Spring Finds 2025 #3

 This post continues with more additions from the Bergseng dose glass collection. A Harrop's Pharmacy was one of two from Pawtucket.

A Lalonde Pharmacy dose glass was another Pawtucket example dating to the 1920s.

Lastly there was a Paola's Pharmacy dose glass, also from the 1920s. I was surprised how late many of these glasses were when I researched them!

A recent dig turned up a base embossed Batchelor's Bott Works green quart. I have them in clear and aqua, but this is the first one I've seen in green!

I grabbed a Standard Bottling Co. Pawtucket, RI with the older classic vertical embossing. What made me buy it was the color, as it turned out to be unlisted in clear!

 

Spring Finds 2025 #2

 I finally was able to snag a Dr. Seth Arnold's Infantile Regulator off ebay. This is one of the hardest Seth Arnold bottles to find, so it's nice to check it off the list!

Another highly elusive bottle was a quart size Phosa blob. Normally these bottles are crown tops with a distinct groove in the shoulder, but this one is much older!

I was able to contact the widow of dose glass collector Don Bergseng, and while she had sold many of the glasses, she still had all of the etched examples from RI! My favorite addition was an F.L. Powell Pharmacy Newport, RI glass.

An Anthony's Drug Store dose glass was another nice addition. This was from E.P. Anthony.

A Hall's Drug Store dose glass was another unique example.

A Reilly's Pharmacy was also unique and on the newer side for dose glasses dating to the 1920s.

 

Spring Finds 2025 #1

We recently started digging again at an old favorite spot known for lots of 1920s-30s sodas and milks. Among the finds was a green quart Geneva Springs Bottling Co. N. Providence, RI. I have one in clear but this color was new!

A friend spotted a Joseph Brown Co. Woonsocket, RI at a yard sale recently. At 5-1/2” it was an unlisted size!

Another friend gifted me a Caproni Bros. & Co. Spruce St. Providence, RI crown top. While I have quite the assortment of Caproni bottles, this one has the harder to find Spruce St address and was a new variant!

I recently made a post about picking up a long sought-after RI dose cup, and to my surprise someone replied with a photo of an etched G.E. Greene Druggist Hope Valley, RI dose cup! It was in fact, the very one I had purchased from the late collector Don Bergseng and was supposedly “lost” in the mail. I was thrilled when he said he'd sell it to me. This is the only known dose cup from southern RI.

He also had a nice conical style P.J. Gaskin Valley Falls, RI dose cup. I suspect this was one that Don purchased after I bought some glasses from him. 

 

Winter Finds #2 2025

 I saw a beautiful amber pharmacy bottle on ebay with an outrageous asking price and the seller was claiming that it was from RI! Sure enough, it was embossed Breen & Collins Druggists Westminster St! I was blown away but not so much by the price. It turns out I knew the seller and after it ended with no bids, I was able to negotiate a much more reasonable price.

A rare Sullivan Bros. Providence, RI seltzer showed up in Gloucester, Mass after a snowstorm. Knowing I would likely never see another one, I made the long trip to bring it back to RI!

While I am still missing the incredible Newport dump, I found another spot that was producing early 1920s bottles not far away! I was thrilled to find a Brookfield Farm Middletown, RI half pint tin top! This size was only known as a machine made example, making this hand blown one possibly unique.

I recently did some trading with a friend for some labeled RI bottles. One of them (a sample whiskey) had a label for Eddy & Fisher out of Providence, RI. To my surprise I noticed that it was also embossed E&F On the base!

While not much of a looker, this embossed quart Brownie Club Beverages Providence, RI is the oldest Brownie Club bottle out there. I just need a green quart to complete the family.

 

Winter 2025 Finds #1

The guy with the seltzer also had a Dexter Bottling Co. Central Falls, RI soda. All mine are clear, and this aqua version was new!

I was taking some photos of a group of Coca-Cola Peace Dale, RI sodas to sell to someone when I noticed that one was different. Sure enough, it was the newest style embossed Coke, a 6-1/2oz size from the 1960s. I'm really glad I decided to take a closer look at them before selling!

I spotted a Turbitt & Co. Providence, RI seltzer online. I have two versions but they both have the early footed bases. This one was a plain style but still fairly old!

I spotted a buy it now listing for an Dr. L.W. Briggs Bristol, RI medicine and needless to say it only lasted a few seconds! There are not many Bristol meds, and this one was completely unlisted! It is a contender for the oldest pharmacy bottle from Bristol.

A quart sized Thos. B. McLaughlin Woonsocket, RI blob turned up for auction, and to my surprise I won it! There are a lot of McLaughlin bottles but quart blobs from RI are pretty rare, and this was a new one!