# Dr. P. Fahrney's Blood Vitalizer



## appliedtop (Dec 19, 2006)

I am familiar with most Fahrney bottles but this one is different and am wondering if anyone is familiar with it. It's aqua, very crude and whittled, approx. 9" tall, oval, and has a bottom that is nearly round which would make it nearly impossible to stand upright.  It probably could but would not be stable. It is a circular indentation on the bottom which is rough and appears to be a sand pontil. It is embossed on the top front: Dr. P. Fahrney's Blood, and it is embossed on the bottom front Vitalizer, Chicago, Ill's.  I say top and bottom front as if the bottle were on it's left side lying horizontal.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 19, 2006)

That is one of the MANY bottles Peter put out in Chicago. It looks like one of the earlier ones but it still made late in the 19th century so it isnt pontil marked.


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## appliedtop (Dec 19, 2006)

Thanks for the info. Here is a pic of the bottom. I assumed the bottle was not old enough to be pontil era but the base really looks like other sand pontiled bottles I've seen from a much earlier era. There is hundreds of small particles and sand chips in the base. Not the best pic but it gives an idea.


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## digger mcdirt (Dec 20, 2006)

I have and have seen a lot of Dr Fahrney's but that's one I haven't seen before. Nice one.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 20, 2006)

yes, that base almost has the look of a glass chip pontil mark.  I cant say what caused that, maybe a worn or dirty mold? 

 According to this info...
http://www.bottlebooks.com/questions/December%201999/dr_peter.htm
 Dr Fahrney may have made some bottles as early as 1869. The factory burned down soon after that. Your bottle is not the typical clear ones that are normally seen so it may be one of the earlier ones made before the factory destruction.
 Can you post a better photo of the neck and lip? If it was an early bottle the lip would more likely be applied and not tooled. If the seam goes all the way up to the bottom of the lip it would indicate an applied lip.
 its an interesting bottle. 

 The whole Fahrney medicine business is a bit hard to follow because it seemed like almost everyone in the family was selling some version of it somewhere. Peter in Chicago was by far the most successful.


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## appliedtop (Dec 20, 2006)

Here's a pic of the top. Definitely applied. You can put your finger in the bottle and feel where the bottle stopped and the top was added. There is only a small part on the shoulder with any seam. There is no seam running down the side and no seam on the neck at all. This thing is totally whittled and crude.


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## appliedtop (Dec 20, 2006)

Another side pic. No seams except for a small section on the shoulder.


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## appliedtop (Dec 20, 2006)

You can clearly see and feel where the bottle was broke off the blow pipe.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 22, 2006)

Looks like it might qualify for the 1870s. Definately one you dont see every day.


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