Lead-off Hitters in the Glass Works “Festival of Color’ Auction #102
18 June 2014
Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions chief, wisely led off with three spectacular pontiled medicine bottles in his Glass Works “Festival of Color’ Auction #102 that closed this past Monday evening. Lot #1 was a Dr. Wilcox’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla from Albany Glass Works in Albany, New York, Lot #2 was a Dr. Guysott’s Compound Extract of Yellow Dock & Sarsaparilla and Lot #3 was an Arthur’s Renovating Syrup. The window shots are pictured at the top of the post while the standard photographs and descriptions are recreated below. What spectacular bottles!
The other two bottles I particularly liked was the Jerome’s Hair Color Restorer (Lot #4), the Hampton’s Tincture (Lot #5), the Dr. J. W. Poland (L0t #6) and the labeled Rohrer’s bitters (Lot #20).
1. “DR. WILCOX’S – COMPOUND EXTRACT – OF / SARSAPARILLA”, (Odell, pg. 372), Albany Glass Works, Albany, New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, medium blue green, 9 1/2”h, iron pontil, applied tapered collar mouth. A few very faint scratches are on the Dr. Wilcox’s panel. A rarely offered bottle, with crude pebbly glass, and a ‘must have’ for a pontiled medicine collection. Note the backward “S” in Wilcox’s. – Glass Works “Festival of Color’ Auction #102
2. “DR. GUYSOTT’S – COMPOUND EXTRACT / OF YELLOW DOCK – & SARSAPARILLA”, (Odell, pg. 156), American, ca. 1840 – 1860, yellowish olive amber, 9 1/2”h, pontil scarred base, applied tapered collar mouth. Bright pristine condition, crude pebbly glass, and in a rare color. This one has it all! – Glass Works “Festival of Color’ Auction #102
3. “ARTHURS – RENOVATING – SYRUP. A & A”, (Odell, pg. 11), American, ca. 1840 – 1860, medium blue green approaching teal color, 7 3/4”h, iron pontil, applied tapered collar mouth. A pinhead in size flake is off the edge of the base. Attractive color, highly whittled glass, and considerably harder to find in this smaller size! Of the few we’ve seen, this one could be the best! – Glass Works “Festival of Color’ Auction #102
