From Eric McGuire

Rick,

The FOHB Southern Region Show has come and gone and I thought I would give you a Westerner's view, with the mind that next year's Expo will be held in Sacramento. I will give you captions for the attached photos - listed by the last three digits:

 

 

The show was very well attend and held in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. The venue was downright massive with a more than ample and well lighted exposition hall. This is a photo of the crowd comprised of early lookers and dealers as the doors first opened

 

There were a good number of displays with most showcasing a variety of Southern bottles. This joint effort display was an assemblage of some of Tennessee's most desirable bottles

 

 

Included in the Tennessee bottle display was a pint size D.KIRKPATRICK & CO. / CHATTANOOGA / TENN. flask, one of my favorites, with a "road kill" eagle embossed on the front. This is truly a rare bird, and there was actually a quart version in another display

 

 

This display included one of the best collections of Charleston eagle soda bottles I have ever seen. The photo speaks for itself

 

 

 

As in nearly all regions of the country, older colored soda bottles are always a desirable collectible. This display included only Southern soda bottles

 

 

 

Something that is not well represented in the West compared to most parts of the country is pottery. A number of sales tables had examples of early Southern pottery for sale

 

 

Midwestern bottles were also for sale, as noted by this sales table

 

 

The birthplace of Coca Cola was the Southeast and Southerners do like to collect painted label sodas. It is extremely popular there just as it is gaining momentum in the West as the supply of older bottles has slowed down

 

 

A sales table of just pretty and different liquor flasks

 

 

The bottle auction associated with the show was a lively event and well attended

 

Overall, this show was a great experience and just a little taste of what will happen in Sacramento next year. I saw no more than half dozen Western bottles for sale, with the best being, perhaps, a cobalt blue Bay City soda. This is in stark contrast of what will happen at the Sacramento Expo which is already in great demand for sales tables, hotel rooms and dinner reservations. Please keep that in mind.

 

Eric M

 

Thanks to Eric for this great report on the Show - rs -

W.C. Peacock Shot Glass

Interesting post over at Bruce Silva's Western Whiskey Gazette on a W.C. Peacock shot glass.
Take a look http://www.westernwhiskeytooltopgazette.com/ at a new discovery.

Name Those Shards

I received an interesting email the other day from a digger way north of us here in northern California, it follows:

Hi Rick,
 I've been enjoying westernbitters.com since I discovered it a few months ago.  I must of spent hours on it scrolling though every post.  I find we diggers share a common bond, an appreciation for history and uncovering artifacts.

I live in Vancouver and have been digging in several old gold rush camps in British Columbia this (hot and dry) summer.  Its been great.  Not much is too be found but the odd shard of a good bottle keeps my hope going.  

I've attached a pic of a few shards I've found this summer.  Maybe you might know what the aqua shard is from?  I think it may have said Celery or Celebrated.  Can't find any info on it. 

I'll keep in touch when the good stuff comes out of the ground.

-Mike in BC

 

Yep...these are gold rush era shards...Can any of you out there name all three..........

 

Thanks Mike for the email and picture of your recently found shards. Good luck on your dig. - rs -  

Downieville Antique Bottle and Collectible Show and Sale

The Downieville Bottle Group is gearing up for the annual show and sale on September 12, 2015.
This year show will feature a display of western blown bottles with the infamous curved R attributed to the glass works located in San Francisco. All categories of bottles will be displayed including bitters, whiskies, medicines and soda's. If you would like to display one of your western curved R bottles please contact me before August 15th to get on the list of displayers.

Your basic western curved R

We will  have the traditional wine tasting and barbeque for the show dealers Friday September 11 starting around 5pm.

We still have some sales tables available but are anticipating another sold out show this year. If you want a sales table you can contact Rick or Cherry, sooner would be better than later.

Dealers can bring in their wares to the School Gym between 2:30 and 5pm on Friday afternoon

See you in Downieville

More from Reno

These two also changed hands at Reno. Even though it may not be in the high value range with the Wonsers, the little bubbly unembossed Western flask is a dandy!

A Few More Reno Acquisitions

Here's a few more pictures of recent acquisitions from the 2015 Reno Bottle Show.

 

 

Beautiful and rare Cutter Star Shield Flask

 

Nice Light Colored Large Circle Miller's Extra Flask

 



 

Stunning Alex Von Humbolt's Stomach Bitters

 

From the feedback I have received the 2015 Reno Show was a buyers market with dozens of desirable western bottles in several categories at fair prices. Sure wish I could have attended this year's show. Thanks to raptor6604 and westernglassaddict for these fine pictures - rs -

Another Reno Find- Chalmer's

Here is another of my favorite finds from the recent Reno show. This goes nicely with my Catawba Wine Bitters. My good friend DE bought this for me! I love it! If you click on the image, you can see the incredible detail of this piece. DM.

To Tumble or Not

Have this Pretty Scarce Jake, a Hostetter's with the Flat Top, a Grayish Color with a Slight Purple Tint, its Stained Pretty Good as the Picture Shows, I Have Never Seen Another One of These Like This One, it Has Rather Flat Embossing. I was Thinking of Maybe Having it Tumbled, But, I am Concerned about Losing the Embossing in the Process. I Consider it a Very Tough Piece.......Any Thoughts on Tumble or No Tumble?

or How Could That Be Done?

Reno 2015 Show Pictures

 

 

 

Thanks to Gloptop for the Show pictures - rs -

More Reno Show Acquisitions

 

Thanks to DE and DS for the photo's of their recent Reno acquisitions - rs -

A Few Reno Show Finds

Here are a few of my favorite finds from the Reno Show.
The green H. Ficken was a surprise which I quickly snapped up. I was also pleasantly surprised when the wicked lime / yellow green Venard spice came out of a box...in the same box was the blue San Francisco Glass Works soda. All in all it was a fun show, although many friends were not able to attend. DM

Remember to click on the pic to enlarge.

Does anyone have any reports or photos of last weekends Reno Bottle Show. Do to previous commitments I was not able to attend this years show and any information on the show would be appreciated.
Thanks - rs -

OMG!.....OGW!

See you all at Reno

STAR REMEDIES COMPANY

A while back Dale M posted this article on the Star Remedies Company. Just last week another star product, the Van Dykes variant from the Star company sold on ebay. Thought this revised post might be of interest to western collectors. - rs -

 

 

For the 30 years that I have collected western medicines, there have been a few mysterious brands which seem to have little or no advertising or evidence to really pin down details of these amazing pieces of glass. The brand names alone are enough to stir interest to collectors, and the rare Trout Oil Liniment with it's embossed carp-like trout is one that has captured my attention. It is one of the very few embossed early western medicines with a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The theories abound on this bottle, and after a lot of searching, there are more pieces added to the puzzle. I found an ad in the Virginia Evening Chronicle dated from August 8th, 13th, and 16th. 1877 which not only identifies the Trout Oil Liniment as being made from Lake Tahoe trout, but also sheds some light on it's cousin..."Remedy #1". The Trout Oil is embossed "Remedy #2", and I always wondered what "Remedy #1" would have been. According to the ad, the "Dr. Van Dyke's Antibilious Cure" is also from the same company, and it so happens to have "Remedy #1" embossed on the front panel. At long last these two bottles can not only be confirmed as 100% western, but that they are connected in a series makes me wonder if there is a "Remedy #3"!

 

 

Both of these medicines are extremely rare with about 6-8 Trout Oil Liniment examples known, and one or two Dr. VanDyke's Antibilious Cure's in collections that I know of.It is still unknown as to whether these are a Nevada brand, or California...the ONLY ads I have ever found have been in Virginia City. Nevada papers. I think western medicines are very under-valued at this time, and for pure history, they are tough to beat! If anyone else has information on the "Star Remedies Co.", please share it.

DM

Rare Bryant's Cone on ebay

Here's the link to the auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-WESTERN-OLIVE-GREEN-CONE-BRYANTS-BITTERS-BOTTLE-SAN-FRANCISCO-1850S-/351444519206?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51d3b9c926

Happy Fourth of July

Does This Look Familiar

I saw this bottle on ebay the other day and for some reason it sure looks familiar to me but I just can't place where I have seen it before

Here's the link to the bottle on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Late-19th-C-Western-Medicine-Bottle-Aquamarine-Star-Remedy-No-1-Dr-Van-Dykes-/271917484864?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f4f8b8b40

It is advertised as "western"

 

 

But I don't recall ever seeing this bottle in a western collection....... Maybe I am getting it mixed up with the Trout Liniment. Anyone have any info on this bottle?

 

Click on the pictures to enlarge them - rs -