Page 26 - 2019 August The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 26
APOTHECARY JARS AND GLASS CONTAINERS TINS LARGE AND SMALL
Apothecary jars or bottles were Tins were used for storing products starting
designed to hold powders, dry goods, in the 1800s because they would have air-tight
medicines, and herbs. These were seals for items such as powders, spices, teas, and
produced in the Midwestern and coffee. Larger painted tins would hold these
Eastern states between 1790-1920, and items at shops to show their availability and to
generally ranged in size between keep things fresh.
4”-12” tall. Each bottle had some form By the 1870s, offset lithography and transfer
of a lid, mainly glass-ground stoppers printing meant advertising at the point-of-
that kept them securely in place. These purchase became bolder and brighter to attract
Set of three French cobalt apothecary jars stoppers could be as wide as 3”-4”. the shopper’s eye. And, because tin was so easily
from the 1920s with hand-painted Earlier examples have pontil scars Circa 1910 tin litho candy manipulated, sizes and shapes were easily adapted
embellishments selling for about $445 and are missing a glass covering used to covered tin with handle measures to meet the needs of the shopkeeper and
at carish.com protect the label. Prior to the covering, 2 7/8” tall and 2 7/5” dia. the consumer, and
labels were painted featuring Little Red Riding could be used over and
directly onto the glass with gold and black paint that could be Hood and sold for $115 at over again.
Hake’s Auctions
quite elaborate. The glass covering would sometimes feature a While tin containers
reverse-painted frame to draw attention to the label. were designed to handle several commodities, tin litho
A few of the rarer types of apothecary jars have color such candy pails with covers caught the imagination of the
as transparent blues, rich greens, and opaque white for earlier youngest shoppers as they looked at the graphics
bottles. If you are able to find a semi- or complete set of jars, depicting favorite children’s stories characters. These
so much the better. In the world of bottle collecting, these are tins can range in price from $50 to $350 depending on
sometimes called “Label Under Glass” style, that includes theme and condition.
This is a circa early- to
other examples such as barbers, whiskeys, and colognes. Overall, prices for tins vary greatly, but there
mid-1800s tin roll-top
Apothecary jars can be very affordable, but have been gaining is something for every person’s budget. The older
coffee bin with “pockets”
in popularity of late so you may want to check them out and rarer the tin, but more valuable it will be, with
on each side – one to hold
as a collectible. advertising tins from unknown companies commanding the scoops used to measure
higher prices. Beware of reproductions if you are
This 1850s green apothecary bottle is labeled “Aconitine,” an alkaloid toxin how much coffee was
being purchased and the
that was also called “devil’s helmet” or “monkshood.” While this can be poisonous looking for a true antique. Expect to see paint loss,
in certain doses, especially to animals, it is used in small doses as an analgesic dents, rust, and overall signs of use. This does not other to hold paper bags
and blood coagulant in China. An extremely large bottle (29 1/2” tall), always detract from overall value, but shows as a history to hold the purchase,
it is estimated to bring between $1,200-$1,500 at Morphy Auctions of use and that is a good thing. selling for $145 on Etsy
WOOD STORAGE AND DISPLAY CLOTH SACKS
Wood shipping, storage boxes, and barrels were Feed sacks came into use after
often built to last – not only for holding those farmers created sacks to put over the
fragile products that needed to be packed in a rigid back of a horse to bring their harvest to
structure, but they were often re-used for advertising a mill to be ground into flour. Early
and display purposes. bags were made from hand-spun yarn
When things were being delivered over land by and were often stamped with either the
horse and carriage or even by rail, a smooth ride was name of the farmer or the mill where
not yet ensured by the shipper. Luckily, wood was in A selection of sacks in their original form they brought their grain. Thanks to the
abundance and crates and barrels were designed to showing plain and printed fabrics invention of the sewing machine and
hold anything and everything in a variety of sizes and improvements in fabric construction,
This Frank Siddalls strengths. While the name of the company would be photo: rockymountainquilts.com sacks began to be substituted for wood
Laundry Soap wood box stenciled exterior, at first the box was often recycled barrels because they were much more cost effective and easier to handle.
was built to hold 36 bars of
soap and was meant to be or thrown out once the product was in the store and At first the cotton bags were made to hold as much as wooden barrels – 196
part advertising/part storage transferred into other storage container or placed on pounds for a full barrel size or 49 pounds for a half barrel. In the early 1900s,
to entice the buyer to see the display. Soon enough lith- smaller bags started to be in-demand for consumers
noted qualities of the ographed paper product to purchase their supplies without opening the bag.
product it held. 16 1/2” information was secured to After the sacks were empty, they would often be
long x 10 1/2” wide by 6” the wood containers and used as rags, rough toweling, or even for clothing,
high, this dovetailed box is were then used by the bed sheets, and curtains. As bag manufacturers
selling on Etsy for $56 shopkeeper to show the realized women in rural areas were recycling the bags,
“benefits” or sales they offered them in a wide variety of fabrics. The
points of its contents. “Gingham Girl” made her appearance around 1925.
Because bartering was a main method of A circa 1900 Webster’s Seeds Making clothes from the bags was most useful in the
payment at General Stores, wood and carpentry display box complete with wood time following the Great Depression, from the 1930s
were often used in lieu of cash and storage/ slats to separate the contents to the 1950s. A selection of floursack fabrics
displays would be built right into the walls of features a lithographed image of Today these bags are collected as decoration or found by lovethegiver.com
the store, often expanding 20-30 feet in length future harvests don by the Stecher recycled into “reuseable” bags and such. Prices range while antique hunting,
and ready to hold the many decorative boxes Litho Company in Rochester, NY from a few dollars for plain bags up to $75+ for more showing the simple, diverse
and bright packaging to entice the buyer. and can cost from $90-$350 intricate fabric designs or known manufacturer names. designs used on the fabric.
depending upon condition
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
24
Apothecary jars or bottles were Tins were used for storing products starting
designed to hold powders, dry goods, in the 1800s because they would have air-tight
medicines, and herbs. These were seals for items such as powders, spices, teas, and
produced in the Midwestern and coffee. Larger painted tins would hold these
Eastern states between 1790-1920, and items at shops to show their availability and to
generally ranged in size between keep things fresh.
4”-12” tall. Each bottle had some form By the 1870s, offset lithography and transfer
of a lid, mainly glass-ground stoppers printing meant advertising at the point-of-
that kept them securely in place. These purchase became bolder and brighter to attract
Set of three French cobalt apothecary jars stoppers could be as wide as 3”-4”. the shopper’s eye. And, because tin was so easily
from the 1920s with hand-painted Earlier examples have pontil scars Circa 1910 tin litho candy manipulated, sizes and shapes were easily adapted
embellishments selling for about $445 and are missing a glass covering used to covered tin with handle measures to meet the needs of the shopkeeper and
at carish.com protect the label. Prior to the covering, 2 7/8” tall and 2 7/5” dia. the consumer, and
labels were painted featuring Little Red Riding could be used over and
directly onto the glass with gold and black paint that could be Hood and sold for $115 at over again.
Hake’s Auctions
quite elaborate. The glass covering would sometimes feature a While tin containers
reverse-painted frame to draw attention to the label. were designed to handle several commodities, tin litho
A few of the rarer types of apothecary jars have color such candy pails with covers caught the imagination of the
as transparent blues, rich greens, and opaque white for earlier youngest shoppers as they looked at the graphics
bottles. If you are able to find a semi- or complete set of jars, depicting favorite children’s stories characters. These
so much the better. In the world of bottle collecting, these are tins can range in price from $50 to $350 depending on
sometimes called “Label Under Glass” style, that includes theme and condition.
This is a circa early- to
other examples such as barbers, whiskeys, and colognes. Overall, prices for tins vary greatly, but there
mid-1800s tin roll-top
Apothecary jars can be very affordable, but have been gaining is something for every person’s budget. The older
coffee bin with “pockets”
in popularity of late so you may want to check them out and rarer the tin, but more valuable it will be, with
on each side – one to hold
as a collectible. advertising tins from unknown companies commanding the scoops used to measure
higher prices. Beware of reproductions if you are
This 1850s green apothecary bottle is labeled “Aconitine,” an alkaloid toxin how much coffee was
being purchased and the
that was also called “devil’s helmet” or “monkshood.” While this can be poisonous looking for a true antique. Expect to see paint loss,
in certain doses, especially to animals, it is used in small doses as an analgesic dents, rust, and overall signs of use. This does not other to hold paper bags
and blood coagulant in China. An extremely large bottle (29 1/2” tall), always detract from overall value, but shows as a history to hold the purchase,
it is estimated to bring between $1,200-$1,500 at Morphy Auctions of use and that is a good thing. selling for $145 on Etsy
WOOD STORAGE AND DISPLAY CLOTH SACKS
Wood shipping, storage boxes, and barrels were Feed sacks came into use after
often built to last – not only for holding those farmers created sacks to put over the
fragile products that needed to be packed in a rigid back of a horse to bring their harvest to
structure, but they were often re-used for advertising a mill to be ground into flour. Early
and display purposes. bags were made from hand-spun yarn
When things were being delivered over land by and were often stamped with either the
horse and carriage or even by rail, a smooth ride was name of the farmer or the mill where
not yet ensured by the shipper. Luckily, wood was in A selection of sacks in their original form they brought their grain. Thanks to the
abundance and crates and barrels were designed to showing plain and printed fabrics invention of the sewing machine and
hold anything and everything in a variety of sizes and improvements in fabric construction,
This Frank Siddalls strengths. While the name of the company would be photo: rockymountainquilts.com sacks began to be substituted for wood
Laundry Soap wood box stenciled exterior, at first the box was often recycled barrels because they were much more cost effective and easier to handle.
was built to hold 36 bars of
soap and was meant to be or thrown out once the product was in the store and At first the cotton bags were made to hold as much as wooden barrels – 196
part advertising/part storage transferred into other storage container or placed on pounds for a full barrel size or 49 pounds for a half barrel. In the early 1900s,
to entice the buyer to see the display. Soon enough lith- smaller bags started to be in-demand for consumers
noted qualities of the ographed paper product to purchase their supplies without opening the bag.
product it held. 16 1/2” information was secured to After the sacks were empty, they would often be
long x 10 1/2” wide by 6” the wood containers and used as rags, rough toweling, or even for clothing,
high, this dovetailed box is were then used by the bed sheets, and curtains. As bag manufacturers
selling on Etsy for $56 shopkeeper to show the realized women in rural areas were recycling the bags,
“benefits” or sales they offered them in a wide variety of fabrics. The
points of its contents. “Gingham Girl” made her appearance around 1925.
Because bartering was a main method of A circa 1900 Webster’s Seeds Making clothes from the bags was most useful in the
payment at General Stores, wood and carpentry display box complete with wood time following the Great Depression, from the 1930s
were often used in lieu of cash and storage/ slats to separate the contents to the 1950s. A selection of floursack fabrics
displays would be built right into the walls of features a lithographed image of Today these bags are collected as decoration or found by lovethegiver.com
the store, often expanding 20-30 feet in length future harvests don by the Stecher recycled into “reuseable” bags and such. Prices range while antique hunting,
and ready to hold the many decorative boxes Litho Company in Rochester, NY from a few dollars for plain bags up to $75+ for more showing the simple, diverse
and bright packaging to entice the buyer. and can cost from $90-$350 intricate fabric designs or known manufacturer names. designs used on the fabric.
depending upon condition
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
24
