadelphia advertised mineral water bottles. Ones that bear the name of this works are hard to find.
Here is a pic of one I have. It is iron pontil and embossed only Eagle Works Philada.

 

[Road Dog]

Here is a pic of two bottles . Both are Boardmans and are pontilled. The Cobalt is the norm. The greenish colored one is the exception and worth quite abit more. A example of what I was talking about color.

 

[Harry Pristis]

That's good information, 'Road Dog'!

Sooo . . . color variants are available. Not unlike the St. Drake's Plantation Bitters, where there is a common color worth "X", and there are color variants which might be worth "4X" or a lot more.

And, location is important. A blob-top from Hawaii would be of interest for historical reasons. My JOHN RYAN mineral water is embossed on the reverse,
UNION GLASS WORKS
PHILA
Ironic for a Savannah, Georgia, soft drink bottler to be using a bottle from the Union Glass Works. I guess the bottle just pre-dates hostilities. Is that the sort of historical factor to which you refer?

Now, I'm hoping that you'll tell me that PABLO & CO from New Orleans is normally a cobalt blue, and that I have the rare colorless/aqua variant worth beaucoup dollars. LOL

It's like every other category of collectible bottle, I guess. Familiarity comes with exposure plus a will to learn.

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[Road Dog]

Actually I have or had a Pablo. Only seen them in aqua. The Ryan bottles are all very collectible and you should have no problem looking up the history.The same is true of names like Roussel and Dearborn also. For me personally Sodas with the glassmaker or moldmaker marks embossed on them is a plus.

 

[Road Dog]

Posted a couple of Tweddles earlier in this post. Here is a J. Tweddle Jr. By 1845/46 John Tweddle Jr. apparently succeeded to the soda and mineral water business established by his father, who was first listed in the City Directories 1843/44. The 1846/47 included " put up in glass bottles". This bottle must have been used between 1849/50 and 1856, the only years John Jr.'s address was given as 41 Barclay Street. This is a iron pontil bottle.

 

[Road Dog]

This Soda is a J & A Dearborn. Color is a dark sapphire. It is iron pontilled. John and Alexander Dearborn ae the sons of Rodolphus Dearborn, both men entered the soda and bottling business as partners in 1848. At that time they took over the business of another successful New York mineral water maker, A.W. Rapp. Rapp was in business from 1843 to 1847 at 93 and 95 Third Ave and decided to sell out to the Dearborns in 1848.
As early as 1840 Alexander was a grocer. In the 1844 directory it lists Alexander as operating a Coffee Saloon! In 1844 John was a rootbeer maker on Rivington Street.
By 1849 the business was known as J & A Dearborn.
This bottle dates from 1848 to 1852.