# Druggist bottles



## Screwtop (Jul 8, 2021)

I got these four bottles the other day because I wanted to branch out into the world of druggist bottles. Besides, they're cool. 

The R.R. Harting bottles are both BIM, and date to around 1895-1910. I found R.R. Harting mentioned in pharmaceutical publications in 1890, 1899, and 1900.


C.J. Peters of Sacramento was a bit harder to find. I only found mention of his business in 1905 and 1922, when he argued against prohibition in a druggist publication. This bottle is BIM as well.


The Cassells Drug Store bottle had me scratching my head for a bit. The lip seems crude, almost wavy and misshapen. I thought it was older, but research pointed out that Cassells Drug Store opened in Lexington Kentucky in 1904. The family had a druggist business before this, so it might be from an earlier business than the one listed. The Cassells were a unique family, having fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and getting involved in escapades after the war. 








This is a local bottle for me, only a few miles away in fact. The address on the bottle lists 9th and Chillicothe St. as the place of business. I cannot find anything about Service Drug Co. but there is a pharmacy on the site of the address listed today called Stakers Service Drugs. Stakers was founded in the 1940s, and the date on this bottle is 1925. I believe Staker bought the original business back then and added his name to the front. Its a pretty cool bottle, and I like the slogan: "Fast and Furious Delivery". Excuse me? What was fast in 1925!?


----------



## treeguyfred (Jul 8, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> "Fast and Furious Delivery".


The inspiration for the Huge series of wildly popular films?  very nice bottles too BTW!


----------



## UncleBruce (Jul 8, 2021)

I have felt that the collecting of Drug Store bottles is a wide open field.  Most collectors are only looking for their local examples, colored glass, pictorial bottles, etc. etc.  Many super examples can be found for less than $20.  While I don't really collect them when I find them cheap I usually buy them.  You can literally amass a collection in the thousands if you pursue it with no limits.  Message me your address and I will send you a couple.


----------



## Cola-Coca (Jul 8, 2021)

> and I like the slogan: "Fast and Furious Delivery"


Awesome!


----------



## Wildcat wrangler (Jul 8, 2021)

UncleBruce said:


> I have felt that the collecting of Drug Store bottles is a wide open field. Most collectors are only looking for their local examples, colored glass, pictorial bottles, etc. etc. Many super examples can be found for less than $20. While I don't really collect them when I find them cheap I usually buy them. You can literally amass a collection in the thousands if you pursue it with no limits. Message me your address and I will send you a couple.



Hey, that sounds painfully like a lot of my collection! And no label, no embossing-no frills- other than some dirt in a lot of them. Hard to be excited about them- and just think in 1982 I was sure happy to find my first one under a road, sticking out the side? Well compacted and Redding summer baked dirt. I think it took me 1.5 hrs to get it loose…. All Scratched up! But I found it in the middle of town. Want some bottles? (That’s like around here- everyone’s like “want some squash?” You don’t dare leave your car unlocked….)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## UncleBruce (Jul 8, 2021)

Wildcat wrangler said:


> Hey, that sounds painfully like a lot of my collection! And no label, no embossing-no frills- other than some dirt in a lot of them. Hard to be excited about them- and just think in 1982 I was sure happy to find my first one under a road, sticking out the side? Well compacted and Redding summer baked dirt. I think it took me 1.5 hrs to get it loose…. All Scratched up! But I found it in the middle of town. Want some bottles? (That’s like around here- everyone’s like “want some squash?” You don’t dare leave your car unlocked….)
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I'm not saying this to discourage anyone, but collecting slick bottles (no embossing on its side) is the wrong way to collect bottles.  Unless they are being repurposed for some other use like a vase, a replacement lip for another bottle or something else they are very boring and unattractive.  Stick to collecting embossed examples, which are vastly more interesting in appearance/history and recycle the slicks.


----------



## RCO (Jul 8, 2021)

UncleBruce said:


> I have felt that the collecting of Drug Store bottles is a wide open field.  Most collectors are only looking for their local examples, colored glass, pictorial bottles, etc. etc.  Many super examples can be found for less than $20.  While I don't really collect them when I find them cheap I usually buy them.  You can literally amass a collection in the thousands if you pursue it with no limits.  Message me your address and I will send you a couple.



I don't find druggist bottles are that easy to find here , you see the odd one in some of the antique malls , we've yet to have any bottles shows this year due to covid restrictions so not a lot of new stuff is coming up for sale yet 

most of the druggist bottles I find in the wild are clear no embossing versions they seemed to be widely used here , would of had a paper label which is now long gone


----------



## UncleBruce (Jul 8, 2021)

RCO said:


> I don't find druggist bottles are that easy to find here , you see the odd one in some of the antique malls , we've yet to have any bottles shows this year due to covid restrictions so not a lot of new stuff is coming up for sale yet most of the druggist bottles I find in the wild are clear no embossing versions they seemed to be widely used here , would of had a paper label which is now long gone


Agreed about the malls.  These are usually the best source for the bargains.  Shows are going to produce the most, the prices are usually higher, but the quality is there.  Forget about FeeBay there is rarely anything worth the asking prices.


----------



## RCO (Jul 8, 2021)

UncleBruce said:


> Agreed about the malls.  These are usually the best source for the bargains.  Shows are going to produce the most, the prices are usually higher, but the quality is there.  Forget about FeeBay there is rarely anything worth the asking prices.




I've seen some neat druggist bottles on ebay but don't think I've ever bought one , combination of asking price plus shipping usually way too high unless they had something incredible but I don't really know enough about druggist bottles to know which ones are rare


----------



## CanadianBottles (Jul 8, 2021)

RCO said:


> I don't find druggist bottles are that easy to find here , you see the odd one in some of the antique malls , we've yet to have any bottles shows this year due to covid restrictions so not a lot of new stuff is coming up for sale yet
> 
> most of the druggist bottles I find in the wild are clear no embossing versions they seemed to be widely used here , would of had a paper label which is now long gone


It changes a lot when you get into more rural areas like yours, since there wouldn't have been many embossed druggist bottles used out there in the first place and it wasn't common for them to end up far from their home city (although it did happen of course, especially in towns along major passenger railway routes).  If you head down to the Ottawa Valley and presumably Southern Ontario as well you're going to encounter far more of them.


----------



## hemihampton (Jul 8, 2021)

I have gotten most of mine from digging Privies. Probably 100+ of them. Including Pharmacy & Medicine Bottles. to me all 3 the same? LEON.


----------



## Screwtop (Jul 8, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> I have gotten most of mine from digging Privies. Probably 100+ of them. Including Pharmacy & Medicine Bottles. to me all 3 the same? LEON.




To me, it's a druggist bottle if it says Druggist on it, although technically you can call a druggist bottle a pharmacy bottle.


----------



## RCO (Jul 9, 2021)

CanadianBottles said:


> It changes a lot when you get into more rural areas like yours, since there wouldn't have been many embossed druggist bottles used out there in the first place and it wasn't common for them to end up far from their home city (although it did happen of course, especially in towns along major passenger railway routes).  If you head down to the Ottawa Valley and presumably Southern Ontario as well you're going to encounter far more of them.



there is more druggist bottles in other parts of Ontario , obviously Toronto has a lot but is embossed bottles from most other larger towns and cities if they were large enough to have druggists going back to the 1880's 

I know the Ontario druggist book lists 100's and 100's of them from Ontario but I've only so far seen bottles from a tiny % of them


----------



## CanadianBottles (Jul 9, 2021)

RCO said:


> there is more druggist bottles in other parts of Ontario , obviously Toronto has a lot but is embossed bottles from most other larger towns and cities if they were large enough to have druggists going back to the 1880's
> 
> I know the Ontario druggist book lists 100's and 100's of them from Ontario but I've only so far seen bottles from a tiny % of them


Yeah that's what I would expect, really only a tiny fraction of druggists used their own embossed bottles.  It was an expense that I'm sure many didn't think was justified.


----------



## UncleBruce (Jul 9, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> I have gotten most of mine from digging Privies. Probably 100+ of them. Including Pharmacy & Medicine Bottles. to me *all 3 the same?* LEON.





Screwtop said:


> To me, it's a druggist bottle if it says Druggist on it, although technically you can call a druggist bottle a pharmacy bottle.


I believe the terms are all interchangeable.  The style of bottle likely would have all contained medications of a sort.  They probably would only refill their own bottles ergo the embossed identifications.  Probably like today all of the potions/prescriptions could be only obtained through a pharmacy/drug store.  It makes me think of apples.  Many varieties, even colors, but they are all apples.


----------



## Screwtop (Jul 9, 2021)

UncleBruce said:


> I have felt that the collecting of Drug Store bottles is a wide open field.  Most collectors are only looking for their local examples, colored glass, pictorial bottles, etc. etc.  Many super examples can be found for less than $20.  While I don't really collect them when I find them cheap I usually buy them.  You can literally amass a collection in the thousands if you pursue it with no limits.  Message me your address and I will send you a couple.


You sure?


----------



## UncleBruce (Jul 9, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> You sure?


You bet!


----------



## mctaggart67 (Jul 9, 2021)

I collect cross-Canada BIM drugstore (prescription) bottles. Good points made on all sides about collecting these fellows. Yes, it's not difficult to amass a big collection. On the other hand, like all categories, those who pay attention to the category have, surprise (not), a better view of rarity, etc. However, numbers can grow exponentially in this categoyry, so I limit myself to excellent or better condition (pretty much non-dug) and to one example per druggist/company. I'll make exceptions, of course, for age, colour, odd embossing, and good story. As to story, I do a ton of research into the people behind these bottles. I suppose many kill their time with social media, while I kill time with hobbby nerd stuff! Still, it's pretty cool to own a couple of prescription bottles very likely touched by the same doctor who examined Louis Riel. Good Canadians better know what that means. Curious, thoughtful Americans (the majority I've met are these) will appreciate that my bottle is sort of the equivalent of a bottle from a druggist-physician who treated a rebellion leader hanged pretty much for political reasons at the hand of a president, among others.


----------



## CanadianBottles (Jul 10, 2021)

mctaggart67 said:


> I collect cross-Canada BIM drugstore (prescription) bottles. Good points made on all sides about collecting these fellows. Yes, it's not difficult to amass a big collection. On the other hand, like all categories, those who pay attention to the category have, surprise (not), a better view of rarity, etc. However, numbers can grow exponentially in this categoyry, so I limit myself to excellent or better condition (pretty much non-dug) and to one example per druggist/company. I'll make exceptions, of course, for age, colour, odd embossing, and good story. As to story, I do a ton of research into the people behind these bottles. I suppose many kill their time with social media, while I kill time with hobbby nerd stuff! Still, it's pretty cool to own a couple of prescription bottles very likely touched by the same doctor who examined Louis Riel. Good Canadians better know what that means. Curious, thoughtful Americans (the majority I've met are these) will appreciate that my bottle is sort of the equivalent of a bottle from a druggist-physician who treated a rebellion leader hanged pretty much for political reasons at the hand of a president, among others.


That's really cool to have bottles with a connection to Louis Riel like that.  Which druggist?  To me personally it would be a lot more special to find something connected to Riel than something connected to a former prime minister.  I should look into the histories of the druggists behind the local bottles I have, a few of them I've looked into and never been able to find much information but some I've never gotten around to researching.


----------



## nhpharm (Jul 10, 2021)

I collect New Hampshire pharmacy bottles and have gotten nearly 2000 different embossed ones in 30 years or so (including variations and different sizes)...and I suspect given time I will probably get quite a number more.  They are typically reasonably priced and the collection is not beautiful but does contain a lot of small town history.  I have a huge apothecary cabinet with drawers and 95% of them are in this tucked away by town...it's sorta l


----------



## mctaggart67 (Jul 10, 2021)

CanadianBottles said:


> That's really cool to have bottles with a connection to Louis Riel like that.  Which druggist?  To me personally it would be a lot more special to find something connected to Riel than something connected to a former prime minister.  I should look into the histories of the druggists behind the local bottles I have, a few of them I've looked into and never been able to find much information but some I've never gotten around to researching.



Dr. F.X. Valade. His report that Riel was, well, insane, to "Sir" John A. was ordered altered in the official record by the prime minister himself. He remarked to a colleague, whose name I can't recall right now, but I'm sure it was a cabinet minister, that Valade wouldn't dare say a word because Valade received a substantial federal salary as a Dominion Food Inspector or some such. Anyhow, Macdonald was right about Valade staying quiet. The bottle I have is also bilingual, though I doubt it was intentional. See the "AND CIE" on the bottle?


----------



## mctaggart67 (Jul 10, 2021)

Other Canadian druggist bottles I have with famous connections include bottles from Nellie McClung's husband, W.O. Mitchell's father, Syl Apps' father, brothers of provincial premiers, etc. Sorry for the esoteric Canadianisms. I also enjoy finding bottles from, say, three different brothers who operated in three different Canadian provinces or such relationships as father-son, father-daughter, and so on. Then there's Dr. Samuel A. Metherall, who had to skip Vancouver in the late 1890s when he was accussed of murdering a patient (she died, but not from murder). I love the bottle I have from his pharmacy. No matter what you collect, collect with passion!


----------



## CanadianBottles (Jul 10, 2021)

mctaggart67 said:


> Dr. F.X. Valade. His report that Riel was, well, insane, to "Sir" John A. was ordered altered in the official record by the prime minister himself. He remarked to a colleague, whose name I can't recall right now, but I'm sure it was a cabinet minister, that Valade wouldn't dare say a word because Valade received a substantial federal salary as a Dominion Food Inspector or some such. Anyhow, Macdonald was right about Valade staying quiet. The bottle I have is also bilingual, though I doubt it was intentional. See the "AND CIE" on the bottle?
> 
> View attachment 227376


Oh that's an Ottawa bottle too, I'll have to keep an eye out for that one then!  I've got a lot of Ottawa druggist bottles but none from Dr. Valade.  I should look more into the history of some of my other Ottawa druggists, since it's the capital there could well be some that have connections with historically significant people.  I do have a plate fragment from the Russell House hotel where Wilfred Laurier lived, so it definitely could have been a plate that he ate off of, but of course there's no way to be sure, and I don't know if it's even from the right era for that.


----------



## dab46 (Jul 14, 2021)

I have a niece that is a pharmacist, found a bottle with a pharmacy from her state with her last name. Made a nice gift.


----------



## dab46 (Jul 14, 2021)

CanadianBottles said:


> That's really cool to have bottles with a connection to Louis Riel like that.  Which druggist?  To me personally it would be a lot more special to find something connected to Riel than something connected to a former prime minister.  I should look into the histories of the druggists behind the local bottles I have, a few of them I've looked into and never been able to find much information but some I've never gotten around to researching.


I have several canadian  druggist bottles I would trade for US meds. or Wisconsin bottles ect. if interested.


----------



## CanadianBottles (Jul 14, 2021)

dab46 said:


> I have several canadian  druggist bottles I would trade for US meds. or Wisconsin bottles ect. if interested.


I don't think I have many US meds unfortunately, definitely nothing from Wisconsin.  I think most if not all the US stuff I have is pretty common.


----------



## Wildcat wrangler (Aug 22, 2021)

UncleBruce said:


> I'm not saying this to discourage anyone, but collecting slick bottles (no embossing on its side) is the wrong way to collect bottles. Unless they are being repurposed for some other use like a vase, a replacement lip for another bottle or something else they are very boring and unattractive. Stick to collecting embossed examples, which are vastly more interesting in appearance/history and recycle the slicks.



I don’t collect them, they found me! Oh, and u got my number…. I am all about the embossed ones. I added 5 to my collection, during the past week. And your right about the history- the old stories are what I love best about bottle collecting. I think every bottle I have researched has the crazy stories and surprising twists and turns in its history- love that stuff!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Screwtop (Aug 24, 2021)

I dug up my first embossed druggist bottles a few weeks ago. Ashland Pa is a very small town located in Schuylkill County Pa. My grandmother lives within walking distance of the town, so these are really special bottles for me.


----------



## 5 gallon collector (Aug 25, 2021)

For more info on C J Peters - or any of the others - check out online city directories.  A quick look for Sacramento directories found many years available.  I picked just one, 1903, and Peters is listed.  It would not take too long to go year by year, see when he was first and finally listed.  Chas. J., apothecary.  Attached is his 1910 census entry; born north of the northern border, proprietor, drug store.  And a notice of his death in 1925.


----------



## Screwtop (Sep 8, 2021)

Big city, little value, I know, but it's a Kentucky bottle. While rarity may be a far cry from say, my Ashland Pennsylvania bottles above, it still belonged to a pharmacy that served the city of Lexington in the early 1900s, and that's something cool to think about.








I'm not really sure what this one is. It is pharmacy style, but the embossing is rounded, and odd. It has a 5 on the base. Other than that, there are no identifying marks like a city. It dates to around the 1910-1920 era as far as I know. I cannot find a Dr. G. M. Mooney anywhere.


----------



## Screwtop (Sep 8, 2021)

Here are three fine pharmacy bottles BuceMobley sent me. (Thanks Bruce!)

He sent more, but I misplaced them somewhere. I'm awash in a small sea of bottles. I'm trying to get more. 




I just bought a druggist bottle from Pottsville Pennsylvania with some good history behind it. It's not fancy, but the guy who owned and operated the pharmacy was a pretty interesting guy. I even have a photo of him. If y'all have any Pottsville bottles, or bottles from Schuylkill or Washington counties in Pennsylvania, hit me up, I'd at least like to see them!





__





						WTB/WTT - Schuylkill County Pennsylvania bottles
					

Howdy fellas, I'm looking for Schuylkill County Pennsylvania bottles. I like pre-1920 bottles the most, but embossed milks as late as the 1960s are good too.   I am really interested in druggist and pharmacy bottles from Ashland, Pottsville, Frackville, Manahoy City, Mount Carmel, etc. I like...



					www.antique-bottles.net


----------

