# The Wacker & Birk Brewing Co. bottle.



## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

After going back to a 1950s/1960s dump I'd been digging--this time the only good items I brought back were a 1950s Cottage Cheese bottle from Sanitary Dairy (local) and a tall Drewery's can that, albeit rusty, is in better condition than the last beers I brought back which are really wrecked 1940s Carling's (I think, can't quite recall) cans. Apparently, my great grandfather used to drink Carling's. 
Anyway, back on topic... Afterwards, I set out for Mona Lake, where I had yesterday found a couple bottles in the woods and three bricks I wanted (debbossed; they go in the garden.) As I had the Carling's cans, a few bottles, some young pines for the wooded front yard we want to see in 25 years, and two of three bricks (one was more like two, so...) I couldn't risk carrying yet another brick, so I decided I'd come back the next day to get it ("STREATOR PAVER" is says.) But, on my way there, I stopped on a whim at a yard-sale. It was just about to rain (and rain it did later!) but I looked in there, and admired some well over-priced kerosene lamps, an early early electric sewing machine, and then suddenly found myself looking at a display of jars and bottles. The lady had overpriced all things vintage in there, and the only items of interest (she also knew little on what she had...) were this bottle, and a few aqua Mason Jars. Picking it up, I looked at the price tag and saw it was overpriced. Coming up to me, she asked if I knew anything on it. Noticing it wasn't a crown top, I told her I knew nothing on non-local bottles and also told her I didn't have ten bucks. I offered to make a trade, but she shook her head and smiled. She told me they had a street named Wacker where it was bottled, and that's all she knew other than that she brought it with her from Chicago.
Unable to be 100% sure on what it was (it had a covering of wax on it, as it was used as a candle holder! It also had two small leaves stuck to the inside, making me thing it was a vase,) I left and obtained ten bucks. Returning via vehicle with my mom as it was raining lightly (I'm only a minor still,) I walked in and looked at the display again, picking up a few items before going to the thank-God-it's-still-there bottle, and finally grabbed this one and offered her five. She wouldn't take it, claiming it's because she brought it back from Chicago. I offered six, she still said no. Again, I offered her cash--this time eight bucks, and she paused, looked over the bottle, and said, "Alright." I thanked her and left, in which my mom took hold of it at a stoplight then continued driving, peeling wax off of it! I'm like, "Mom. The light is green. Are you really gonna drive and clean a bottle?" Yup. Lol. We stop at another yard-sale, then go home. So, I get it home, let it soak, clean it up and photograph it. It has a  chip on the seam near the heel, and is embossed as follows:
Front: "THE WACKER & BIRK / BREWING CO. / CHICAGO" 
Back: "THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO / BE SOLD"
Base: "2" 
The company was in business from the early 1880s-1918. They had blob tops, like mine, and tooled/applied crowns on their bottles. I had initially thought 1890-1900 on it. Anyone care to chime in? There are bubbles in the glass, and the glass kind of swirls to the right until the tooling on the neck. It's a neat piece. But I think I overpaid, even before I bought it. I just have been looking for a good beer bottle that is 1900 or earlier. Found it (still would rather it be local, but beggers cannot be choosers!) This brings my collection of antique embossed beers to three. [] Might I also add this was in the top ten largest breweries in Chicago until it began to die away in the early 1900s. Here is Bruce's site, which has one similar to mine as variation three, but is not my identical bottle.  As they made many bottles over a long period, it is not surprising it isn't the same one. 
I am 99% certain this one was dug.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

More photographs! 
So: When is it from exactly (if that is knowable) and did I overpay (as it is common?)


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## hemihampton (Aug 29, 2014)

I don't think you over paid, in my opinion any blob top, even common ones should be worth $10.00. I know some may disagree. If I had to guess probably pre 1900 being a blob top & not a crown top but really don't know for sure. I'm no bottle expert, just a ameture. LEON.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

You know more than I, and I appreciate your response!


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## hemihampton (Aug 29, 2014)

The problem with age is even though the first crown top invented in 1892 it was slow to catch on & many were still using blob tops into the early 1900's. There was a large time frame where the 2 overlapped in use. LEON.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

Yup! But as many switched out to ABM in the early 1900s, I'm assuming it is earlier--of course, if Bruce's site shows standards (doesn't show ABM versions of this bottle) then this company always had part of the bottle done by hand  up till it went out in 1918. Still, by then most (I'd also assume as it's one of the largest, they'd be early to innovate) had switched out to crown tops. In any event, the bottle should be over 100 years old and awesome (to me.)


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

Does the "2" on the base mean anything? Mold number? As it has no maker's mark, I don't know what to go on. Would it be possible to find company records on this exact piece?


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

I realized something on the bottle: There are two little bumps above the embossing on both sides --vertically-- one is on the neck , other on the lower shoulder (both above the e in Wacker on front, and on back above the o in Bottle.) I've seen something similar only once before in what a member here said was  likely a 1920s bottle--Leon, you commented on it from what I recall, as it's also from Detroit. No one, though, ever answered why  those were there, and so I'm left wondering what the raised dots were for--they're their by design.


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## MichaelFla (Aug 29, 2014)

The raised bumps are probably vents in the mold. I believe there is a way to help narrow the dates based on the use of those.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 29, 2014)

MichaelFla said:
			
		

> The raised bumps are probably vents in the mold. I believe there is a way to help narrow the dates based on the use of those.


Thank you, Michael. I will look into that!


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## RED Matthews (Aug 29, 2014)

Hello Robert;  I think you are needing some help with learning about bottlemaking. And if you go to my homepage you can get some idea of my life of glass contact and mold making, bottle making by Automatic Bottle Machines.  I have collected glass for about 77 years. and studied all phases of glass making history.  Mold equipment and metallurgy for mold metals and the machinery to make mold equipment and metal applications in the glass industry.  If you look at early rectangular med or oil bottles with sunken panels on the back, face and sides; It was difficult to get the air between the parison shape and the mold cavity surface in the final blow of the bottle.  If air could not get out - the glass could not be blown against the mold form, and if there was embossed lettering in those side panels the detail of the embossed lettering did not fill in with glass - so they had to drill vent holes in the lettering.  When I worked in the mold shop we had a special drilling machine that drilled a 3/16" hole from back of the mold toward the cavity.  And a single drill going from the inside would dill a little #70 vent hole to the outside drilled hole.  Then the air could get out and the letter be filled in with glass.   A lot of bottles will have a vent hood on the back of the cavity where the straight wall meets the curved shoulder - to let the shoulder fill our properly.  I saw a lot of other little questioned items - but I didn't make a complete review of them.Have you seen my little review of information about what serious collectors of hand blown glass look for whe they are bring bottles home for further study?  If you email me - I can send you that also.  RED Matthews <bottlemysteries@yahoo.com>


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## MichaelFla (Aug 30, 2014)

Hey Red, when did they start using vent holes in earnest? Wasn't sometime in the mid- to late-1880s?


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 30, 2014)

Very helpful, Red. Thanks!


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