# A Devilish Bottle



## quazzy (Aug 18, 2010)

ok this is my first post here. i found this bottle and have been looking high and low for some ansers.
 like who made it and maby how old and common it is.
 I dont have a picture of it but found one at this link...

 http://www.bottlebooks.com/questions/april%202006/JerseyDevil.jpg

 thats all i can find on it. can anyone help me?


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## sweetrelease (Aug 18, 2010)

nice .where did you find that bottle? i would say it was made in south jersey by the clevenger brothers. it's not old as far as bottles go ,1970's or so. it's not worth much maybe $10-$15. my guess anyway.


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## Inkspot (Aug 18, 2010)

There used to be a bottle club in New Jersey during the 70's. They called themselves the Jersey Devils. I believe the club had these made up for the members and door prizes.


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## heritageglass (Aug 23, 2010)

This was made by The Downer Glass Works, Williamstown, NJ in the 1970's. They made commemorative glass flask similar to Clevenger and also some fine decorative vases and pitchers. On the reverse of this flask you will find the embossed image of the Salem Oak and the initials "DG" ( Downer Glass). This flask brings a higher premium because it is desirable to "Jersey Devil" collectors. Downer was only in business for a few years.
 The story of the Jersey Devil can be found here:
http://theshadowlands.net/jd.htm
 Info on the Salem Oak here:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4454

 Downer was named after "Arthur Downer" who in 1858 purchased a farm in a rural area located between Glassboro & Williamstown, NJ. Downer struggled as a farmer but a fine grade of silicate sand was discovered on his property around 1870 and he began selling it by the ton to the nearby Whitney Glassworks in Glassboro. The business and the Downer family prospered for decades. A small village, church and railroad depot were established and the area came to be known as "Downer"   Their sand  supplied many of the South Jersey glass industries. It was used as the sand of choice in the manufacture of Depression Glass and steel foundry molding. The term "Downer Sand" now characterizes the type of soil found in much of South Jersey - a fertile loamy topsoil with a yellow coarse sandy sublayer. It was named the State Soil of New Jersey in 2006.

 Rick Grenda
 President - Heritage Glass Museum, Glassboro, NJ


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## JOETHECROW (Aug 23, 2010)

Welcome quazzy,...Cool bottle, and cool story,....Real old or not, it would be a fun bottle to have, due to the cool items on either face,...The Salem oak and the Jersey Devil,...pretty cool.


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## heritageglass (Sep 30, 2010)

One of these is currently on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310255526675&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT


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## GuntherHess (Sep 30, 2010)

Isnt there a NJ pharmacy bottle with the Jersey Devil on it too?


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## whiskeyman (Sep 30, 2010)

Quazzy - Inkspot - Heritage Glass....Welcome to the Forum !!

 Interesting about Downer & the Jersey Devil. I think Clevenger Bros also had a Jersey Devil bottle, but it wasn't a scroll flask...? anyway...welcome.


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## kwalker (Sep 30, 2010)

I've got 5 or 6 flasks all from clubs here in Southern NJ. One of them is a Scroll Flask. Mine was made by Anchor Hocking in Salem


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## heritageglass (Sep 30, 2010)

Clevenger made a Jersey Devil Bank bottle - it had a cork top and a coin slot.
 They also made a pumpkinseed flask with the image of the Jersey Devil.
 Clevenger made dozens of different commemorative bottles/flasks for Bottle Clubs nationwide.. Embossed images could be placed on slug plates on about 20 different bottle styles.
 On ebay now is a Booz bottle made for the Baltimore Bottle Club in the 1970's
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310255525794&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

 There also also a milk glass medicine bottle which has been come to be known as a Jersey Devil Bottle. It is embossed with the image of a dragon type creature with a fish tail and the words "E.S. Reed's Sons Apothecary Atlantic City, NJ". This was originally a sun tan lotion bottle. probably made at Whitall Tatum in Millville, NJ around 1875. The image was proabably meant to be a sea monster of some type, not the Jersey Devil, but in the 1971 book "The Glass Gaffers of New Jersey" it was claimed that it was a cologne bottle.
  named after the legendary "Leeds Devil". 

 Rick Grenda - Heritage Glass Museum, Glassboro, NJ
 25 High St E Glassboro, NJ 08028-2519 - (856) 881-7468
 ricglass@live.com

 PS. The Heritage Glass Museum is looking for members and volunteers. Our 30 year old museum is located on the orginal site of the Whitney Glass Works. Admission is free and we are currently open Sat 11-2 and Wed 12-3.We display mostly South Jersey Glass & Bottles. We are totally funded thru memberships & donations.


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## cowseatmaize (Sep 30, 2010)

Rick, welcome and thank you. I'm always amending my list of marks and while I haven't come across this yet it will be good to know.
 Thanks again, Eric


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## milkglassbottles (Oct 2, 2010)

There you go, the Reed's bottle. There is an embossed dragon on the reverse.


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## heritageglass (Oct 2, 2010)

The sea dragon aka the Jersey Devil


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