# Common bottles in uncommon colors



## cobaltbot (Mar 3, 2009)

I tried to bump up this old post but my search skills failed.  Here's a couple new pics, the first one I've showed these bottles before but not altogether.


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## cobaltbot (Mar 3, 2009)

Here's one you won't see everyday.  ( I know - some of you are saying, thankfully not!)  But bromos are local for me.  The small one I dug as a kid and the larger one I just got off ebay for a good price. (Thanks Dan!)  The four inch one is not listed in the Bmore book in aqua.


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## blobbottlebob (Mar 3, 2009)

I didn't even know they came in aqua! I'd probably pack it up for the day if I found one wondering why I can't even find the most common cobalt bottle in the normal color!


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## GuntherHess (Mar 3, 2009)

The aqua ones (and teal) are pretty uncommon.
 Those must be some of the earliest forms with the flat tooled lips. 
 Anyone know when they started making that product?
 I'll try to look it up if I can.


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## GuntherHess (Mar 3, 2009)

I found this info...
 In 1888, behind the prescription counter of a modest drugstore on East Pratt Street near Charles in Baltimore, Isaac E. Emerson first conceived the idea of the headache remedy. His background in chemistry and pharmacy led to the development of a granular effervescent salt he named "Bromo-Seltzer." Dispensing it to friends and customers at his drugstore,it soon became so successful that he abandoned his retail business to devote his time to the manufacture of his product. Eventually, he organized the Emerson Drug Company, incorporating it in Maryland in 1891.

 from ...
http://www.scripophily.net/emdrugcomofb.html


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## Staunton Dan (Mar 3, 2009)

Steve, that is a great background to photograph bottles. Too bad the snow won't last but then again when it melts you will be that much closer to digging again. I tried that bottle with a $100 reserve, a $50 reserve and then I just sold it to the highest bidder. I guess it's just a sign of the times that it went for what it did. I'm glad that you like it and will display it prominently in your collection. Here's another pic of it next to a regular cobalt blue one to show the contrast in color.


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## capsoda (Mar 3, 2009)

Try this link. It has some pretty god info and even mentions something about the color.

http://www.scripophily.net/emdrugcomofb.html


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## Staunton Dan (Mar 3, 2009)

> ORIGINAL:  GuntherHess
> 
> I found this info...
> In 1888, behind the prescription counter of a modest drugstore on East Pratt Street near Charles in Baltimore, Isaac E. Emerson first conceived the idea of the headache remedy. His background in chemistry and pharmacy led to the development of a granular effervescent salt he named "Bromo-Seltzer." Dispensing it to friends and customers at his drugstore,it soon became so successful that he abandoned his retail business to devote his time to the manufacture of his product. Eventually, he organized the Emerson Drug Company, incorporating it in Maryland in 1891.
> ...


 
 Judging by the shear numbers of the cobalt blue Bromos that I have dug in my present dump site and the fact that it dates mainly from around 1885 to 1895, it must have been a very popular headache remedy of the time. What I'm finding also would be some of the 1st bottles produced and might account for an aqua one showing up when he ran out of the blue bottles.


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## glass man (Mar 3, 2009)

WOW,JUST 30 ODD YEARS AGO THE DIGGERS JUST LEFT THE COBALT BROMOS AT THE DIG SITE. WISH THEY STILL DID. THOUGH STILL NOT WORTH MUCH, THEY ARE WORTH TAKING THEM. MAN,I LOVE THE TEAL BROMO!! JAMIE


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## cobaltbot (Mar 4, 2009)

Thanks all for the interesting replies.  For some more good information on Captain Emerson, Bromo, and Maryland Glass take a look at Cecil Munseyâ€™s articles #137 and 138 found here:

http://cecilmunsey.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=18&dir=ASC&order=name&Itemid=34&limit=20&limitstart=20


 I used to think these weird colored Bromos came from the days before Maryland Glass took over in 1907 when the bottles were made by Hazel Glass and then Cumberland Glass and this may be true for most of them but the Baltimore book lists an ABM aqua 2 Â½ inch bottle that probably was made by Maryland Glass after 1915.  

 I still have some more to add to the collection:
 In the 2 Â½ inch size the Baltimore book only lists cobalt, aqua, and teal blue.  I have a teal green and unless the dark blue one I got for $1 is the teal blue, I still need that one and know I can also find a light cobalt one for very cheap. In the 4 inch size the Baltimore book only lists cobalt and teal green but I have an aqua and pretty sure Iâ€™ve seen a teal blue as well.  They also list a 3 Â¾ inch yellow- green that I have never seen a picture of!

           Here is a picture of an unlisted Emersonâ€™s Pharmacy bottle I have that I believe dates to the five years he was in the drug store business before he started his Bromo-Seltzer Company.  The Baltimore book also lists three other Emerson bottles, a Rheumatic Cure and a Rheumatic Remedy in 5â€ round amber bottles and a Dispensing Chemist in a 5â€ clear oval bottle.  There is some very cool history behind all those boring Bromo bottles including the Tower which is a fascinating Baltimore landmark.


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## GuntherHess (Mar 4, 2009)

interesting info, thanks


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## phil44 (Mar 4, 2009)

There's also a Sadie Emerson's Hair Tonic from Balt. I've heard it's related, also heard Sammy's Medicines are too.


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## cobaltbot (Mar 5, 2009)

Thanks Phil, hadn't heard that. I can't recall what Emerson's wife's name was.  I vaguely recall reading something about him having marital problems and she got the house, so to spite her he had a tall building built across the street to block her view of the harbor...


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

I've always been interested in Bromoseltzer, I guess it's the gaudy tower, I remember my father talking about it when I was a kid. You ever see pics from  Camden Yards of the skyline that have the tower removed? I love the tower alot of people in Balt are embarassed by it. 

 Seems the twoaquas found a good home along with the clear pharmacy!


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

heres a cool Bromo go with


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

another


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

This ad is for another Bromo related product. 'Mint Julep' which also came in cobalt bottles!


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## PrivyCheese (Mar 5, 2009)

Did you know that the tower in Baltimore had a huge Bromo, bottle on top when it was built? There are pictures around...I dont know what year it was removed.


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## PrivyCheese (Mar 5, 2009)

HereFrom street-level to rooftop, the tower stands 288.7 feet (88.0 metres) high,[4][5][6] and was originally adorned with a 51 foot (15.5 metre) tall Bromo-Seltzer bottle,[7][8] glowing blue and rotating. glowing blue and rotating. In 1935, the bottle was taken down, after twenty-five years of dominating the Baltimore skyline. The base upon which it stood was disintegrating. The outer covering was burned and its framework sold as twenty tons of scrap metal you go


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## PrivyCheese (Mar 5, 2009)

No higher resolution available.
Bromo_Seltzer_Tower_-_Baltimore_Maryland_history.jpgâ€Ž (281 Ã— 454 pixels, file size: 125 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)[/align]


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## cobaltbot (Mar 5, 2009)

Phil, John - great stuff...makes me smile everytime I see the tower which at one time was the tallest building in Baltimore.  I wish the bottle was still there...removed in 1935 and sold for scrap.  Is the mint julep listed in the Baltimore book besides the ACL one?  Have you ever seen one and I wonder if it's still the same company into the ACL days?  Those cars are cool.


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

I can't believe they tore the bottle off []


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## phil44 (Mar 5, 2009)

actually now that I think about the cobalt soda , the bottle I was thinking about is Citrine or what ever that  20's soda is ...I may be wrong about that container being an Emerson product perhaps Coach JT  knows


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## cobaltbot (Mar 5, 2009)

Yeah I was just looking in the Baltimore book and besides the ACL there was a small crown top green soda put out by Suburban Club that had a paper label that said Emerson's Ginger Mint Julep around 1930 so it was connected I just wonder what their earliest bottles looked like.


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## KBbottles (Mar 8, 2010)

Hey guys,

 Just curious if anyone knows the estimated value of the dark blue-teal BIMAL 2.5 inch bromo seltzer bottles in this forum.  I picked up two of them recently.


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## riverdiver (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi Guys,

 Is this cornflower blue Bromo Caffeine common? it is next to the cobalt version for comparison.


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## blobbottlebob (Mar 9, 2010)

> Just curious if anyone knows the estimated value of the dark blue-teal BIMAL 2.5 inch bromo seltzer bottles in this forum. I picked up two of them recently.


 
 Hey KB,
 If they are cobalt, they are fairly common. Having said that, there is always a market for blue antique bottles because everybody has windows. They are worth anywhere from $1-5 apiece. However, if they really are teal in color, they are much more rare and valuable. They could be $10-75  depending on their condition, the exact color, and if (for example) you get competitive bididng on an auction site.


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## cobaltbot (Mar 9, 2010)

The Bromo Caffein is common in that color. (I think more common than in cobalt) The teal blue bromos can be worth a little something as Bob said but I've seen many shades of blues and you can find them mixed in with bromo lots on ebay or at shows and get them pretty cheap in the 2 &1/2 and 4 inch size.  The greens and aquas are not so cheap.  I was looking for a four inch green and the never seen 3&1/2 inch yellow green at the B-more show but no such luck!


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## KBbottles (Mar 9, 2010)

Ah I see.  That yellow green one sounds amazing!


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## CALDIGR2 (Mar 9, 2010)

What about this Emerson product? I dug this here in CA a few years back.


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