Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Grimm's Rejuvenator

One of the interesting San Francisco hair bottles, the Grimm's Rejuvenator, has always been of interest to me. I have searched from time to time to find any advertisements or information on the Grimm's product.


A. Grimm's Rejuvenator For The Hair with a double ring top
 
According to Bill and Betty Wilson's book 19th Century Medicine in Glass Adam H. Grimm became a hairdresser at the baths of the Lick House in San Francisco sometime in 1871. After some success Adam trained his son Adam Jr. in the business and employed him as a barber.
 
In 1876 Adam and Adam Jr. bought the Lick House. Around 1878 Adam Jr. decided to part ways with his father but his new endeavor failed and he went bankrupt. Adam Jr. went back to work for his father for the next 20 years and eventually took over the business when Adam Sr. retired.
 
 
                                                         A. Grimm's with a square collar applied top
 
The A. Grimm's is a 6 3/4" tall blown in mold aqua colored bottle. It has four panels and comes with both the applied double ring top and a square collar top. It is embossed on the side A.GRIMM'S on the front REJUVENATOR - FOR THE HAIR and on the other side panel SAN FRANCISCO.
 
I can't find any information on the age of this bottle but my best guess, from the time the Grimm's were in business, would be late 1870's to mid 1880's.
 
Our friend and fellow collector DM from Oregon acquired a stunning example of the Grimm's at the 2013 49er Bottle Show.
 
 
 Thanks to DM and the Utah Bottle Cliché for the pictures. Anyone have one of these examples for sale? - rs -

Numa G. added:
After a stint in the wholesale liquor business, Adam Grimm entered the hairdressing profession in 1863. I'm not sure where the 1871 date came from, but it is my opinion that the Grimm's bottles could be 1860s. Doesn't the apostrophe remind you of the cobalt Fish's ?  (yes it does - and that brings up another question - rs - ) We dug a damaged example in an unusual milky clear glass. Doesn't the milk glass remind you of the 1860s western blown extracts ? Based on the context of the hole that produced this clear example and the characteristics of the bottle, my guess on these would be 1864-1867

 
The Grimm's in a clear coloration with an applied square collar top.
 
Thanks to Numa G.

2 comments:

  1. After a stint in the wholesale liquor business, Adam Grimm entered the hairdressing profession in 1863. I'm not sure where the 1871 date came from, but it is my opinion that the Grimm's bottles could be 1860s. Doesn't the apostrophe remind you of the cobalt Fish's ? We dug a damaged example in an unusual milky clear glass. Doesn't the milk glass remind you of the 1860s western blown extracts ? Based on the context of the hole that produced this clear example and the characteristics of the bottle, my guess on these would be 1864-1867.

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  2. I have handled two of the A. Grimm bottles. I am convinced they are mid to late 1860s. I know of three aqua examples and one intact in the flint type clear glass. What a shame the latest example was dug broken, but it is still a "keeper". Usually hair product bottles are found in number in a pit as the "baldy" was desperate to get his ( or her) hair to grow back.The majority of A.Grimm's were dug in one hole. I dug over 100 Bachelor's #1 and #2 in one hole in Sonora, and multiples of many others in other pits...for some reason the rare western hair's do not come out in multiples as often...otherwise there would be more Fish's, Grimm's, Crown of Science, Indian Queen's, Snow's Victory in collections. Maybe the western brands were big bucks back then?

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