These examples are in essentially mint condition with no stains, cracks, chips, or any significant post-manufacturing problems.  The only thing I can see is that the deeper blue green one has a couple very tiny "fleabites" ("pin pricks") on one edge of the base and a couple very faint wisps of haze inside.  If these aren't the best looking window bottles you can imagine (for the price) I don't know what would be.  Not much more to say about it...just look at the picture.  $150

SUNFLOWER / DAIRY / ASTORIA, OREGON - A nice Astoria, Oregon half pint orange ACL (Applied Color Label/Lettering) milk or cream bottle that has the following on the reverse (Health & Energy IN EVERY GLASS) with a 30s/40s dressed gal (looks kind of like Little Orphan Annie without the empty eyes) firmly holding a milk bottle.  The base is embossed with the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. makers mark that vaguely resembles the ringed planet Saturn (also called the "diamond O-I" mark) and indicates manufacture at plant #22 (Tracy, CA.) in 1944 most likely ("4" date code and the DURAGLAS embossing).  There is also a nice valve mark on the base indicating manufacture by a press-and-blow machine - the typical type machine used for milk bottle (and fruit jar) production from the early 1900s until at least the 1950s.  This little bottle is perfectly mint to my eye with no wear or chipping of the ACL and includes the cap for the same dairy.  This bottle was purchased to illustrate the milk bottle section of the Historic Bottle Website and it is time to pass it on to someone else.   $20

Selected Queen Olives - Central Union Ass'n, New Bedford, MASS. - Here is another nice label only (no embossing on body; 32 on the base) wide mouth "vase" olive bottle that has (obviously) never been buried as it retains it original body and neck labels.  The bottle is 9.25" tall, about 3" in base diameter (click HERE to view the base and its embossing), aqua in color, quite a few bubbles in the glass, has a wide flared tooled finish, and dates from the 1890s most likely.  This bottle also has several score of vertical 1" (almost) ribs encircling the lower body.  The body label is about 99% intact with multiple colors and some great graphics - see enlargement of the photo.  The neck label is about 90% complete and says ALWAYS RELIABLE with some fading in places.  This bottle was also acquired to illustrate the food bottles section of the Historic Bottle Website and like the jars above, came from a large collection of labeled food bottles.  Here is the write-up from that website which more fully describes this interesting bottle:

Vase, Fluted, or California Olive - These were the names given to several slightly different versions of the same basic style of bottle...by the Illinois Glass Company in their early 20th century catalogs (Illinois Glass Co. 1903, 1911).  The name "Vase Olive" is particularly apt as the bottle does resemble a vase.  The pictured bottle is body labeled with "Selected Queen Olives, Central Union Ass'n., New Bedford, Mass." with the neck label indicating that their products were "Always Reliable."  This bottle/jar was mouth-blown in a cup base mold with no obvious air venting in evidence and a tooled flared finish.  This combination of diagnostic characteristics make the bottle difficult to date though a composite of the usual date ranges for these particular features would point towards the 1890s.  No information on the producer was located in the bottle literature though the Central Union Association of New Bedford was an early cooperative producer and/or consumer trade union - probably of a utopian slant - formed in 1848 to better market products and/or get better prices on consumer goods for its members (Perlman 1922).

A great shaped - and mint - food bottle with great labels.  SOLD!

Queen Olives XXX Francis H. Leggett & Co. - This tall olive bottle is product labeled indicating it contained "Queen Olives" and was used by the Francis H. Leggett & Co. (New York).   The label is about 95%+ intact, the base is embossed as described below, 11.25" tall, clear glass, tooled one-part finish, and from the late 19th century.  This bottle was also acquired to illustrate the food bottles section of the Historic Bottle Website and like the bottle above, came from a large collection of labeled food bottles.  Here is the write-up from that website which more fully describes this interesting bottle:

The company began business in 1870 and also continued until at least 1980 (Zumwalt 1980).  The base has the embossing F. H. L. & CO. / N. Y.  for the F. H. Leggett Co. and is an example of base embossing that without the label would be hard to determine otherwise; it could also possibly be construed as a bottle makers marking.  This bottle has a tooled one-part finish, was blown in a post base mold with no obvious evidence of mold air venting, and is somewhat crudely made (e.g., bubbles in the glass, stretch marks on the shoulder/neck, wavy glass).  These diagnostic features would indicate a probable manufacturing date between the mid to late-1880s to mid to late-1890s.  However, this bottle design with the ribbed lower body was patented by Leggett on February 26th, 1889 giving a good begin date for this particular style.  Other examples of these tall bottles have the actual patent date embossed on the base (Caniff 1997).  Click Leggett patent 1889 to see that patent.  Click on the following links to view more images of this bottle: base view (embossing is minimally visible); close-up of the neck and tooled finish showing the tooled one-part finish. 

Yet another mint food bottle with a great label.  $25

PRIMROSE / REGISTERED (in a banner) / BRAND / WESTERN MEAT COMPANY - This is one of those odd bottles that looks like one thing - an early 20th century liquor bottle - but was actually something quite different - salad oil!   Actually, this shape was commonly used for both oil and liquor during the first couple decades of the 20th century - at least in the West which is where this bottle comes from.  It is 11" tall, aqua in color, with a tooled finish...it is essentially mint with now staining, chips, cracks or other post-production damage only a few light scuffs here and there.  This bottle was also acquired to illustrate the food bottles section of the Historic Bottle Website.  Here is the write-up from that website which more fully describes this interesting bottle:

The pictured bottle above is embossed vertically with PRIMROSE / REGISTERED / BRAND / WESTERN MEAT COMPANY.   This is known to be a salad dressing bottle as other variants are embossed with PRIMROSE SALAD OIL (Zumwalt 1980).  Like its liquor bottle relatives, this salad oil bottle was blown in a cup base mold, has a tooled brandy finish, and plentiful air venting marks on the shoulders, body edges, and integrated within the embossing; it almost certainly dates from between 1905 and 1920.  Click on the following links for more images of this bottle:  base view showing the cup base mold conformation (base is 2.9" square); close-up of the shoulder, neck and finish.  The Western Meat Company began business around 1895 and was located in Chicago but had several packing houses in California (Zumwalt 1980).  It's president was Gustavus Swift and the company was (or became) part of Swift & Company - still one of the largest meat processing and food companies in the world (source: www.swiftbrands.com).  Swift & Co. also used a similar aqua glass bottle that is embossed with MONOGRAM SALAD OIL / SWIFT & CO. / U.S.A. (Zumwalt 1980).

That about tells the story.  Bottle also has some crudeness in the form of bubbles in the glass and a small but interesting ripple mark at the back corner - a byproduct of the hand manufacturing.   $15

TRADE MARK / LIGHTNING - That is embossed (moderately bold) on the body of this impressively large (over 10" tall and 4.25" in diameter) half gallon jar.  Colored Lightning jars are a popular-with-collector item since they come in a run of very interesting colors including many shades of amber like this offered example.  This jar was acquired to illustrate the food bottles section of the Historic Bottle Website; the history of these innovative jars is available on my other website at this link: Lightning canning jar.  The amber jars are somewhat abundant though quite popular with the pint being the rarest with these half gallons being much rarer than the quarts.  The base is embossed with PUTNAM and the mold number 156; click base view to see such.  The base also has - as the image shows -  some flat, blotchy glass markings which was the result of the glass blower slopping glass fragments into the mold bottom and not cleaning them out... an interesting crudeness seen with hand-made production item.  This jar is a light-ish medium golden amber color with a bit of orange to it; the full view image shows the color accurately to my eye.   Condition is near mint as with most of these jars (which were rarely tossed and buried unless broken).  The minor condition exceptions follow: some minor scratching/scuffing to the body, ample base wear (where it should be), some rusting/pitting to the wire bail (but quite solid and totally intact); and a small flake to the underside of the color matching glass lid which is visible in the enlarged image showing the lid (lid has the usual patent dates embossed on it).  The ground rim is essentially perfect and better than average as it has very little evidence of grinding flaking.  Nice jar with some body crudeness and bubbles.    $120

TRADE MARK / LIGHTNING - Here is a quart version of the above type jar but in a nice - and rarer- deep reddish amber coloration that still passes the light well.  The color is compared against a yellow amber example (which is not for sale at this time) or you can compare it to the half gallon above which was taken with the same lighting and photo set-up.  The color matching lid is embossed with LIGHTNING and PATD. 82 (there may be embossing in between but it is not visible); the base is embossed with PUTNAM / 840.  The glass is unstained (never buried) but does have a few minor scratches and scuffs, has some light whittle to the lower half, a few bubbles here and there, and a nice overall look.  The ground rim is in good shape with one very tiny pin-head grinding peck and a larger, though very shallow, flake which is an in-making one that was a function of the blowpipe cracking-off process and the grinding boy (pre-child labor laws) not grinding the rim down far enough to eradicate it completely; neither of these small flakes is related to post-production damage.  Click rim and lid close-up to see such.  The lid is perfect and the bail is in good mechanical shape with a combination of rusty surface and some original black paint.  Nice jar in near mint condition and one that will compliment your color "run" of Lightning quarts.  $95

GLOBE jars - Quart & Pint - Here is a nice pair of by the typically "gold" colored GLOBE canning jars that are being sold together for reasons noted below.  (I wonder if that is where the Golden Globe awards came from?)  Anyway, these jars have small cracks in areas just above the closure neck band.  Specifically, the quart jar (number "70" on base) has an approximate 1+" crack its left side (looking straight at the jar) just above the closure band with some of it hidden by the band; click quart jar to see a close-up of this jar showing the short crack (pointed out)  just above the metal neck band.  The pint jar (number "23" on the base) has about a 1.5" crack near the top of the ground finish on the right side; click pint jar to see this jars issue with the crack pointed out.  (I've had these jars for some years, kept in a room that has can get quite cool, and the cracks have not altered at all indicating they are quite stable.)  The minor damage on both jars is away from the embossing side (both are on the side mold seam side) and does not show on display.  Otherwise these are pretty nice jars with minimal flaking to the ground finishes and no other cracks, chips, or other damage; both lids are about perfect with just a fleabite or two on the inside lower surface and the closures have some variable rust and pitting, but are quite solid and in good shape.  These are great looking jars that would be priced at around $250 for the pair (and were sold to me as "perfect" alas).  Interestingly enough (to me anyway), the GLOBE on the pint is slightly larger than the embossing on the larger quart jar as can be seen in the image.  Anyway, my loss is your gain as the pair is priced right at $85.

MILLVILLE / ATMOSPHERIC / FRUIT JAR - WHITALL'S PATENT / JUNE 18TH 1861 - This is embossed on two sides of this aqua quart fruit jar which is familiar to most collectors.   This jar was also acquired to illustrate the canning jar section of my Historic Bottle Website.  Here is the write-up from that website which more fully describes this jar:

Pictured... is an example of a (and embossed with)  MILLVILLE / ATMOSPHERIC / FRUIT JAR which was produced by the Whitall, Tatum Company (Millville, NJ) (Whitall Tatum & Co. 1880).  It was certainly the most popular mouth-blown jar sporting a thumbscrew and stopper/lid type of closure given the numbers that still exist today.  The finish on these jars (image below) are virtually identical to the wax seal cap/finish discussed earlier, but instead had a glass lid which fit into or between the circular but parallel ridges on the top of the finish and was held down with a thumbscrew clamp instead of a metal cap that was sealed with wax or equivalent substances.  The use of glass instead of metal would have been a natural evolution from the wax sealers metal cap to avoid imparting a metallic taste to the contents of the jar - a common complaint (Toulouse 1969a).  The picture below shows the finish on the Millville jar without the lid and clamp in place.  A comparison of this finish with the wax seal jars pictured earlier shows the close similarity.  If just the broken off finish of a Millville jar were to be found on an historic site, it would be difficult to say whether the original closure was a wax sealed tin lid or a thumbscrew and glass lid.

The reverse side of the Millville jars are embossed WHITALL'S PATENT / JUNE 18, 1861; click Millville jar reverse view.  It was once thought that the actual patent date was November 4, 1862 (by T. G. Otterson) and that 1861 was claimed as the Millville origination in order to seem like an older, more established jar/closure when compared to the competing jars from John Moore & Co., a similar closure which was patented in December 1861 (Toulouse 1969a).  However, patent records do indeed show that John M. Whitall was granted a patent on June 18th, 1861 (incorrectly noted as "Jan. 18th" above the patent illustration) for this jar; click Patent #32,594 to view the Whitall patent (U. S. Patent Office 1861).  The glass lid or stopper closure on the John Moore jars fit on a ledge inside the bore of the bottle; the Moore jar finishes not having the parallel ridges on or within the finish like the Millville Atmospheric and typical wax sealer jars.  The Van Vliet jars had a glass cap that was shallowly cup shaped and fit over and around the outside of the finish.

The Millville Atmospheric jars date from the 1860s through the early 1890s, although the Whitall, Tatum Company produced similar "museum jars" with the same closure at least into the 1920s (Whitall Tatum & Co. 1880, 1892, 1896, 1924).  Other thumbscrew and stopper types like the Moore's jars date from the 1860s or early 1870s and the unusual Van Vliet's from the 1880s (Creswell 1987).  After that time, this style of closure was rarely used since the external "Mason's" screw-thread and Lightning type closures dominated along with a few others - like the cam lever and lid jars discussed next. 

The jar has an original screw down clamp as shown in the close-up image above.  Click here to see an image of the lid and clamp off the jar.  The base has the number 5 embossed in the center; click here to view the base.  This jar is in pretty good condition...it has a bit of very faint content haze - almost certainly from it having the contents sitting in it for many years as it was likely never buried.  There is one partial open bubble on one side (a 3/8" bubble that is about half open) and a couple small nicks on the lid which still has the original rubber gasket attached and in good condition.  A few scratches here and there but overall a pretty nice looking example.   SOLD!

PACIFIC / SAN FRANCISCO / GLASS WORK - PATD FEBY 9TH 1864 / VICTORY / 1 / REISD JUNE 22D 1867- This is a very esthetic example of these scarce Western made canning jars.  This example is the quart size (Red Book/Creswell #2895) with a good condition Mason's Improved type screw band and original domed glass insert (with some very minor roughness along its edge).  These Western made jars were blown at the Pacific Glass Works in San Francisco and I acquired this example for use on my Historic Bottle Website; the following is an excerpt from that site:

This (Pacific Glass Works) was the first truly successful glass maker west of the Rockies and in business from 1862 to 1876 when it was combined with the San Francisco Glass Works to form the San Francisco and Pacific Glass Works.  This information gives a likely manufacturing date range for this jar of 1867 to 1876, although it is possible that the molds (there were several sizes and variations made) continued in use by the combined company for some period after 1876.    

This example is a nice deeper blue-greenish aqua color (images capture it about right), very bold embossing - particularly on the Glass Work side, some nice whittle to the glass and is of nice, clean, unstained glass.  Otherwise about mint (few scratches) as is common with these jars, there is some grinding related flaking along the edge of the rim.  By far the most significant is one being about 1/4" wide and less in height (click on close-up of the lip to see such), one much smaller flake on the backside (along with the usual, no-harm tiny "fleabite" types), and a very short (3/16") "flash" or stress line from the rim down which is visible to the left of the pictured flake on the linked image.  This all sounds worse than it really is as this is an all-round very good example at a good price due to the small - though normally encountered - "issues."  SOLD!

If that wasn't enough, I also have a very fine half-gallon example of the same jar (pictured to left) with the same "Western" blue aqua color and embossing details as the quart size (i.e., ex-Cutting & Co. mold that later morphed into the M. Seller & Co. jar).  This jar is essentially perfectly mint with no chips, dings, flea bites, cracks, staining...or repairs.  It also appears to have never been professionally cleaned.  (The jar includes an original metal disk cap which is not shown in the image.)  Both sizes of the jar are are quite rare though the half-gallon is the rarer of the two in my experience.  Click close-up of the embossing to see such; this image also shows the seed bubbles scattered throughout the glass fairly well.  Be aware that the embossing is much stronger than that or the image to the left imply; I just couldn't get a good picture straight on.  Click side view of the embossing which shows the embossing is quite distinct.  Both jars are great examples of the few full "glass works" name embossed Western bottles/jars and really undervalued (and underappreciated) in my opinion.  One of these with a small lip chip sold for $1000 [with commission] at a Glass Works Auction in February 2008; this is at least as good an example in my opinion.   SOLD!

THIS BOTTLE NEVER SOLD /  USED ONLY UNDER / LICENSE / FROM / ALAMEDA COUNTY MILK DEALERS / ASSOCIATION / OWNER / A. C. / OAKLAND / REG. CAL. - All of this is boldly embossed on the front of this very nice quart size "common sense" milk bottle from the Bay Area.  It is also embossed with ONE QUART on the reverse heel, on the bottom with a capital "A", the Owen-Illinois Glass Co. makers mark ("diamond O-I"), the date code for 1935 I believe (a "5" without a period) and a double digit plant number which isn't totally readable though it definitely a "twenty something" for one of the California plants most likely.  It also has 14 vertical embossed lines - or ribs according to period milk bottle maker catalogs - on the neck; a common decorative element on milk bottles and in a typical number (14).  I don't know anything else about this bottle except that I found it in the Klamath Falls area (garage sale) and that it is in essentially mint condition with no chips, cracks or other post-production damage...just a few scratches here and there from case abrasion.  A very nice, sparkling, near mint milk bottle.  SOLD!

MAGGI - This is embossed on all four shoulders of this interestingly shaped little bottle which contained a type of beef bouillon, i.e., "extract of beef" - a popular product beginning in the late 19th century and well into the 20th (and as "beef bouillon" to this day).  According to Betty Zumwalt's great book on food bottles this was a Swiss company though the product was widely distributed in the U. S. and the bottle may have been of U. S. manufacture.  This example is just under 6" tall, a nice golden amber in color with some scattered bubbles in the glass, has a tooled "brandy" type finish or lip, and dates most likely from the very early 1900s.  The bottle shape is what you see - squatty square body with embossed four point stars on each side, the MAGGI embossed at the intersection of the body and shoulder, an molded ring on the shoulder at the base of the very tall and straight neck.  This example also has a large "2" embossed on the neck - indication of the size.  The bottle is in near mint condition with a clean shiny surface and just some inside the edge of the rim, in-making roughness and a pin-head sized onion skin open bubble on the base...which also has the four-point star embossed on it.  Nice looking bottle that will be used to illustrate the food bottles section of my Historic Bottle Website.  This example was actually found in eastern Nevada in one of the ghost towns in that region.  SOLD!

 

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WESTERN AMERICAN BOTTLES BITTERS EARLY AMERICAN BOTTLES & FLASKS MEDICINAL "TONIC" BOTTLES OTHER MEDICINAL BOTTLES SODA/MINERAL WATER & BEER LIQUOR & MISC. BOTTLES and COLLECTIBLES BOTTLE BOOKS

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