Saturday, February 6, 2016

Whiskey or Candy

I see them on a lot of sale tables at the bottle shows and I have always wondered if these revolver shaped bottles originally held whiskey or candy.




Has anyone ever seen one with an original whiskey label?

7 comments:

  1. Rick;
    Several years ago, I handled a clear example that had a paper label for a San Francisco saloon affixed to it. It was "compliments of" and I assumed that it was Christmas season give away for preferred regulars.

    The label appeared to be honest (with age related foxing and edge deterioration) and the pairing did not appear to be a marriage. Unfortunately, the photos and historical documentations were a casualty of the catastrophic hard drive / drives crash which also resulted in the loss of the publishers draft of Western Whiskey Bottles 5th edition...

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  2. I've seen several with Bay Rum labels from perfume companies. I have a large one (about 10" long) with a label that is marked "Buffalo Bill/Bay Rum/Standard Perfumery Works N.Y."

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  3. I know there is at least one figural gun from a saloon in Oakland...it is embossed as such. I would assume it contained some form of alcohol. It sold in the early 90s in a Pacific Glass Auction. Cannot recall exactly what the embossing was though. DM

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  4. Rick - Dale is correct. There is a western clear bottle in the shape of a pin-fire revolver, with an octagon barrel, a ground screw top and, that is embossed on the left side of the handle "Jack Hern / 561 Park Ave. / East Oakland, Cal". I do not know who Jack was or what was at that address but a little research into the business directories and newspapers of Oakland at the turn of the century might find Jack at that Park Ave. address selling, candy, liquor, or running a bar. - Charles F.

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  5. Jack Hern ran a saloon around Park & Railroad in East Oakland in 1912.

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  6. It is possible the glass guns were used for several different products...regardless, it would be humorous to see someone pointing a pistol at their mouth to consume anything...or a pig's rear end for that matter :)

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  7. Peachridge did a write up on Gun Bottles. The Jack Hearn bottle is pictured. http://www.peachridgeglass.com/2014/07/pow-gun-bottles/

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