# My Heartbreak Collection of Shards n Broken Bottles



## coldwater diver

Sandchip this is for you. I am a hoarder of sorts, I just don't see how I cannot take these "if only they were whole shards n broken chipped cracked bottles" home with me. The ones you will see here are from a period of about 11-12years. The first is a Stoddard Flag Flask. I apologize in advance there will be alot of photos, but its 8 degree out and -20 with the wind chill. Last year they came up with a new term Polar Vortex to explain the cold now its the Bomb Cyclone. No its winter in Maine get used to it. The second is a big Bellarmine.


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## coldwater diver

The two pieces here were found at the site of the Granite Glass Works in Stoddard NH. If whole they would command some high dollar value. Im not sure if the second piece is a funnel or part of a breast pump. Any ideas?


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## coldwater diver

These next two a really nice open pontil cologne and a super rare part of a jug to a town (Great Falls NH) that no longer exists.


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## coldwater diver

Two Keene decanters one found in salt water one in fresh water. Its no wonder they are broke as the glass is super thin


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## coldwater diver

Here is the top of what would be a dream flask from Keene NH for me, and a possible base to a Pitkin flask


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## coldwater diver

Here is a piece Ive always wondered about the origin. Its pontilled and definitely a one of a kind as its hand crafted with decoration. Has anyone seen anything like this? Note the crackle pattern to the glass.


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## coldwater diver

Two different  1860s C. Heimstreet & Co. Troy N.Y. 8 sided Medicine Bottles, and a really crude Ayers Cherry Pectoral Lowell Mass. Also although not rare an English Citrate of magnesia, I love that blue!


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## coldwater diver

Really weak embossing on the Brickerhoffs, Im still looking for a whole one


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## coldwater diver

Two real Heartbreakers J K Palmer Chemist Boston two rare Stoddard bottles. The funny thing about diving is you cant see the embossing underwater as its dark let alone feel the embossing because of the thick gloves. So I take everything to see it topside and often am so surprised there is something there.


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## coldwater diver

Time to walk the dogs


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## coldwater diver

OMG its freakin really COLD!!! 

This is a flask with a Hunter shooting a deer, Does anyone know if the other side was For Pikes Peak?


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## coldwater diver

Couple of nice inks 16 sided Stoddard and a super rare Hookers Ink, Boston. Downeast Digger is the only other person I know that has found one.


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## coldwater diver

This guy was a far way from home I ended up finding the smaller size one whole and sold the lot to a collector from that area.


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## coldwater diver

*Indian Vegetable / And / Sarsaparilla / Bitters / Geo. C. Goodwin / Boston" Bitters, *[FONT=&quot]Morse's Celebrated Syrup, Prov RI, and a C.Jillison Compound Vegetable Syrup Woonsocket. RI[/FONT]


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## coldwater diver

Here are two of my favorite broken blackings along with two of the more often found color from Keene or Stoddard. Anyone know where the light green ones are from?


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## coldwater diver

Nice base to Weeks Glassworks from South Stoddard, A big money Stoddard bottle when whole, a Chapmans Genuine No.4 Salem St Boston, and a nice what would have been a big Geometric ink most likely Stoddard


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## coldwater diver

Here are some of the Townsends, I have always found pieces of this bottle in browns and teal green. I would love to find one whole.


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## coldwater diver

Mystery shard? I would love to know what this is  anyone?, the color may not show but it seems puce to me


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## coldwater diver

All about That Base. A Keene masonic flask, Traveler's Companion Flask, Pitkin flask and a nice open pontil Gin


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## coldwater diver

William Allens Constitution Bitters, and a rare hair bottle Mrs H E Wilsons Hair Regenerator Tewksbury & Wilson Manchester NH


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## coldwater diver

Two Tebbets one salt water and one fresh.


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## coldwater diver

A rare color for C A Richards & Co


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## coldwater diver

This will be the last for a day or two. Nice heavy snuff bottle, a nicely cracked(sarcasm helps with the heartbreak) G W Merchant, super crude mallet, and a Stoddard Tombstone flask


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## CanadianBottles

Broken or not, there are some absolutely beautiful finds in there!  I would proudly display some of those bottles, holes or no holes some of them still display very well.


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## coldwater diver

CanadianBottles said:


> Broken or not, there are some absolutely beautiful finds in there!  I would proudly display some of those bottles, holes or no holes some of them still display very well.



Thanks Canadian, I love it all broken or whole. I have more I haven't posted..... yet. If it stays in the Arctic temps here.I may have to.


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## nhpharm

That is some beautiful and historical stuff even with the damage!


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## sandchip

I've been out of pocket for the last few days and only just now getting to see these.  Shellshocked, speechless, floored, I don't know what the right word is, but just seeing this stuff is something else.  I just can't imagine finding anything like that.  Most of your finds is the stuff of museums, broken or not.  We all appreciate you taking the time to photograph and post all your finds for the rest of us to enjoy.


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## coldwater diver

I'm glad you appreciate the show guys. Sandchip Id bet you could find things in the waters in Georgia, just hopefully no Alligators! Ive got more to post just waiting for the next blast of Arctic weather to do it.

Couple more. these are a couple more really rare pieces of Stoddard glass and fresh from the Atlantic what would have been a nice big qt sized open pontil Clarkes  Vegetable Sherry Wine Bitters Sharon Ma


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## sandchip

Wow.  I'd love to see the rest of that one with the applied spiral thread of glass.  And the Clarke's with the barnacles makes for a great display piece.


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## NJSRR

Great photos!!  Side note - I remember going to a yard sale back in the 1970s where the seller had a corner fragment of an old amber bitters bottle displayed.  A sign at base of the fragment read "If this bottle were whole, it would be worth $125  -  Make Offer....."


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## downeastdigger

You heard it here, shard collecting is more fun than high end bottle collecting. Less stressful! Great great shards there Kevin thanks for posting


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## kenaifrank

Heartbreaking to see such broken beauty and to dream about finding them whole again.  What is it about old bottles that draws like a magnet.  Sometimes I sit with a Warners Safe Cure bottle in my hand and wonder who was drinking from it and why.


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## mdnishimoto

Wow! Such an amazing diversity of objects! I feel your pain...to see a beautiful specimen only to find that it is smashed. All really interesting and beautiful in their own way. Thanks for sharing!


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## coldwater diver

Thanks Njsrr Fragments and broken rare examples definitely have value. Sandchip that spiral top is insane, Bram if you want to post your NH shard mystery w story please do.,Kenaifrank I hear you on that I always have that feeling. I also when finding beer, soda, whiskey (mostly), wish I could go back in time and drink it and see if it was any good. Mdnishimoto, There is always the next time and eventually our persistence rewards us.

Some sal****er finds here the Chamber Pot I am told is early 1700's. The crocks were all damaged.


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## coldwater diver

One of my favorite shards, still searching for a whole one, Dr Browders Compound Syrup of Indian Turnip. This shard was the first flask I ever found. I found it diving on a snowy day and as I was walking back to the car with all my gear on, my prize in my hand. I did not see the ice patch covered in snow. Down I go , w a millisecond to think rather than break my fall a decision to save this bottle from further injury is made. The body will have to take this one for the team. As I lay there on my back n side in pain n agony I look at my bottle facing up to the sky. Yea it was worth it, now how the hell am I going to get up.


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## coldwater diver

My oldest shard ever, I have been told by some up to 5000 year old


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## sandchip

Beautiful stuff.  Amazing how many flasks are in those waters.  That pottery rim section is a killer.


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## kostgar

Cordwater diver, thank you very much for sharing those. I know there are quite a few of us who love shards as well. I am a hoarder too and my bottles (and shards) come from the ocean in NYC - Long island area. Most of the shards are in storage but I went down and dug a few to share with you.

The first is a snuff bottle with bold letter F on the bottom. It's missing a small piece but I still keep it on display.


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## kostgar

A couple of blue tops


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## kostgar

A large gin with "AH" seal on the neck. Beautiful iridescence on the inside.


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## kostgar

Two fragments: the  first with the Flatiron building and the second is from Newark, NJ.


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## kostgar

Two rare sodas: a highly coveted by local collectors Fritz von Fricken from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY
and J.T. Fahy from a small town of Rosebank on Staten Island.


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## blobbottlebob

Wow Coldwater.
Your shards assortment might be better than my main collection. Certainly older. I almost never hit the kind of age you are showing. I honestly don't think you are a hoarder for keeping them, but that's coming from someone who does the same...

My question is . . .  While I understand it totally blows that these are broken, aren't you encouraged or excited at the bottom that you are in the right spot and potentially on the verge of great finds?


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## sandchip

Good stuff, Kostgar.  That piece with the Flatiron Building would've been incredible.  That's always been one of my favorite architectural gems.


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## coldwater diver

Blobbottle you are absolutely right, I love the shards it tells me I'm in the right area. If you ever find yourself in NH and Me let me know I will introduce you to some abnormally large snapper turtles and maybe find a bottle or three. Kostgar you have some nice shards n heartbreaks there. I love that guys name Fritz von Fricken.


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## blobbottlebob

Thanks. I will take you up on that if I ever come up. Same for you here. We could add some (not quite as old) Wisconsin bottles to your collection.


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## RelicRaker

Wow, those are some beauties, even broken. I occasionally find a fragment of that gray salt-glazed crockery but never anything stamped. Thanks for posting these!


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## Robm00923

WOW that's insane lOVE IT Beyond Lalique Art Glass, Just Sayin!


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## kostgar

Thank you, sandchip. I googled it trying to find how an intact one with the Flatiron would have looked like but haven't found it yet.

Coldwater diver, that Fricking Fritz also makes me laugh ;-).


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## sandchip

kostgar said:


> Thank you, sandchip. I googled it trying to find how an intact one with the Flatiron would have looked like but haven't found it yet...



I've never seen one.  It's bound to be a rarity, I would think.


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## Bottlehog

*Shard tragedy*

Shard Tragedy....  For years I kept mid-to-late 19th century patterned china shards found while digging. I always intended to use the material to create "shard collage" art. I had two 5-gallon buckets full. I shared my vision with an artist friend who was also a professor at our local university. She happens to be regionally-acclaimed in paint media, but that's beside the point; I assumed she would perceive the value in these buckets of rather unique media, visualize, and apply some artistic perspective to create some intriguing art. 

Ummm... Imagine my horror when I learned a few weeks later that she had CRUSHED the pieces into smaller ones and turned a dozen 8-year old kids loose with it, bottles of glue, and paper as a birthday party activity for her child!


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## sandchip

Wow, what a bummer that must have been.  Says a lot about the common sense and wisdom of some college professors, huh?


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## nikkicz17

Those are amazing even if they are broken. Im so sorry!!! I was looking at your amazing pictures before I read your whole post.


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## GritsGal

Hello. I’m new here so please forgive me for asking a stupid question about these broken shards, etc.  
Why keep broken glass? Is it still worth anything or is it just taking up space? No intended offense meant, just never thought about doing that.


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## CanadianBottles

GritsGal said:


> Hello. I’m new here so please forgive me for asking a stupid question about these broken shards, etc.
> Why keep broken glass? Is it still worth anything or is it just taking up space? No intended offense meant, just never thought about doing that.


Usually shards aren't worth anything.  People keep them usually for two reasons, either the shard has historical significance (no intact examples known, for example) or it's part of a bottle which would be so special whole that a piece of one alone has interest.


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## otto

Beautiful and impressive assortment  of  shards. Great mind tease making these bottles whole.


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## coldwater diver

GritsGal said:


> Hello. I’m new here so please forgive me for asking a stupid question about these broken shards, etc.
> Why keep broken glass? Is it still worth anything or is it just taking up space? No intended offense meant, just never thought about doing that.




Its a sickness LOL You will have to try a lot harder to offend me, just no wise cracks about my one eyed three eared two legged dog


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## sandchip

coldwater diver said:


> its a sickness lol you will have to try a lot harder to offend me, just no wise cracks about my one eyed three eared two legged dog



lol!


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## Bottledigger52

They are definitely some heartbreakers there I have quite a few as well they are good memories and hopefully I find a whole one of my shards some day. You have found some amazing stuff.


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## Screwtop

I've found several heartbreaker meds, and once a broken hutch. I guess I should have brought them home...


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## slugplate

Wow, you do have quite a few heartbreakers there. It's smart holding on to them in case you find other pieces.


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