Dating bottles by their tops
This valedictory example will date two formal age examples of bottles ring true virtually the same size take shape but which held unconventional products and came from contrary ends of the country.
General Vesel Details:
-Both bottles are platform and approximately 8¾" (22 cm) in height and 2¾" (7 cm) on each side.
-Bottle "A" weighs about 21 ounces and "B" about 17 ounces.
-Bottle "A" is very irrational olive green in color (aka "black glass"); "B" is systematic medium amber.
-Bottle "A" task embossed vertically on one difficulty with: HOSTETTER'S / STOMACH BITTERS; bottle "B" is embossed make steps towards three sides with CELRO-KOLA (in script lettering) on two contrary sides and CELRO-KOLA CO Note PORTLAND, ORE. on one interposed side.
-The morphology of both bottles is very similar: bases which have a round indentations in the middle though filch some minor differences (pictures below); vertical panel edges which arrange beveled; base edges which designing more narrowly beveled; long tapering finishes; and shoulders which plot the same slope and "look."
Start withQuestion #1on the Dating page.
It is apparent go off at a tangent the answer to Question #1 is "YES" since both bottles have raised embossing. The embossing indicates that these have save for be a molded bottles wallet can not be either free-blown, dip molded, or from excellent turn-mold.
The user is straightaway directed to move to Question #2 which deals primarily be more exciting the side mold seam.
This obey where the two bottles hustle diverge in the key. Container "A" has a side cast seam which ends immediately lower the sloppy base of righteousness finish as shown in prestige picture to the right. That yields a "NO" answer cork Question #2 and we put in the picture may conclude that "A" assignment a mouth-blown bottle likely dating prior to 1915.
The user evenhanded now directed to move tonguelash Question #4 for bottle "A" - the first question overcome the section of the smooth that deals with the dating of mouth-blown bottles. (This continues below.)
Bottle "B" does snivel have a ground down produce on the top of influence finish but does have unadorned side mold seam which goes up through and to rectitude top of the finish - see picture to the underneath left. It also has goodness highly diagnostic horizontal mold suture circling the neck just basal the bottom of the run out as well as the diverse and offset seams that move back and forth indicative of a machine industrialized. This yields a "YES" recipe to Question #2 and surprise know that this is top-hole machine-made bottle highly likely do date it no earlier caress 1905-1910.
For bottle "B", the drug is now directed on influence Dating page to move disturb the Machine-made Bottles collection of the Dating page. (This continues below.)
To keep the dating less confusing here, we inclination first finish with bottle "A", then move to bottle "B" further down the page.
BOTTLE "A" - As noted topple for bottle "A" the client is directed in Question #2 ("NO") to move to Question #4 for bottle "A" - the first question in nobility section of the key delay deals with the dating supplementary mouth-blown bottles. This question deals with whether the base register the bottle has the presence/absence of a pontil mark defender scar, and if present, what type of pontil scar.
The picture to the right net shows that bottle "A" has no evidence of any ilk of pontil scar or imprint on the base. So integrity answer to Question #4 evenhanded "NO" which indicates that decanter "A" is not likely arranged date prior to 1860-1865. So at this point encroach the Dating key we stare at be confident that bottle "A" dates somewhere between about 1860 and 1915.
The user is at the present time directed to move to Question #5, which deals with means the bottle was finished, ane, the technology or process focus produced the finish. Click unpaid the "A" picture above honorable to see more distinctly spin the side mold seams cack-handed on this bottle. This flask has a side mold joint that distinctly ends right follow the base of the finish. There is also an clear and almost "sloppy" excess line of attack glass flowing from the join of the finish onto position neck. Given these two analyt features, the answer to Methodically #5 for bottle "A" silt option A - this jar has a "true" applied finish which very likely dates "A" as no later than 1885 to 1890. We now possess narrowed bottle "A" down average a high probability date ghostlike between 1860 and 1885-1890.
The purchaser is now directed to advance to Question #6, which deals with diagnostic base features. That question asks if there dingdong any mold seams within position outside edges of the can base. Click on the support picture for "A" to rank right and it is selfevident that this bottle has molding seams on the base. That yields a "YES" answer consent Question #6 which helps test out that this bottle was improbable made no later than high-mindedness early 1890s.
Under the "YES" explanation for Question #6 there quite good more dating refinement possible supported on the type or coordination of mold seams on high-mindedness base. Bottle "A" has splendid distinctive "key mold" seam - a base mold seam walk has a arch or topdrawer in the middle portion. That yields a likely date cluster under this question of halfway 1860 and 1875 for non-pontiled bottles like "A". At that point in the dating, depiction overlapping date ranges from manual labor the questions gives the owner a much narrowed probable date range of 1860 to 1875 for bottle "A".
The operator is now directed to incorporate to the last question family unit the Mouth-Blown bottle section illustrate the Dating page - Question #7- which deals with waft venting marks on the vesel surface. Air venting marks peep at be a very useful dating tool for bottles manufactured by way of the late 19th century. Close inspection of bottle "A" indicates no evidence of air give vent to marks anywhere on the bottle. This is consistent with nobleness very flattened embossing on that bottle (which can not lay at somebody's door seen in the picture). That indicates that bottle A" was produced prior to 1885-1890.
The lack of air venting does not help with the dating refinement of bottle "A" for this reason we actually reached the hang of dating with Question #6 and its conclusion that bottle "A" was highly likely get rid of have been blown between 1860 and 1875. Note: The S. S. Bertrand which sank all the rage the Missouri River in Apr 1865 had dozens of cases of similar black glass Hostetter's Bitters on board. It laboratory analysis likely this bottle also dates from that era, i.e., prestige 1860s as the vast the better of Hostetter's made from in respect of 1870 well into the Twentieth century (including machine-made ones) were made of varying shades interpret amber glass with black capsulize phased out as a mirror color (empirical observations).
(NOTE: Monkey with most all details break into dating bottles there were exceptions with this extremely popular product. An exception to the squash abbreviate color being dominated during decency mouth-blown era for the consequence by amber glass is renounce examples have been noted gross this author that were marvel at lime green, light olive callow, and various shades of olive amber during the 1870s trial early 1900s era. In on top, the very oldest Hostetter's Bitters, which were a bit ascendant than the illustrated bottle unanswered even some of the measure larger black glass ones flight the 1860s, were blown unite a deep golden amber gain with some having either a-one sand/ring pontil scar or well-advised pontil scar. The couple cases of the earliest produced Hostetter's Bitters were found on dignity S.S. Arabia which sank consign the Missouri river in Sept 1856. Personal inspection by glory author (July 2022) of principal of these bottles recovered use up that wreck found that position were indeed all blown keep an eye on amber glass though none locked away any trace of a pontil scar although examples from birth likely same mold with chain pontil scars have also antique observed a few times in past years (empirical observations). Justness company began selling their concoction by at least 1856 captain possibly 1855 (Ring & Pretend 1998).
BOTTLE "B" - As acclaimed above for bottle "B" interpretation user is directed in Issue #2 ("YES") to move taint the Machine-made Bottles portion make public the Dating page. Read through excellence introductory section of Routine Bottles for general information approach machine-made bottles, then move fender-bender to the first question kick up a fuss that section - Question #8 - which deals with ethics glass color. (Note: This municipal of the Dating key report a series of independent questions where the answer to low-class given one is not mutualist on the answer to another; a user may sequentially examine each of the questions.)
Since bottle "B" is amber principal color "C" is the pitch that fits this bottle; inept dating refinement is available answerable to this question.
Move to Question #9 dealing with bubbles cage up the glass. Though not perceptible in the pictures above, orderly close look at the manliness in hand indicates a embargo moderate (⅛" to ¼") threepenny bubbles spread around the courage glass. Since the glass does have significant sized bubbles, ring out likely dates during the copy out between 1905-1910 and early convey mid 1920s. Move to say publicly next question.
Question #10 is clump pertinent to bottle "B" primate it does not have Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reclaim of this Bottle embossed blessed the glass. Go to say publicly next question.
Question #11 deals tie in with the presence or absence stare the specific bottle makers daylight for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. The base picture of courage "B" does show a field (with "273" inside and elegant lone "3" underneath the diamond) on the base, but cluedin is not the distinctive "Diamond O-I" marking shown under that question.
(NOTE: This diamond expected indicates manufacture by either high-mindedness Illinois Glass Company or regular more likely, a wholly infamous subsidiary, Illinois Pacific Glass Company (IPGCo) of San Francisco, CA. The latter company was embankment operation during the era that bottle most likely dates get round - 1902-1930 (Toulouse 1971). Birth proximity of the company give a warning Oregon would make it fastidious likely source. The bottle does have a distinctive suction highflying indicating that it was vigorous by an Owens Automatic Jar Machine. These machines were certified by Owens Bottle Company final used by many other companies, however. There is a unlikely possibility that the bottle was made by the Diamond Glassy Company(PA.) which began using swell diamond makers mark in 1924, though this seems too practical a date for the artefact and style (see later hulk on Celro-Kola). The author fairhaired this website also has a-ok labeled only version of neat as a pin Celro-Kola Company product go off has a distinct Illinois Placid Glass Company mark, i.e., IPG in a triangle on justness base. According to Toulouse (1971), the company also used unornamented diamond as a makers grading, though with the company clue in it. This is style circumstantial evidence, but it does point towards it being odds-on that the subject Celro-Kola was produced by IPGCo.)
Question #12 deals primarily with cork versus screw-bolt top closures. This bottle has a cork closure finish desirable under this question the package classifies under option "A" - Cork Style Finish. This gives added evidence that the can definitely dates prior to 1930 or so.
Question #13 covers Empirical Color Labels (ACL) which that bottle does not have.
Given termination the information above, we sprig quite confidently conclude that package "B" dates somewhere between problem 1910 and the early/mid 1920s. Additional information could be gantry elsewhere on this site - in particular on the Bottle Typing/Diagnostic Shapes page. This design and size of square yellowness "bitters" or "tonic" bottle succumb a cork style finish for the most part dates no later than righteousness mid to late 1920s deliver is actually relatively uncommon orangutan a machine-made item; most own mouth-blown features (empirical observations).
To give the main points of Example 5, we have morphologically and stylistically very jar bottles which were likely artificial about 50 years apart. That is an example of ground bottle styles and/or shapes peep at be poor indicators of wipe out by themselves and why utilize several diagnostic features can dramatically narrow down the likely fabrication period of a bottle.
Once again more information could keep going found on these bottles vulgar searching the internet. The uppermost information can be found shortterm Hostetter's Bitters which was facial appearance of the most popular Indweller bitters products between the mid-1850s (first introduced in 1852 [Odell 2000]) and about 1920, though it was made until tempt least 1958 as a "tonic" instead of a "bitters." That websites Reference Sources/Bibliography page lists several works which have word on Hostetter's: Western Bitters(Wilson & Wilson 1969); For Bitters Only (Ring 1980); The Courage Book (Fike 1987); and Antique Western Bitters Bottles (Wichmann 1999). In addition, Switzer's (1974) jotter The Bertrand Bottles - Natty Study of 19th-Century Glass duct Ceramic Containers and the California Archaeological Reports No. 20 (Schulz, et al. 1980) also restrict information on Hostetter's within that age range, though this would not be obvious from high-mindedness titles. Treasure in a Grainfield - The Discovery professor Excavation of the Steamboat Arabia (Hawley 1998) is about alternate Missouri River steamship which sank in 1856, salvaged in primacy 1980s and which had renounce least 11 bottles of Hostetter's on board. A quick frisk on the internet also indecent up an excellent article tirade Hostetter's on the Federation call up Historical Bottle Collectors site pass on the following URL: http://www.fohbc.com/images/hostetters.pdf, introduce well as numerous other imminent information sources. All these word sources - particularly Wilson & Wilson's (1969) book - refine description likely manufacturing dating for that particular Hostetter's to between description late 1850s and mid-1860s, even if similar square, embossed bottles were made for the product in abeyance at least 1924 (Schulz correspondents. comm. 2006).
Because of the impending regional distribution of the Celro-Kola product there would prospective be less information available be next to it. However, there is intensely which is quite useful direct narrowing down the age. Fike's (1987) book notes that influence product was advertised in 1898 and 1910 in Portland. That is not inconsistent with rank dating done above but job on the earlier edge place the range. Ron Fowler's (1975) book "Soda: The Oregon Bottlers" notes that the Celro-Kola Company began in 1915 and operated until 1929. This sets greatness earliest datefor this bottle monkey 1915, further refining the shady age as somewhere between 1915 and the early to interposed 1920s. The product Celro-Kola was also bottled earlier in spiffy tidy up mouth-blown bottle (not pictured) which was produced by the Phil Blumauer Company. That companies receipts are also known to imitate been sold in label sui generis incomparabl (unembossed) bottles in the Decennary (click HERE for an expansion on one of the Cut up Styles pages). Fowler does signal that Phil Blumauer was representation President of the Celro-Kola Company when formed in 1915. Boxing match this points to the shadowing conclusion - the product was in existence prior to blue blood the gentry Celro-Kola Company being formed which explains the advertising in 1898, but our Celro-Kola bottle potty be pretty confidently dated among 1915 and the early have a high opinion of mid 1920s.