A Frog’s Eye View of Glass Works Auction 100
27 November 2013
by Jeff Burkhardt (Froggy)
Just as most of us are stepping off to start Christmas shopping, Glass Works Auctions invites us to buy ourselves an early Christmas present in their ‘CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY‘ auction, now in progress.
125. “DUFFY” / (rooster) / “CRESCENT / SALOON / 204 / JEFFERSON – STREET / LOUISVILLE”, (Denzin, DUF-22), Kentucky, ca. 1870 – 1880, deep cobalt blue figural pig, 7 1/2” long, smooth base, rough sheared and unfinished lip. A very faint 3/16” in manufacturing stress fissure is located on the tip of the pig’s snout. Extremely rare, one of only two known examples in this deep vibrant blue color! An important bottle that appeals to collectors of not only whiskey bottles but also figural bottles, pig bottles, and cobalt blue bottles. – Glass Works Auctions
Now that two other fall bottle auctions are “water under the bridge”, there’s some indication that the bottle auction “gods” have saved the best for last. Perhaps paramount in importance is your chance to own a BLUE PIG! Yes, the 2nd known Duffy’s Crescent Saloon pig in cobalt blue snagged by an astute and lucky Southern collector has been consigned to this sale (#125), and is estimated to sell in the $25-30,000 range.
12. “BARRY & PATTEN / 114 & 116 MONTGOMERY ST. – SAN FRANCISCO”, (around shoulder), (Thomas #2), California, ca. 1850 – 1856, olive amber color, 11”h, graphite pontil, applied double collar mouth. Several body scratches and a spot of edge of collar roughness are all that keeps it from being a perfect attic found bottle. Curt Paget Collection. – Glass Works Auctions
Coming back down to earth a bit, we first note an extensive offering of Western Whiskeys, Medicines, Bitters and Sodas, all part-one of the Curt Paget collection. The printed catalog carries an interesting reprint of Mr. Paget’s 1977 account of the great Marysville (Ca.) dig, from whence many of the bottles came. One of Paget’s (and this writer’s) favorites is the I. P. Barry & Patten S.F. cylinder whiskey (#12). While of Eastern manufacture, clearly this has to be one of the earliest-known embossed S.F. whiskeys.
60. “JENNY LIND” / BUST OF JENNY LIND – “GLASS WORKS” / GLASS FACTORY / “S. HUFFSEY”, (GI-99), possibly Isabella Glass Works, New Jersey, ca. 1855 – 1865, deep emerald green calabash, tubular open pontil, applied tapered collar mouth. Pristine perfect condition having a very bold impression, nice orange peel textured glass, no trace of wear and in a very deep vibrant color. Of those we’ve sold in over 25-years of auctions this is the nicest! – Glass Works Auctions
Glass Works early Christmas sale includes a number of rare and attractive Handled Whiskeys followed by a good grouping of fancy & figural Whiskeys. Flasks include the deepest emerald Jenny Lind ‘bash (#60) this writer has ever seen. The Bitters selection is very well-rounded with some highly desirable bottles, most notably an olive-yellow Suffolk (#188), a killer Stephen Jewett’s (#170), a General Scott’s Cannon, damaged (#185), a nice color-run of corns and last but not least, a stunning deep-aqua Dr. Wheeler’s Tonic Sherry Wine (#194).
188. “SUFFOLK BITTERS – PHILBROOK & TUCKER / BOSTON”, (Ring/Ham, S-217), Massachusetts, ca. 1865 – 1875, yellow olive shading from a deeper color face and neck to a much lighter color in the feet. Applied double collar mouth, 10” in length. A few light scratches otherwise in perfect condition. A rare and highly sought after color that is considerably lighter than most! – Glass Works Auctions
170. “DR. STEPHEN JEWETT’S – CELEBRATED HEALTH / RESTORING BITTERS – RINDGE, N.H.”, (Ring/Ham, J-37), Stoddard Glass Works, Stoddard, New Hampshire, ca. 1840 – 1860, yellow amber with a hint of topaz, 7 1/2”h, iron pontil, applied mouth has an extra ‘flow’ of glass down part of the neck. Pristine brilliant, and highly whittled glass, wonderful eye appealing color and with a bold impression. As nice as any you will find! – Glass Works Auctions
185. “GENL SCOTTS / NEW YORK / ARTILLERY BITTERS”, (Ring/Ham, S-78), New York, ca. 1865 – 1870, yellow amber figural Civil War cannon, 12 1/2”h, smooth base, sheared and ground lip. A sizable 7/8” by 1/4” ‘U’ shaped chip is out of the side of the lip, also some overall inside milky stain. Winfield Scott, also known as ‘Old Fuss and Feathers’ was the commanding General of the U.S. Army from 1841 to 1861, the beginning of the Civil War. What more appropriate a bottle for the returning Civil War veterans to identify with than a artillery cannon with Genl Scotts name embossed on it. This is one of only four known examples, one of which is one-third epoxy. Ex. Frank Barenco Collection. – Glass Works Auctions
194. “DR. WHEELER’S / TONIC / SHERRY WINE BITTERS – ESTABLISHED / 1847 (inside a shield) – BOSTON”, (Ring/Ham, W-87), Massachusetts, ca. 1865 – 1875, bluish aqua, semi-cabin with roped corners, 9 5/8”h, smooth base, applied tapered collar mouth. A tiny chip off the side of the lip is all that keeps this rare and desirable bottle from being in 100% perfect condition. – Glass Works Auctions
Spring water aficionados can drool over rarities such as the Pt. Aqua Spounting Springs, both Triton (#208) and Glaceier (#202). How about an Ex- Strubel S-40-B Saratoga Highrock (#205) or better yet, a half-pint Pavilion (#206)? Any of these are unlikely to be on the shelf of any but the most advanced Saratoga collector, but are guaranteed to fit into your Christmas stocking!
208. “TRITON SPOUTING SPRING / T / SARATOGA N.Y. – TRITON WATER”, (Tucker, S-55-B), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, bluish aqua pint, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Pristine condition, plenty of whittle and seed bubbles, and no trace of wear. As nice as any we’ve seen! In a 1973 F.O.H.B.C. publication the late Bernie Puckhaber rated ‘The Ten Most Wanted Saratogas’. The Triton Spouting Spring was number seven. – Glass Works Auctions
202. “GLACIER SPOUTING SPRING / SARATOGA / SPRINGS. N.Y.” – (motif of a spouting spring inside a derrick), (Tucker, S-32), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, bluish aqua pint, smooth base, applied double collar mouth, about perfect. A very rare and important Saratoga spring water bottle, rated number two on Bernie Puckhaber’s listing of ‘Ten Most Wanted Saratogas’! – Glass Works Auctions
205. “SARATOGA HIGH ROCK SPRING / (motif of a rock) / SARATOGA N.Y.”, (Tucker, S-40-B), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, blue green pint, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Very rare, and in pristine perfect condition. It’s hard to imagine a nicer one! Ex. Jerry Strubel Collection. – Glass Works Auctions
206. “P & U. S. SPRING CO / P / SARATOGA / N.Y. – PAVILION / WATER”, (Tucker, S-44-C), New York, ca. 1865 – 1875, emerald green half-pint, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Several very minor scuff marks are on the Pavilion Water side, otherwise perfect. Never a popular size with the buying public, only a few springs elected to have them made. And due to their great rarity, even less were sold. In over 25-years of auctions this is the first we’ve sold! – Glass Works Auctions
Following a great many attractive, colored Eastern Sodas (Wow! on Lot 230 topaz Kohl’s), many being pontiled, is a small grouping of exceptional New England colored Medicines, many of Stoddard manufacture. While much damage is noted, here’s your chance to own a Howards (#262), Dr. Swetts (#263), Chapmans (#264), or Pike and Osgood (#261) at prices that are likely to be 1/2 or less of that of a perfect example…if you could even find one.
230. “G.A. KOHL / LAMBERTVILLE – K” (in script), New Jersey, ca. 1855 – 1865, medium topaz color, 7 3/8”h, smooth base, applied double collar mouth. Pristine perfect attic found condition. One of only two or three known examples in this extremely rare and very eye appealing color. If you are looking for the ultimate example of an important New Jersey soda, here it is! – Glass Works Auctions
262. “HOWARDS / VEGETABLE – CANCER AND / CANKER SYRUP”, (Odell, pg. 181), Massachusetts, ca. 1840 – 1860, yellowish ‘old’ amber, 7 1/2”h, tubular open pontil, applied mouth. An in manufacturing pontil crack extends outward about 1/2” on each side of the pontil. Crude pebbly glass, lots of tiny air bubbles, and in a somewhat lighter more yellowish color than normally seen! – Glass Works Auctions
263. “DR. SWETT’S / PANACEA – EXETER, N.H.”, (Odell, pg. 340), New Hampshire, ca. 1840 – 1860, medium ‘old’ amber, 8 1/4”h, pontil scarred base, applied double collar mouth. A very faint 3/8” in diameter ‘rainbow’ type shoulder bruise is on the unembossed side panel. A rare medicine bottle that was most likely blown at the Stoddard Glass Works. – Glass Works Auctions
264. “CHAPMAN’S / GENUINE / NO. 4 SALEM ST. BOSTON”, (Odell, pg. 72), Massachusetts, ca. 1840 – 1860, olive amber, 8”h, pontil scarred base, applied mouth. A 3/4” by 1/2” in size chip is off the base at the edge. Also a small opening is located in the side of the neck where the applied mouth is attached. This appears to be in the manufacturing as a factory fire polish on the side of the lip is in the same area. Fortunately the flaws cannot be seen when viewing the embossed panel. – Glass Works Auctions
261. “PIKE & OSGOOD / BOSTON MASS – ALTERATIVE SYRUP”, (Odell, pg. 280), Massachusetts, ca. 1840 – 1860, deep ‘old’ amber, 8 5/8”h, pontil scarred base, applied tapered collar mouth. A very faint in manufacturing 1/2” long horizontal surface fissure is on a label panel. Also a few areas of minor stain. Good glass whittle, plenty of seed bubbles and the mentioned flaw can only be seen in the correct light. You are bidding on a rare and important New England medicine bottle! – Glass Works Auctions
Other medicines in this sale are no slackers either, with a number of Ex-Greer meds and some stand-out Sarsaparillas such as an emerald Guysott’s (#266) and pontiled Townsends in Aqua (#271) and deep blue-green (#270)…The latter having a neck-mouth that looks like it belongs to a football player.
266. “DR GUYSOTT’S – COMPOUND EXTRACT / OF YELLOW DOCK – & SARSAPARILLA”, (Odell, pg. 155), (DeG. #90), American, ca. 1855 – 1860, deep emerald green, 9 3/8”h, smooth base, applied tapered collar mouth. A rarely offered sparkling beauty, and with good glass whittle. At first glance you would bet the ranch that it was pontiled, and probably just missed having one! Ex. Robert ‘Bob’ White Collection. – Glass Works Auctions
271. “OLD DR. / J. TOWNSENDS – SARSAPARILLA – NEW YORK”, (Odell, pg. 350), (DeG. #123), New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, ice or cornflower blue, 9 3/8”h, iron pontil, applied tapered collar mouth, near perfect (a few light scratches). A rare and unusual color that would stand out in any display of Townsend’s Sarsaparilla bottles. – Glass Works Auctions
270. “DR. TOWNSEND’S – SARSAPARILLA – ALBANY / N.Y.”, (Odell, pg. 350), (DeG. #123), New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, deep blue green, 9”h, iron pontil, applied wide mouth on an unusual short neck. A tiny none offensive ‘rainbow’ type bruise is on a shoulder panel edge, otherwise perfect. A crude bottle with a number of glass swirls, numerous bubbles, and in an eye appealing form. Ex. Bo Morcom Collection. – Glass Works Auctions
There’s a potential Christmas present for any bottle collector as most all other categories including Poisons, Jars, Pickles, Black glass, Target Balls, Utilities, Midwesterns and scents are represented. A huge grouping of Inks is in this sale and even a fire grenade or two.
Yes, super sale, but we must say the printed catalog pictures are somewhat disappointing, lacking the size and crispness of prior Glass Works catalogs. Word to-the-wise; go to the on-line version of the catalog for better pics, including many “window” shots in natural daylight. While numerous bids are already in, many of the best lots have a way to go. Don’t “lay back in the weeds” too long and miss next Monday’s Dec. 2nd closing (11 PM EST) of this quality Glass Works sale!
FROGGY
I’ve lived in Houston all these years and never heard of the Cuero Turkey Trot. The City of Cuero hosted its first ever Turkey Trot festival in November of 1912 (some say 1908), where an estimated 30,000 spectators flocked in to town to watch 18,000 turkeys herded down Main Street.
