July at Brimfield can be a merciless
experience if the temperature decides to go into the upper 80s, but
visitors were blessed last year with near-perfect temps in the low
70s. I was very excited to find an elusive Dr. Samuels World's
Dyspepsia Cure. I had posted
about this bottle as one I didn't have yet, and it's pretty
satisfying to cross if off the want list!
A digger in southern RI was selling his
collection of bottles he pulled from the river near an old mill. It
was a potpourri of bottles ranging from the 1850s-1970s. One of the
oldest was a 3-3/4” Dr. Seth Arnold's Balsam with a hinge
mold. It is identical to the pontiled version, and I would have to
say just as rare!
Another ebay pickup was a jumbo-sized
(8”) Caswell Hazard & Co. Newport, RI stoppered
apothecary medicine. I have a few of these in smaller sizes but this
one is unlisted and impressive!
Local digger Brett was kind enough to
gift me a 10z. Otis Clapp & Son medicine. The examples
with embossed ounces are slightly less common and most are unlisted!
My other find at Brimfield was an ABM
Colaluca Bros. Admiral St. Providence, RI blob. I dug a
broken ABM example, so this upgrades it to near mint!
