# Glee Club Beverages Research Update (attn SodapopBob)



## msleonas (Jan 5, 2013)

Finally! I just got off the phone with the guy Sal! Ok, I'll do my best to remember everything he told me and make sense of my notes. I am going to be able to meet him and take some pictures of some paperwork and bottles. 

 Ok: 

 1. Before Glee Club Beverages Co. Inc (which is what he read off of a blue 26 oz etched bottle), was the 
 B. Weinbaum & Sons Bottling Company (which he read off of a 26 0z green etched bottle). 

 2. He said that the "Beckett" family bought the B. Weinbaum compand changed the name to Glee Club Beverages Co. Inc. This was a facility in Providence and that he family address was 70 Rock Ave, not the business. 

 3. Then he said the Beckett family MOVED the company to Warwick some time in the 1950s. 

 4. He said after the Beckett son also passed (the dad was Matt), that a man named Jeff (couldn't remember the last name) bought the Glee Club Beverages Co Inc and named it Stella in memory of his MOM. 

 5. Then the man Jeff sold it to Sal Cori who then sold it and Stella Co had since closed completely. 


 I hope this sheds some light on the research. 

 Sal said when I get to come by, he even has some department of heath paper work that is for the Glee Club Beverages, so maybe I can find some more dates.


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## splante (Jan 5, 2013)

good work Leona good info,keep us posted


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jan 5, 2013)

Leona ~

 Thanks for drawing my attention to this again, I almost missed it.

 Here's the link to the original thread for those who need to be brought up to speed ...

 https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-553234/mpage-1/key-/tm.htm

 Great follow-up info. It definitely sheds a beam of light on things. I'm glad the guy didn't forget about you and disappear on us. It will be interesting to see what you uncover when you eventually meet with him, which hopefully will be sometime soon. Pictures and dates are really where its at, and hopefully he has both. 

 What do we currently know about ... ( which might be found on the Internet )

 1.  The B. Weinbaum & Sons Bottling Company?
 2.  The Stella Company?

 Thanks again and have a "Glee" New Year 

 Bob


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## splante (Jan 6, 2013)

Ive got to check around that stella company rings a bell or is it STELLLLLA


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jan 7, 2013)

I haven't found a listing for "B. Weinbaum & Sons" yet, but I did find this for a ...

 Weinbaum Brothers
 163 Willard Ave.
 Providence, Rhode Island

*1907 Listing*

 http://books.google.com/books?id=mjrPAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA103&dq=B.+Weinbaum+%26amp;+Sons+Bottling+Company&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mt3qUPy5OKHs2QXE5IHwCw&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=B.%20Weinbaum%20%26amp%3B%20Sons%20Bottling%20Company&f=false

 Bob


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## SODAPOPBOB (Jan 7, 2013)

Weinbaum *Brothers* etched glass seltzer bottle. No exact date but has Providence etched on the bottom ...

 http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-seltzer-bottle-weinbaum-bros-135483119

 Bob


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## splante (Feb 25, 2013)

found an address for glee club beverages in 1953 it was 29 hilton Providence RI


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 26, 2013)

splante / Steve ~

 Great! Where did you find the listing? I checked and there is a college located at that address now.

 Bob


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## splante (Feb 26, 2013)

I just recently heard about Polk city Directories, I went to the Warwick library and found a 1953 polk Providence directory(reference) book and looked up bottlers of carbonated beverages it had about 35 listed and a few new ones I never heard of. I need to go back, and go through the years you can tell the year a company started with its first entry and the year it ended when entries stop.I went back to 1947 no glee club but had to leave couldnt research anymore. and they dont have every year some maybe at diffrent libraries
 the newer ones they will let me photo copy but around pre 1940 they wont let you "too fragile"  they only list companys name and address for the year in the specific city. I need to get more time to research


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## splante (Feb 26, 2013)

by the way weinbaum bottling company had the same address


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## zecritr (Feb 27, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  splante
> 
> I just recently heard about Polk city Directories, I went to the Warwick library and found a 1953 polk Providence directory(reference) book and looked up bottlers of carbonated beverages it had about 35 listed and a few new ones I never heard of. I need to go back, and go through the years you can tell the year a company started with its first entry and the year it ended when entries stop.I went back to 1947 no glee club but had to leave couldnt research anymore. and they dont have every year some maybe at diffrent libraries
> the newer ones they will let me photo copy but around pre 1940 they wont let you "too fragile"  they only list companys name and address for the year in the specific city. I need to get more time to research


  that's what phones with camera's are for, if they will let you do it


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## splante (Feb 27, 2013)

JC so simple how did I overlook that...


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## splante (Feb 27, 2013)

went back and made some copies from 1945 to 1960 so far, some also had ads in the books. From what I can tell so far Glee Club Started in 1951 and had a short life. They only made it until 1955 , If they moved out of Providence I have not seen any evidence of that yet...just  shows you how hard it is to get SOME of the soda companys infomation...Iam starting a data base on RI soda companys..will be doing a lot of research


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## splante (Apr 4, 2013)

I think I miss spoke glee clubs short run was in Providence the company was still in existance in Warwick in 1985.....would love to get some pics of the bottles from th 80's to see what they looked like. The directorys show that around 1955 it moved from Prov to Warwick .They show the address from 1971 to 1985  as Glee Club Beverage company 70 Rock Ave Warwick RI up to 1985..nothing in 1990 missing the directorys from 1986 to 1989. Will go back and check from from 1955 to 1970 to see if it has another warwick adress.


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## splante (Apr 4, 2013)

one last thing for now
 from the providence Journal

 Providence Journal - Jul 19, 1996
 NATHAN S. BECKETT SR., 90, of Rock Avenue, owner and operator of Glee Club Beverage in Warwick for 45 years before retiring in 1991, died Tuesday at ...


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## RIBottleguy (Apr 4, 2013)

Steve, you have my curiosity.  Do you have access to the Beverage Blue Books?  They are a complete gold mine of info!


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## splante (Apr 5, 2013)

no Iam in the process of trying to gain access to some of them will let you know...


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## splante (Apr 6, 2013)

feel like a stalker..
 visted the adress today you can definatly tell they *may* of ran a  small bottling co from the residents property very long windowless side of a two bay garage with huge overhead doors attached to the house and a regular size garage one bay garage attached to that.


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## splante (Apr 6, 2013)

gonna try to contact the current owners..do you think I should just show up or would a letter explaining my interest of documenting the history be better


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## SODAPOPBOB (Apr 9, 2013)

splante / Steve ~

 In case you haven't noticed it yet, that Glee Club cardboard sign that's been on eBay forever is at a Buy It Now price of $145.00. If I'm not mistaken I believe it was at $200.00 when it was first listed over a year ago.

 Bob

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/GLEE-CLUB-BEVERAGES-CARDBOARD-SIGN-NICE-/190494703098?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5a5e7dfa


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## splante (Apr 9, 2013)

because of the water stains on the edges I offered him $75.00 but never received a response


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## msleonas (Apr 10, 2013)

I am hoping to go meet up with the guy over my school vacation next week since I have already been in contact with him. School has just been keeping me so busy.


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 10, 2013)

> over my school vacation next week


Another one? When do people go to school? They're talking about going through to almost the 4th of July up here so I guess that's when. I thought it was bad when they started before Labor Day.
 Personally, if that was gonna happen to me I'd gladly lose 1 or 2 weeks of the half of the year attendance to start later and get out earlier.


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