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Bottle Vitals
| Date | Color | Shape | Size (Height x Width x Depth) | Value* | |
| JR Nichols & Co | 1870s | Aqua | Rectangular | 10" x3" x 2" | $15.00 |
Bottle Views (click to enlarge):
| Front | Back | Side | Side | Bottom |
 |  |  |  |  |
| J R Nichols & Co | Chemists | Boston |
James R Nichols was a chemist in 1850's Boston. His company manufactured a lot of different things, as shown on this card from the time:
Mr Nichols company also made some patent medicines, including Sarsaparilla, which may have been what was in this bottle. It's hard to say, since any paper label has long since faded away. Here's an ad for the Sarsaparilla (click to enlarge).
Like most medicines of the time, it could cure just about anything, and the symptoms so vague that almost everyone could say they had one or more of the conditions that needed curing.
Mr Nichols apparently did quite well in his business ventures, and eventually built himself a castle inspired by those he saw on his travels in Europe.
He sold his interest in the company in 1872, and it was renamed to "Billings, Clapp, & Co". I am assuming this bottle is from the time period before the name change.
Here's the before and after. This one didn't clean up as much as I had thought it would, and could probably use a run in a bottle tumbler. (I don't have a "real" bottle tumbler, but I'm considering it. I could keep it spinning for a long time...)
* Value is based on sold eBay listings at the time of posting, and varies with condition.
