I'll try and get a better pic tomorrow when it's light out Surf, this is from Ebay and I highlighted the letters...
I found this ad in the Sacramento Bee in 1878, it's good to know he was known across the country, but it's odd that this is only the second bottle to be documented...
Here's a writeup I found in a 1882 book on industries in Paterson...
It turns out that Israel Reckhow was in business as
early as 1845 when he was partnered up with a man by the last name of Vincent in NYC as you'll see in the first ad pictured...
It turns out he was no longer partnered up in 1851 and his location was right where the World Trade Center towers would later be built. Here's a write up from that time...
The shape of what would become the World Trade Center site indeed of all lower Manhattan did not change from around 1840 until th nineteen-sixties, when landfill began on a whole new scale. The New York City Street Directory for 1851 shows a neighborhood still catering to th commercial waterfront. The Northern Hotel is at 113 West Street, Henry Bicks runs a boarding house at 139-141 Liberty Street. Next door is a stable a cooper; Israel Reckhow, a pickle merchant; Bass Clark & Dibble, grocers, and a tobacconist selling “segars.”
In 1876 Reckhow was at the Centennial Exhibit in Philly where he was commended for his great tasting condiments and their low cost...
After reading the article a light went on in my head, the Monticello name rang a bell, so I did a litle searching in my archives and realized I had seen a Trade Card several times with Monticello Queen Olives and Lilly Brand Mixed Pickles. Now that I look at the shape of the green jar I just won it seems similar in shape to the Olive Jar on the left. The mixed pickle jar seems to have had straighter sides...
I also think the bottle on the blanket may be a 'Salad Cream' and the jar he's serving from may be his 'Chow Chow'?
