January • March | 2 0 1 8
28 March 2018 | Wednesday
NEW FIND! Example of a Betterton Brothers Home Bitters from Kingston, Tennessee. “Came out of a basement here in Roanoke. Guy had know idea where he got it.” – Travis Layman
Read: The Betterton Bitters brands – Knoxville, Tennessee
Bill Ham has provided the following listing for Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:
H 155.7 HOME BITTERS // BETTERTON BROS // KINGSTON TENN. // f //
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare
23 March 2018 | Friday
UPDATE: Example shows up! The elusive Dr. John’s Stomach Bitters. The bottle was found at an estate auction in York, Pennsylvania.
Read: The elusive Dr. John’s Stomach Bitters
22 March 2018 | Thursday
Ferdinand, Nice seeing you at the Balto. show. Some info and a card on George B Green. – Ben Swanson.
Read: Oxygenated Bitters – A Sovereign Remedy
21 March 2018 | Wednesday
Snagged this unlisted variant of Schoenings Swedish Bitters on ebay recently. It doesn’t have the ‘PHILADA’ embossed copy. Wicked pontil.
Bill Ham provided the following new listing for Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:
S 57.2 EUGENE SCHOENINGS // sp // SWEDISH BITTERS / OF / PERUVIAN BARK // sp //
6 ¾ x 2 ½ x 1 3/8 (4 ¼) 3/16
Rectangular, Aqua, LTC, Applied mouth, 4sp, Rough pontil mark, Extremely rare
Does not have PHILADA embossed
17 March 2018 | Saturday
Ferd, I believe this to be the finest example of a Russ St. Domingo Bitters. Possibly unique in this gorgeous forest green color. The bottle has great provenance (Elvin Moody & Howard Crowe). I count it as my best bitters in my collection. Can you share with Facebook? Your friend Gary (Beatty)
Read: Russ’ St. Domingo Bitters – New York
24 February 2018 | Saturday
Interesting….. Estimate: $ 375 – $ 550. Currently: $6,000 (47 Bids) in Glass Works Auctions current Auction 119. Closes Monday.
16. BUST OF WASHINGTON / “WASHINGTON” – BUST OF TAYLOR / “G.Z. TAYLOR”, (GI-50), Dyottville Glass Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1848 – 1855, light smoky cobalt blue pint, open pontil, sheared and tooled lip.
Perfect condition and with almost no trace of wear. Although fairly light it is a very unusual and unlisted color for this mold. A subtle olive striation of color travels from the top of the lip and two-thirds of the way down the Taylor side of the flask.
What a great flask that has everything going for it in the current Glass Works Auction.
58. SOLDIER ON HORSE – HOUND, (GXIII-17), probably Baltimore Glass Work, Baltimore, Maryland, ca. 1865 – 1875, medium pink puce with amethyst tone pint, smooth base, applied double collar mouth.
Excellent overall condition and in a very rare and visually attractive color! Ex. Edmund Blaske and Bob Mebane Collections.
22 February 2018 | Thursday
A nice labeled Kennedy’s East India Bitters from Omaha, Nebraska in the current Glass Works Auctions – Auction #119
Read: Kennedy’s East India Bitters – Omaha, Nebraska
21 February 2018 | Wednesday
While searching for info on another bitters, I came across an an unlisted Smith’s Iron Wood and Vegetable Bitters put out by George Smith in Little Cooley, Pennsylvania. Listed in the Annual Report of Commissioner of Patents, Patents Report 1890. The Great Kentucky Tonic Bourbon Bitters is listed as G99.
The new listing for the forthcoming Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:
Patent Listing
S 125.6 SMITH’S IRON WOOD AND VEGETABLE SPECIFIC BITTERS, George Smith, Little Cooley, Pa.,
Patent 6024, Sept. 24, 1890
Annual Report of Commissioner of Patents, 1890
Also from Bill Ham: The Fixmer Bonelamp Bitters (Glass Works Auctions – Auction # 124) is actually listed as B 44.5 in Bitters Bottles. The GWA lot write-up notes the bitters as being unlisted.
WOW – recently found in an antique co-op in Western New York State! Appearing in the latest Glass Works Auction.
47. SLOOP – STAR Flask, (GX-8), Bridgeton Glass Works, Bridgeton, New Jersey, ca. 1825 – 1835, sapphire blue half-pint, open pontil, sheared and tooled lip.
Pristine perfect like new condition. Very bold impression, a number of tiny ‘seed’ bubbles are throughout the flask and almost no trace of wear. One of possibly only four known examples exist in this exciting color. In June of 2013 we auctioned an identical flask. In the description we described it as having the deepest color of the known examples! This one is deeper! This ‘fresh to the market’ flask was recently found in an antique co-op in Western New York State!
20 February 2018 | Tuesday
Hi Ferd – just wanted to share some info about a new bitters I just picked up. Amer Pecan Stomach Bitters – label only, not listed in Ham/Ring. Related to A 44.5 Amer Bitters or Amer Picon Phillipeville? Somewhat similar in shape to the latter. Possibly Americanized version of Amer Picon – French orange flavored aperitif that is still sold. Anyway, nicely shaped bottle and great graphic label, will go on the shelf with other labeled bitters. Cheers! JT (John Throop)
[FM] REALLY COOL!!!!! Will post and get to Bill Ham for inclusion in new Bitters Bottles Supplement 2 book. Thanks.
[Bill Ham]
A 44.7 L . . . Amer Pecan Stomach Bitters
1/5 GALLON // c //
11 1/2 x 3
Tapered round with bulged neck, Clear, NSC, Tooled lip
19 February 2018 | Monday
Historically, a very significant image of the partially labeled Lacour’s Sarsapariphere Bitters. You can clearly see a lighthouse on the label. Most of us refer to the bottle form as a figural representation of a lighthouse.
18 February 2018 | Sunday
Was able to add this tough to find Becker’s Russian Bitters to the collection recently. The Glass Works Auction example was shipped up from Puerto Rico after residing in New Jersey.
17 February 2018 | Saturday
Just added added a beautiful Ben Franklin Bitters in a two-tone honey apricot (left-most) to the existing run. Always fun!
Read: Barrel Series – Ben Franklin Bitters
29 January 2018 | Monday
A nice Diamond’s Improved Swedish Blood Bitters (D 71) on eBay. Read: Diamond’s Improved Swedish Blood Bitters – Buffalo, New York
28 January 2018 | Sunday
So not glass but I was able to add this GG1 to my collection today. Lionel 6-18372 Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 Electric Locomotive – Brunswick Green. Sealed in original shipping box. A stock photo has been used in auction listing. Actual items are sealed in original box and could not be photographed without disturbing the packaging. Now the really cool part…. from the personal collection of Richard P. Kughn, former Owner, Chairman & CEO of Lionel Trains, Inc.
27 January 2017 | Saturday
Was able to snag a Wakefield’s Strengthening Bitters on eBay. Not terribly exciting unless you are a crazy bitters collector like me!
26 January 2018 | Friday
Cute lil’ 3 7/8 inch tall Normandy Herb & Root Bitters (N 38.5 BBS) sold on eBay last night. Louisville, Kentucky brand. I have three of the larger bottles in shades of light yellow-amber. Here is a nice example from the Bryan Grapentine collection.
18 January 2018 | Thursday
Sorry, been off dealing with winter. Houston shut down the past two days due to ice storm. Pretty bad. Hey, check out this super-cool Chas. Schlitz German Wine Bitters from Milwaukee. Showed up in a local auction Bailey’s Honor Auction & Estate Service. Sold for $3,300 plus the juice. Thanks to Brad Seigler for tip. Kind of remind’s me of a Dr. Petzold’s German Bitters from Baltimore or a Pasquier’s French Hygienic Bitters from Louisville.
03 January 2018 | Wednesday
First day back in the studio. A long break. Lots to do.
