1875 - 1890s dump site. approximate age of bottles found?

piggler

To dig or not to dig....... That was my question I answered for my self. This is the first time I actually ever dug in the dirt with the intention of looking for bottles. There was evidence of really old bottles around this cliff above a small river. ( posted earlier of river finds) I was unsure of how to start, so I just dug in and low and behold, I found some amazing.. WHOLE! bottles........

The tall aqua looks to be a Carters master ink, with a pinched spout top. did some searching, could date as early as 1870s? Anybody???

Next is Lydia E Pinkhams Vegetable Compound. Looks to have an early neck and opening

The small ones are Mrs Winslows soothing syrup. A morphine " treatment". These ones look to be early, some searching turned up they changed the wording on the bottle in the late 1880-90s?

Finally is my favorite, a VICHY WATER, HANBURY SMITH NY mineral water. Looks to be a pint, if I compare it to the beer glass in my hand........ Any value with this one, or any?

I plan on heading back and doing some more diggin! Will post updated finds, if any... Thanks for any imput on the bottles.

Jeff

Chris

Jeff

Great finds - glad to hear there are still surface dumps out there which have not been picked over.

Your bottles all fall in the late 19th century range.

The Hanbury Smith is M-23 type 1 in Donald Tucker's book - there are four embossing variants. Quite a decent find.

Chris

piggler

Found another small bottle the other day. Looks to be just as old as the others, crude look about it. Its about 5'' tall and has the # 4 on the bottom. Any Ideas of what this was used for?

Chris

Betty Zumwalt has a section in the back of her book (Ketchup, Pickles, Sauces) called "No-Namers" - one page of which is devoted to mustard-type bottles. There is not an identical one there but one or two similar.

Chris

and...Keep on digging!

piggler

Went back the other day, and was able to pull 2 more from the ground! A small bottle that says Shaker Fluid on one side and Extract Valarien on the other, Looks fairly crude. The other was yet another Mr's Winslows soothing syrup. Any ideas on the extract bottle?

PS, it seems like I cannot post any pics, the option is not available. Malfunction?

Jeff

Chris

Jeff, The Shaker bottle is well known but quite collectible. Post a picture.

Thanks for pointing out the photo issue. I just upgraded the software yesterday and missed this bit of the configuration. All should be well now.

Chris

piggler

Hey Chris, added photos..... They show up but evry other photo on the site has a broken link icon, red X....

Chris

Thanks again for the heads up. Problem fixed.

piggler

Here is a group photo of the medicines and toppers I was able to pull from the site.... I was amazed to find the toppers. When I found them I was actually thinking, so many bottle pieces and no toppers... I feel lucky to have found them. If any body sees anything of interest here, please let me know. Im far from done exploring this site....

Chris

It's always amazing what one finds intact given all the chance for breakage from rocks, freeze/thaw, etc. Years ago a friend and I dug a aqua pontiled medicine bottle with paper thin glass right near the surface in a dump that was full of rocks. The bottle was surrounded by rocks...

Chris

piggler

Found some "new" bottles at the site recently. A Sawyers Crystal Blueing, and a beer bottle that is from the Chase Valley Glass Co.

The Sawyers still has some of the product still staining the glass... Each time it was used? Believe it was used to whiten clothing. Any info on this one would be appreciated.

The Chase Valley bottle was actually right on the surface, barely buried. Some searching says that this bottle was manufactured between 1880 and 1881 at the Chase Valley glass factory #2. Very cool color, I was wondering if there is any value with this one? Cant seem to find any for sale?....

Thanks again, Jeff

Chris

The Sawyers bottles are quite common as you may know... I like the Chase Valley bottle - would be quite a good one if it also had some brewery info embossed on it...

I am not familiar with this...will do a bit of research.

Chris

piggler

Hey Chris, thanks for the help. here is a link to an article written by Mr Bottles (Peter Maas) on the history of the Chase Vally Glass co. Its a good read....

http://www.mrbottles.com/files/cvgco1.pdf

Jeff

piggler

Found this cone inkbottle with some old blob top and mason jar fragments. I know the blobs date from the later 19th century, but this ink looks fully machine made. Some research led me to believe this could be from 1900 to 1910? Is this accurate?

Thanks, Jeff

Chris

The base appears to have a valve mark, but I find the mold seam as shown in the second picture which speaks most to early 20th century

Chris

piggler

New season for diggin!

Found a nice brown bottle with the # 500 on the base. It appears to have a tooled lip and there are two vent marks on the shoulders. Lots of bubbles and what even looks like a pot stone. My question is, does this bottle still fall into the 19th century mark, or is it in that transition period between 19th and 20th....... The area I am digging had originally produced 1900s small bottles ( near the surface), found this bottle much deeper with some nice broken pieces.( applied tops ect...) Any ideas????

Thanks, Jeff

Chris

I think my hunch is the first years of the 20th century. The graphic below is a 1904 bill head showing a variety of bottles styles...for reference.

It's not uncommon to find a mix of ages of objects in surface dumps...that was my experience back when I actually had time to dig :-(

Chris

Oh, and welcome back...keep showing off your finds!

piggler

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the input, I think your spot on with the time frame. Sorry that you don't det to dig as of late, you should treat your self to a day off and go dig in the dirt!!

I did find an amazing bottle just the other day. Its a Pharmacy bottle from my actual home town! It seems pretty old, crudely tooled top and neck. Wondering if it is consistent with the age of the others found at this spot or if its a bit older? ( thinking around 1895 to 1905)

I have attached some other cool things found at the site... Any ideas on the date range would be appreciated

Jeff

piggler

Here are some recent finds. First is an old crown top soda with the embossed letters H.W. Owen, Ansonia Conn. The crown looks to be tooled, no mold seam. Thinking around C1900? Sound about right? Sadly has a large crack in it..... also found an aqua medicine, and old printing plate. Let me know what you think, and if you have any insight on the previous post bottle, I'd be interested in hearing.....

Chris

Always great to find local bottles, esp. when you can tie them to a specific building and/or other local info.

Your dating is what I would think, possibly even a bit later. What is curious about the Ansonia bottle is the "PARIS" embossing on the base. I would think that would be just another Whitall Tatum product.

The metal printing plate is another curiosity...at least I am assuming that is what it is.

Chris

piggler

Some info on the printing plate I found. I reversed the image and it speaks to the effect of the drug " Cancerine". A quack medicine of the turn of the century, and was the subject of one of the first cases involving the supreme court and the Pure Food and Drug Act. The case also involves C.Henry Wilson, a distributor from Shelton! I have attached some info.....

Chris

Great research! Interesting that it was a pivotal case for passage of further protections under the Pure Food and Drug Act.

So what the heck is it doing in that bottle dump?

piggler

Hey Chris,
Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the printing plate... Went back and did some water hunting and came up with some nice bottles, and some REAL sad criers.... The date range for this dump seem to keep expanding as I find more relics. The Iron pontil squat soda I imagine would be 1860's if not earlier (broke my heart). Your thoughts? And the Mellons Infant food I believe is late 1890s. Then I come up with a fully machine made Watkins, thinking 1915 ish... Crazy the variety of artifacts here... Any ideas?

Jeff

Chris

I have heard of a number of great bottles coming out of ponds and rivers here in the northeast...this seems to be the new untapped source of artifacts.

Wow, so sad that the Stoddary "stubby" is missing the lip...that is so much earlier than the other things you have found.

piggler

I was disappointed when I saw the top was missing....... Oh well, hopefully I can find a whole pontilled bottle some day.

I did happen to find a few more bottles in the dirt the other weekend. I am wondering about this skinny, tall, aqua bottle. Any idea what it may have been used for? Has a tooled lip, and many bubbles. Thinking around 1890, sauce bottle ? Whats your opinion?

Thanks, Jeff

Chris

Olive oil for certain - have seen them with labels over the years. Here is a picture of one I found on ebay marked FERNDELL OLIVE OIL

Chris

piggler

Thanks for the info Chris, spot on. Found a listing as well in a catalog for olive oil, and a similar shape was available. Added the picture. I found another bottle which I am unfamiliar with. Think its a perfume maybe? Haven't been able to find anything similar online. Its about 4'' tall, tooled lip, and looks like a grenade. Any ideas on this one? Use, age, ect.... Thanks for your help.

Jeff

Chris

Jeff, yes, have seen similar examples. The pattern has a floral or sunburst design.

Sure would like to see the bottle that was attached to that iron pontil :-(

piggler

Thanks Chris, I would have liked to see what was attached to that pontil too..... Found some small open pontil fragments too, I'll post them.

Would like to share one of my latest finds, its a pint milk bottle from my home town. It is made by the Thatcher Manufacturing Co, 1920, according to the embossing on the base. Front embossing reads " H.B. Maurer" - M - Shelton, Ct. I cannot seem to find any leads to this company, any suggestions on what avenues to explore to find more info, guessing just go to the library?

Its a very clean bottle, some minor cracks, nice shelf appeal...

Jeff