Bay City Sodas

How does this rate on the green scale of Bay City sodas ?

Lets Bring it Back!

There has been some talk among collectors to try and recover the lost posts on the Western Glob Top Whiskies site. I, for one am all for this.  Lets lobby Roger to try and transfer some of theses great lost posts to an active bottle site

What say you blog readers?

- rs -



Upcoming Bottle & Collectible Shows

 

November 6th, 7th 2015 (Friday & Saturday) Tulare, California – 47th Annual Tulare Collectible Show & Sale at the Tulare Veteran’s Building, 1771 East Tulare Avenue, Tulare, California 93274, Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Free Admission both days, Dealer Set up Friday at 7:00 am, Golden State Insulator Club, Contact: Dave Brown, Co-Chair, 559.936.7790, 1skychair@msn.com

 December 4th, 2015 (Saturday) Roseville, California – 49er Historic Bottle Assn. 38th Annual “Best of the West” Historic Bottle/Antique Show, December 4, 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, December 5th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Placer County Fair Grounds, 800 All America City Blvd, Roseville, California, $10 Early Bird Friday, Free Saturday, “Featuring” Antique Railroad Show Next Door. Info: Contact Mike 916.367.1829

Crystal Soda Water

Hi Rick -

 I am hoping to get a little help when it comes to actual examples and rarity of the Crystal Soda Water bottles. I have always liked them due to the different shapes, bases, crudity, colors, and rarity. I have attached

just a random photo of 6 of the 12 I have, but am really looking for some help regarding actual examples out there that may or may not exist. There are six that I am not sure exist because I haven't seen them yet or even heard of one.

 

 Hopefully readers of WBN can give me help. Here are the examples of the Crystal Soda Water bottles I am looking for: 1) Blob variant with "Taylor's" embossed on the reverse in aqua and greens, 2) Collared variant with "Taylor's" embossed on the reverse in greens, and 3) Collared variant without the "Taylor's" in aqua, blues, and

greens. Does anyone out there know if these bottles exist? If so, I am always looking to add to my collection.

 

Mike Southworth   SUVGOLD2@yahoo.com

AAA Old Valley

 The AAA Old Valley Whiskey flask is one of the most beautiful of the western flasks. These flasks have been found throughout the west and while not rare by any means, exhibit characteristics indicative of early San Francisco glassmaking. I believe these were made from the early 1870s to about 1878 or so. I know of one site which was only active from 1867-73 and know of several broken examples found there. These run the color spectrum from dark chocolate amber to light green, and every color in between. When I seriously collected early western flasks, I had AAA's in virtually every color. Often they are very crude with strong whittle effect. I have not seen an AAA with a label or a double roll top.
 There have been some AAA flasks dug as recently as the 1990s but I have not heard of any new finds since then. Like the Teakettle fifth, the key is to find an AAA with bold embossing, nice character, and good color...not always the easiest thing to do. I believe there are about 75 examples in collections...maybe more, but these impressive flasks remain very desirable to western collectors. I personally have never dug a mint AAA but it is on my wish list of bottles to dig before I keel over. Click on the photo to enlarge.

 

Hi Rick,
 I thought you might like to see this demijohn with a glass seal. Quite rare to find a demijohn like this in any part of the USA, only the third I know about.

This one stands about 12 1/5 inches in height. It is attributed to the Lyndeborough , NH,Glass Works. Lyndeborough was producing glass from approximately 1868 to 1888, not Western but an unusual demijohn indeed, hope you can use it on the site, best regards to you and Cherry, Dale J Santos.

Mo Spices

Here is a Few Spices

From Cal49er

Probably a pacific glass works blown bottle   and sometimes seen with an open pontil over the star base.    MAX

D. Ghirardelli & Co.

I found this example at an estate sale in Mountain View back in the late 1980s. Very nice color. Haven't seen too many other green examples. These don't seem to come up too often on ebay.

Western Embossed Spices

Left to right G. Venard, H.C. Hudson & Co, and CHS Bernard

Notice that the Venard has what appears to  a stylized curved R and the Benard a straight leg R. Kind of makes you wonder which bottle was produced first. If anyone out there has any of these embossed spices with paper labels it might shed some light on the timeline of these bottles. 
Thanks to Bruce Silva of the Western Whiskey Gazette for the picture of his western embossed spices. - rs -

Rick;

First year that any of the three appear in print. Hudson did not advertise. Bernard and Venard did. See following from S. F. Directory.

 

 

a couple more SF spice bottles

I wasn't able to see a Hudson nor any labeled examples in the Western spice bottle posts. I have a Hudson featuring an applied lip with a pouring spout. Perhaps contained coffee extract or mustard. Added one picture of two other Hudson bottles. The darker example is the one with the pour spout.

Just in from Andrew K.

Rick, what's new ? Here is a photo of my spice run for the blog. Any digging in Gold Country ?

 

Beautiful color run of western blown spices Andrew. Not much new up this way - the ground is like concrete and I haven't heard of any new finds in the last few weeks. Attended the Canyonville Show and it was a good show and fun time. I really liked the ongoing live auction they held during the show and actually auctioned off a few things for a nice profit. Thanks to Bruce & Deb Silva, Jeff Hooper and the gang for a well attended and fun show. Everything indicates it will be held again next year and I am looking forward to making the trek to Oregon again. - rs -

Take a look at this recent discovery in the high country of Sierra County

 

 

 

WOW! 

 

I have to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I upgraded to windows 10 and it totally scrambled my files and changed a bunch of my documents to PDF so I was unable to access them. I finally got rid of the upgrade and can now post on this blog...

How about the above pictured Cundurango that was recently dug. Just an amazing bottle - rs -

Spicing it Up!

What better way to spend the day than old friends getting together to try and spice up a late summer day while discussing the finer points of mold variations  and what the rainy season might hold in store for coming up with some western blown bottles.   These spices seem to be made in endless different molds and when you get a group together like this there are many unanswered questions.   MAX

Thanks to Cal49er for this interesting post on the different variants of spice bottles in some incredible western colors.  - rs -

Golden Plantation

 Recently I was going through boxes of bottles which I have taken out of my cabinets until the massive oak tree hanging over my bottle room is eliminated. It is funny how one actually forgets what's in the collection when the glass is boxed up and put away. I do not know how some collectors do this on purpose, but some do. Every once in awhile, it is nice to handle the bottles and rekindle old relationships with them.
 While I am not a whiskey collector...well not REALLY a whiskey collector, I have been fortunate enough to assemble and dig some nice western whiskeys. While I did not dig this one, it was a new discovery a few years ago by a non collector in Nevada. Just tearing down an old shack, and VOILA! Cassin fifth! No problem mon'. Anyway it has never been actually buried and has a strong embossing pattern.

 I am curious as to how many Cassin fifths there with bold embossing. It seems like most I see are pretty washed out in the middle of the pattern.

Anyway, if you like to keep your "good stuff" all boxed up in the dark, I suggest taking them out once in awhile to enjoy. DM

Countdown to Canyonville

 

 

With just a couple of weeks to go 'till the doors open, we figured an update is in order.

 

The weather has cooled off and we've actually had a day or two of light rain to soften the blow of this summers scorching heat. The air has cleared now that the fires are all but out, and we're enjoying crystal blue skies. The trees are starting to turn and the fall colors should be peaking the weekend of the show.

 

Things are pretty much status quo with regards to the show. Table sales are close to last year at this time and, as always, there's a few procrastinators that will wait until the last few days to reserve a spot.

 

We are donating one table to the Federation (FOHBC) to help promote membership. Ferd Meyer, president of the Federation, has indicated that it will be manned for part of the day on Saturday.

 

 

I'm attaching a full page copy of the show flyer. Just click on it, and it will open in a new window where you can print it out. If you have time, and are so inclined, burn a few copies and hand them out to junk shops, antique malls, second hand stores and what have you. Every piece of advertising helps! We'll be going online today with a last minute push via Craigslist as well.

 

One area, which is an ongoing challenge, involves the displays. I'm asking everyone to consider setting up a display. It doesn't need to be elaborate, and I'm doing away with display judging this year to take away the stigma of competition and "winners and losers". Plus, each displayer will receive a $20~ bill as a thank you for their efforts. Feel free to talk up displaying with your fellow collectors as well.

 

We're going to set up one open display space for Oregon bottles / insulators, and would ask that each collector / dealer bring an item that is either embossed Oregon, or was dug in Oregon, to be set up on a display table. It will be a secure location and each bottle will have an ID sticker affixed to the base identifying the owner.

 

We've got room for up to another five displays, and it sure would be nice to fill the spaces.

 

Thanks,

 

Bruce Silva

Show Chairman

C'ville 2015



Downieville Antique Bottle and Collectible Show and Sale

Entering Downieville California from Highway 49

Saturday September 12, 2015 brings the 24th annual Downieville Antique Bottle and Collectible Show and Sale. The Show opens at 8:00 am for early lookers with a modest $10 entry fee and open to the general public from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm with FREE admission. The show is located at the Downieville School Gym at the corner of Main and School Streets in the historic section of downtown.

This years show is another sellout with over 50 tables of antique bottles, early glass insulators  gold rush artifacts, saloon collectibles, Yuba River Gold nuggets and jewelry to mention just a few of the unique items that will be offered during the show.

This years display will feature western manufactured glass bottles embossed with the unique curved R associated with the early glasshouses located in San Francisco during the mid to late 1800's.

Western curved R on medicine bottle



Western curved R on whiskey bottle



The Downieville Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will be serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages with all the proceeds going to help supply the Fire Department with much needed supplies and equipment.

 

The Friday night dealers BBQ will include the popular wine tasting event and features a selection of craft beers too. The weather is predicted to be warm during the day and cooling off in the evenings so come prepared for the late summer Sierra temperature swings so common to this time of the year in the mountains.

 

North Fork of the Yuba River canyon with Saddleback Mountain in the background.

 

 

See you in Downieville!

 

Interesting Post From Bruce Silva

Here's a link to a interesting post on some Goldfield Nevada items over at Bruce Silva's Western Whiskey Gazette ... http://www.westernwhiskeytooltopgazette.com/

Check it out at the Western Whiskey Gazette

and don't forget to throw in your two cents worth!

Another "Close but no Cigar"

Here is a photo of a recently dug shard sent to me by a western digger. All I can disclose is that this one was found in California. Most of the bottle was in the hole and it is in the process of being glued back together. Pretty exciting find! (Click on pic to enlarge). DM

C.P. Pollard "Maysville"

Hi Rick,
Here is my related Marysville medicine from your previous post. Note Marysville is mis-spelled "Maysville. It is an early smooth base and must be a little later than the Kelly. C.P. Pollard is shown as the druggist at the bottom of your ad.

Pretty rare and historic family of bottles. DM

Just in From Eric Costa

Hi Rick,

I came across an old issue of Treasure Magazine from 1976 with a story about a western medicine that was dug in Marysville. According to the article, at the time, only one example was known. I 've attached a copy of the article and an add from an 1861 edition of the Marysville Daily Appeal. Just wondering if you, or your blog contributors, knew if anymore examples have turned up during the ensuing years. Might be a good topic for a post. Love to hear what you might know.

Thanks

Eric Costa

 

 

 

Anyone out there have anything they would like to add to the H.T. Kelly or C.P. Pollard bottles and their Marysville connection. I had a C.P. Pollard that I sold to the 49er Club for their club raffle a while back. Stupid me - rs -

Chattanooga National Acquisitions

Here's a nice grouping of bottles acquired by collector Jerry Forbes from Big Sur California at the Chattanooga National  Bottle Show. This group of outstanding glass shows Jerry's diverse collecting interest in color and form. Congrats Jerry on your new "keepers".

Although I am not familiar with all of these bottles in this picture I sure like the logs, roped corners  and cabin shapes.
Thanks to Peachridge Glass for the picture - rs -

"Color Run"

Here are six Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy's and each one is a different color. Guess uniformity, and quality control were not the priority! Lots of "restored manhood" in this line up! ( As always, click on the pic to enlarge).

Next on the Radar: Downieville Antique Bottle Show

 

NEXT ON THE RADAR: Downieville Bottle Show by plane or horse – 12 September 2015 (Saturday) Downieville, California – 24th Downieville Antique Bottles and Collectibles Show and Sale at the Downieville School Gym, Main and School Street, Downieville California 95936, Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Early admission: Saturday 8:00 am to 10:00 am, Dealers can drop off their wares on Friday September 11th from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the school gym, Early lookers $10, show admission after 10:00 am FREE, Downieville Bottle Group, westernbitters.com, Contact: Rick & Cherry Simi, Show Chairman, PO Box 115 433 Main Street, Downieville California 95936, 530.289.3659, ricksimi@att.net FOHBC Member Club. Rick & Cherry Simi, Show Chairs, presented me with the cap above last year in honor of our (Coco and moi) visit to this cool show and locale.