Page 37 - JOA_July21

APOTHECARY JARS AND GLASS CONTAINERS dance, and crates and barrels were designed to
hold anything and everything in a variety of
sizes and strengths. While the name of the
Apothecary jars or bottles company would be stenciled exterior, at first
were designed to hold a variety the box was often recycled or thrown out
of powders, dry goods, medi- once the product was in the store and trans-
cines, and herbs. These were ferred into other storage containers or
produced in the Midwestern placed on display. Soon enough litho-
and Eastern states between graphed paper product information was
1790-1920 and generally secured to the wood containers and was
ranged in size between 4”-12” then used by the shopkeeper to show the
tall. Each bottle had some form “benefits” or sales points of its contents.
of a lid, mainly glass-ground Because bartering was a main method of This Frank Siddalls Laundry
Set of three French cobalt apothecary jars from the stoppers that kept them securely Soap wood box was built to hold
1920s with hand-painted embellishments selling in place. These stoppers could payment at General Stores, wood and 36 bars of soap and was meant
to be part advertising/part stor-
for about $445 at carish.com carpentry were often used in lieu of cash,
be as wide as 3”-4”. and storage/displays would be built right age to entice the buyer to see the
Earlier examples have pontil scars on the base and are likely missing into the walls of the store, often expanding noted qualities of the product it
held. 16 1/2” long x 10 1/2”
a glass covering used to protect the label. Prior to the covering, labels 20-30 feet in length and ready to hold the wide by 6” high, this dovetailed
were painted directly onto the glass with gold and many decorative boxes and bright packaging box is selling on Etsy for $56
black paint that could be quite elaborate. The glass to entice the buyer.
covering would sometimes feature a reverse-painted
This Wisconsin cheese box was built to hold a large
frame to draw attention to the label. wheel of cheese in the late 1800s/early 1900s and is
A few of the rarer types of apothecary jars have colors highly collectible today. It is stamped Wisconsin and
such as transparent blues, rich greens, and opaque Pine Tree Brand. Cheese boxes like this can go for
white for earlier bottles. If you are able to find a semi- “anywhere from $25 to several hundred dollars
or complete set of jars, so much the better. In the depending on condition and age and decoration.
world of bottle collecting, these are sometimes called
the “Label Under Glass” style, which includes other TINS LARGE AND SMALL
examples such as barbers, whiskeys, and colognes.
Apothecary jars can be very affordable, but have been Tins were used for storing products
gaining in popularity of late so you may want to check starting in the 1800s because they would
them out as a collectible. have air-tight seals for items such as
This 1850s green apothecary bottle is labeled “Aconitine,” an alkaloid toxin powders, spices, teas, and coffee.
that was also called “devil’s helmet” or “monkshood.” While this can be Larger painted tins would hold these
poisonous in certain doses, especially to animals, it is used in small doses as an items at shops to show their availabil-
analgesic and blood coagulant in China. An extremely large bottle (29 1/2”
tall), sold for $738 (with buyer’s premium) at Morphy Auctions in June, 2019 ity and to keep things fresh.
By the 1870s, offset lithography and
WOOD STORAGE AND DISPLAY transfer printing meant advertising at the
point-of-purchase became bolder and
Wood shipping boxes, storage brighter to attract the shopper’s eye.
boxes, and barrels were often And, because tin was so easily manipu-
built to last – not only for hold- Circa 1910 tin litho candy lated, sizes and shapes were easily adapted
ing those fragile products that covered tin with handle measures to meet the needs of the shopkeeper and
2 7/8” tall and 2 7/5” dia.
needed to be packed in a rigid featuring Little Red Riding the consumer and could be used over and
structure but they were often Hood and sold for $115 at over again.
re-used for advertising and Hake’s Auctions While tin containers were designed to
display purposes. handle several commodities, tin litho candy pails with covers caught the
When things were being imagination of the youngest shoppers as they looked at the graphics
delivered over land by horse depicting favorite children’s stories characters. These tins can range in
and carriage or even by rail, price from $50 to $350 depending on theme and condition.
A circa 1900 Webster’s Seeds display box complete
with wood slats to separate the contents features a a smooth ride was not yet Overall, prices for tins vary greatly, but there is something for every
lithographed image of future harvests don by the ensured by the shipper. person’s budget. The older and rarer the tin, but more valuable it will
Stecher Litho Company in Rochester, NY and can Luckily, wood was in abun- be, with advertising tins from unknown companies commanding higher
cost from $90-$350 depending upon condition
July 2021 35