Saturday, March 2, 2024

Summer Finds #3 2023

 I didn't dig anything too exciting at the last mega dump dig, but my friend found a 4-1/4” J.R. Lorah & Co. Newport in cobalt! Sadly it was not mint but I was able to trade him for it. That makes two cobalt Lorahs!



My friend the South County bottle guru gave me an E.A. Gavitt Narragansett Pier, RI. It was the third aqua 8oz. version and the last one I needed to complete the set!


I visited an antique shop in Lawrence, Mass where they had a Pawtucket Bottling Co. Pawtucket, RI etched wine. The price was rather absurd so I brought anther etched wine with me to see if I could negotiate a cash and trade deal. Surprisingly they were happy to do a straight trade! (and yes, the etching is very hard to see)



A recent construction site dig turned up a Jacob Wirth & Co. Inc. Prov. RI crown top. Despite looking like one I have it was a new variant!



The same site produced a base embossed Warwick Club Ginger Ale Co. quart. While rather plain, it is still a new bottle for me! I have another in clear.


 

Summer Finds #2 2023

 The mega dump keeps serving up the goods! Another amber J.R. Lorah & Co. Newport turned up! This one was a new 3-1/2” size.



My third size of the elusive H.A. Kalkman Newport, RI also made an appearance. It is a cute 2-3/4” size.



Also an elusive one, my third size of The F.L. Powell Pharmacy Newport, RI appeared. It was a damaged 3-1/2” size.



A more usual suspect, Charles M. Cole Newport, RI added a 5” size to the family.



The river is known for being rough, hence thinner bottles like whiskeys don't often survive. I was quite surprised to find an American Bottling Co. Opp. Union Station Providence, RI half pint whiskey. It was a new embossing variant!


 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Summer Finds #1 2023

 The mega dump threw a huge crier at me today! A H.A. Kalkman Graduate in Pharmacy Newport, RI citrate of magnesia broken in place. Even the stopper was there, but I have no idea where the lip went!



A blob finally surfaced! I believe kids collected them back in the day to get 2 cents per bottle, hence their relative absence. This one was a new variant D.W. Sheehan Bottler Newport, RI.



I picked up a Francis Gavin Pawtucket, RI for resale, but noticed it looked slightly different than the others. Sure enough, it was! I have quite the family of these now!



I traded a friend of mine for an O. Sumner & Son Providence pharmacy. This one was skinny with a long neck, making it a new variant!



My last river walk turned up an exciting find! A National Wine Co. Providence, RI crown top. Previously I only had a small shard to confirm it existed!


 

Monday, January 1, 2024

Spring Finds #9 2023

 I also got two etched wines trading with my friend. The first one was a Standard Bottling Co. Pawtucket, RI. I have one from this company but the etching is different.



I also picked up a J.L. & P. Gannon Providence, RI etched wine. These are common, but this was a smaller size that I have never seen before.



Back at the dump I found another It Pays to Trade at Powells! This one was a smaller 4” without Newport.



A P. Faerber Newport, RI etched wine has been a common sight in this dump, but this one has a frame around the name.



I was excited to find another H.A. Kalkman Graduate in Pharmacy Newport, RI. Even though it's damaged it is a different size at 4-1/2”.


 

Spring Finds #8 2023

 My favorite bottle from last post's trade was a D. Bruce Jr. Apothecary Liquid Dentine Providence, RI. Daniel Bruce made some nice looking early meds, but this is definitely is crown jewel! This bottle is roughly star-shaped, and I can't say I've ever seen anything else like it!



Another bottle from the trade was a newer but unusual Specimen Container by the Davol Rubber Co. Providence, RI. And yes, it is what it looks like it is lol.



Back at the city dump another heartbreaker turned up. A second size of The Geo. A. Weaver Co. Newport, RI showed up! This damaged one was a pint, so now I need to find two sizes!



A slightly newer part of the dump produced a great looking It Pays to Trade at Powells Newport, RI. This is one of my favorite RI pharmacy bottles, and at 6-1/2” it's an unlisted size!



Not far behind the last bottle I made what became my best discovery of 2023, an It Pays to Trade at Powells Newport, RI in cobalt! I was more than content with the cobalt Lorah, but this is even better! Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would ever find a bottle like this. This dump is fast becoming legendary for unlisted RI cobalt meds!


Spring Finds #7 2023

 Ebay finally gave me the chance to acquire one of my white whales, a Bare Rock Spring Soda Works Centerdale, RI deco soda. To my surprise this one was clear and I have pieces of an aqua one, so the hunt continues!



Back at the dump I made a monster find, yes literally! I dug an Emil S. Blumenkranz Newport, RI medicine and it was a whopping 10-1/2”!!! That makes it a 32oz bottle, which is the biggest size a druggist could order from a catalog. It is in the very rare company of maybe 2-3 other RI pharmacy bottles of that size.



One of my favorites also showed up! An It Pays to Trade at Powells. This smaller 4-1/2” size does not have Newport embossed on it, making it a new version!




I was able to do some trading with a good friend of mine. An early Ferdinand Smith Pharmacist Providence, RI was unlisted at 4”.



Another nice fancy and early med was an A.J. Smith Westminster St. Prov, RI. It is possibly unlisted. The listing, if correct describes the bottle very poorly.


 

Spring Finds #6 2023

 

Another day back at the new dump turned up a whole slew of new bottles! The first was a G.A. Hazard Newport, RI etched wine. I have one but this is a new variant!


I was seeing double with two different size Wright & Hay Newport, RI meds. One was 5” and the other 5-1/2”, making that two new sizes!

 

I was surprised to see a different style Carbonated Spring Water Newport, RI surface! These aren't particularly rare, but this round slugplate example is unique!



Another new John M. Callahan Newport, RI size showed up! At 5-1/2” that makes four sizes.



Probably the biggest heartbreaker was a The Geo. A. Weaver Co. Broadway Newport, RI fruit jar. It's a custom slugplate jar sold by Foster Sealfast. Even though it's not fully intact it's amazing to see that one of these exists!