Late Summer Finds #5

As fall starts to creep up on us, it seems to trigger the “sell” instinct in people.  Ebay listings increase, yard sales multiply, and bottles emerge from basements, barns, and attics.  LRBC member Art Palowski is one of the leading collectors of RI bottles.  He recently decided to start selling a few of his crown top sodas, and among them was a familiar Hope Club Beverages Providence, RI deco soda bottle.  You might recall I found one of these a few posts back during a river dig, minus most of the crown top.  This one is in much better shape, and to my surprise was a variation! 

About two years ago, I picked up an Eagle Bottling Co. Warren, RI crown top soda at one of the Little Rhody tailgate shows.  This company later moved to Bristol, and the Warren location is unlisted!  Of course I can’t find my picture of it…

I recently bought a nice collection from a former digger in Westerly.  Among them was a Caproni Bros. Spruce St. Providence, RI blob.  It was an earlier version, and unlisted!

Another satisfying find was a M. Lenahan & Co. Family Wine Store Providence whiskey.  The shoulder embossing was unlisted, which makes it my third variant.

Ebay provided another exciting find recently.  Hiding among a lot of common bottles was a John Bush 31 Washington St. Providence, Opposite City Hall.  This brand new whiskey bottle was exciting for a few reasons.  First, Mr. Bush has no known bottles (or had), second the city hall reference is downright cool, and third, this bottle is actually machine made!  I have come across a few machine made whiskeys of this style, but they were usually for more prolific companies.

Brimfield Finds

It has certainly been an exciting summer!  Exciting digs, great antiquing finds, and new friends in the hobby have made it quite memorable.  I decided to end the summer with a bang, and go to Brimfield for the first time.  For those who are unfamiliar, it is essentially the largest yard sale in New England.  A few thousand dealers set up along a 1/2 mile stretch of road, and many more populate the large adjoining farm fields.  With limited time, I spent close to 6 hours, and almost got through the entire setup.  By the end of the day my backpack was filled to the brim (insert pun here) with great deals.

My first RI find of the day was an exciting one.  Hidden under a table with some dirty common sodas was a Sum-Ade Bottling Company Providence, RI ABM crown top.  Brand new unlisted companies like this are getting ever-harder to turn up.  While sustaining considerable damage, it was a must-have at $1.

The first bottle dealer I came across I knew from the bottle shows.  He always has something decent, and a nice Otis Clapp & Son in amber kept his RI bottle streak intact.  This 4-3/4” has a glass stopper, making it an unlisted color.

Also on his table was an elusive Central Falls Bottling Co. Central Falls, RI quart crown top.  This company created the Kerona brand, which became one of the most successful sodas in RI.  A version is listed, but this one had different embossing.

I was quite weary when I came to the halfway point of the Brimfield show.  Determined to be thorough, I crossed the road and began part 2.  I was quickly rewarded with a Geo. S. Wilcox Providence, RI crown top soda.  While listed, this was an ABM version, and the listed one is handmade.

My favorite (and most exciting find) of the show was a completely unlisted blob.  Hiding under yet another table was a N. Lachance Manville, RI blob soda.  The only known sodas from Manville are from the Manville Bottling Co., so this was a brand new bottle.  I have to say I’m rather fond of the names for the bottler and town.

Late Summer Finds #4, plus heartbreakers

As summer winds down, digging season winds up.  I still haven’t found a nearby land dump to pillage for the fall, but the shops have been keeping me satisfied.

An amber Otis Clapp & Son finally went on sale for half price, and I decided it was worth picking up.  I believe it is one of the earlier Clapp bottles, and adds to their ever-increasing diversity.

An Empire Bottling Works Bristol, RI clear quart soda slipped by me in the Otis collection.  It is almost certainly the last bottle I will add from that collection.  I have the listed green quart, but a clear one is not documented.

like this, only bigger

I debated for a while whether or not I should add a badly damaged Natick Bott. Wks. D.P. Sons Natick, RI ABM crown top to my official RI collection.  I eventually did, as it has unlisted embossing, and no ABM Natick bottles have been reported (until now!).  I will have to find one of these this fall!

The co-owner of a local antique shop always sets aside new bottles that come in for me to have a look at.  Hiding amongst a bucket of slicks (unembossed common bottles) was a gem.  A Greene’s Always Open Providence, RI in yellow amber is a hard pharmacy bottle to find.  Amber pharmacy bottles from RI are most elusive, and this unlisted 3-1/2” size is a welcome addition to the collection!

Another semi-heartbreaker was a quart size Olneyville Mineral Waters Johnston, RI BIM crown top.  These sodas are uncommon in the small size, but this is only the second quart I have seen.  This topless example will have to suffice for now.

New and Not Mine pt.3

Hello and happy Thanksgiving!  It's been too long, so here are some new bottles for you to enjoy.

One of the more common earlier medicine bottles from RI is Dr. S.A. Weaver’s Canker & Salt Rheum Syrup.  I have four versions, including open and iron pontiled examples, but when I saw a teal green version, I knew it was something unusual.  Add color to a nice early bottle like this, and you have something special.

One of the iconic RI bottles is the Rumford Chemical Works.  These teal bottles are hardest to find in any color besides teal, and the elusive sample size.  When a fellow club member posted a picture of a group of these, I was very impressed to see a midsize example.  This example was smaller than the normal 5-1/2” size, but larger than the 4-1/8” tall sample bottle.   

L-R, sample, large size, midsize, and labeled normal size

Speaking of rare common bottle variants, another club member I know has a sample size Calder’s Dentine bottle.  One of the most common RI bottles around, this sample size has to be exceedingly rare.

No picture yet!

One I passed up on ebay was a Deep Rock West Barrington, RI soda bottle.  This ABM crown top is listed with the town of Nayatt, RI (located in West Barrington), but not with West Barrington embossed.

Another blob that has surfaced on a surprisingly frequent rate is the Valley Bottling Works Riverpoint, RI.  This company wasn’t nearly as successful as its competitors, the Warwick Bottling Works, John Gaddes, or W.H. Arnold.

I normally don’t mention dose cups, but when I saw a Dr. E.P. Stimpson Tiverton, RI example, I felt I should mention it.  It is the only embossed medical bottle from Tiverton.