Page 28 - March 2022

The Graphics with a photo or artwork under glass and in a frame,
Some dairies created different graphics over the life from which the calendar hung. With the name of the
of the dairy. Cloverleaf Dairy from Salt Lake City, dairy on the calendar, these were given to customers to
Utah, had a series of bottles with different recipes using celebrate the New Year.
milk printed on their bottles. Some designs are unique Milk bottle carriers are made of heavy wire or flat
– a square quart bottle from Gulf Hill Farms, South metal to hold 4 to 6 or more bottles, sometimes with
Dartmouth, Massachusetts in 1959, is orange pyro on the dairy’s name on the handle. These were used by the
one side with two cow heads and the dairy name, and milkman to deliver bottles to the home. A related
on the other side shows a whale and “Try our delicious collectible is the “porch box,” a wood or metal box,
Moby Dick Quahaug Chowder” in green. often with the dairy name on it, in which the milkman
Quite often, there are initials on the base of the would place the day’s order of milk.
bottle to indicate the manufacturer of the bottle. The cream top spoon, a small ladle-like utensil, was
“mTc” was Thatcher Manufacturing Company, and paired with the various cream top bottles to make it easy
the date the bottle was made. for the housewife to remove the cream. There are generic
spoons and a few with dairy names on the handle.
OTHER DAIRY COLLECTIBLES
The Glass
Just for Cream The majority of milk bottles are clear glass with very
Related to milk bottle collecting, are creamers, the early bottles rather thick; as manufacturing improved,
small glass bottles that were often used in diners, like bottles became thinner, meaning less weight for
the small plastic containers used today. Creamers often milkmen to carry.
had the name of the dairy on them, although due to There are a few authentic bottles in colored glass.
the small size, many didn’t have the city and state Amber-colored bottles were thought to protect the
on them. Other related categories are sour cream jars milk from light. A few dairies tried a light green glass.
and condensed milk jars. A sub-category is a bottle A small run of red bottles was produced for Borden,
from a goat dairy – yes, goat milk was (and still is) resulting in the “Ruby Red” milk bottle, highly desired
bottled and sold. by serious collectors.

The Closer A unique ad on a square milk bottle The Fakes
The way a milk bottle is closed also offers collecting from Gulf Hill Farm, South As with so many collectibles, reproductions are
options. One of the earlier forms is the Thatcher, Dartmouth, MA – for clam out there. If a milk bottle is pink or blue, it’s a
which had a glass dome, with a bail wire. A tin-top was chowder! It won the People’s Choice reproduction! If it is a lightweight bottle, without a cap
used on early bottles, particularly the Smalley, which Award for most unusual design seat, it’s likely to be a “repro.” A pint “Heritage’ bottle
came with a metal handle. Serious collectors try to at a NAMBC Convention. is available by the case, directly from China – clearly a
obtain the cardboard milk cap with the name of the reproduction.
dairy that matches the name on the bottle. Serious collectors display their bottles in cabinets and on shelves. To
Caps were a way to keep debris from entering the bottle. There are make the pyro glazing stand out, very small, white styrofoam beads are
also ‘generic’ caps with promotional information. Printing on the cap used as a lightweight filler, to look like milk. For creamers, white cotton
was much less expensive than embossing or pyro glazing the bottle. balls are often used. Coating the inside of bottles with paint or filling
Caps were also used to designate the day of the week that the milk them with sugar is not recommended!
was bottled – “day of the week” caps are highly sought after.
Most authentic milk bottles have a “cap seat” – a recessed edge just
below the top of the bottle, which held the cap securely to keep the HOW TO LEARN ABOUT MILK BOTTLES?
milk from leaking. Special metal tools, called “cap picks” were used to Join the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors (NAMBC),
pry the cap from the bottle. The picks often have the name of the dairy which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020. Its monthly newsletter,
on them. The Milk Route, showcases dairies and bottles. NAMBC will hold its
annual convention in Sturbridge, Massachusetts May 20-21, 2022.
The Go-With Seminars, an auction, and sales in rooms along with meeting collectors
Dairy-related items, known to milk bottle collectors as “go-withs” from all over the country make for a fun two days.
are very popular. These include calendars, some all paper, and others For details on joining NAMBC and attending the convention, visit
www.milkbottlecollectors.com. NAMBC also has a Facebook page –
www.facebook.com/groups/nambcmembers - just search Facebook for
NAMBC.
Another way to learn about milk bottles is to
join an Antique Bottle Club and/or attend an
antique bottle show – the Federation of Historical
Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) www.fohbc.org has a
detailed calendar of shows around the country.
For a detailed history and information on milk
bottles, books by John Tutton are invaluable –
the first book Udder Delight contains comprehen-
sive information on the early bottles, including
patent information. Subsequent books feature
pyro glazed bottles – there are a total of five books
that are available from online sellers.

Trish Manfredi, along with her husband Peter,
own Domestic Cow Antiques and Events, specializing
in vintage Connecticut and other milk bottles and
Milk Protector advertisement kitchenware. Both serve on the Board of Directors for The two color pyro
NAMBC. Trish has collected deposit bottles, and graphic belies the fact
At right: A riff on a popular nursery rhyme bottles with eggs and chickens on them, along with that this is a pint
promoting locally made ice cream. milk bottle!
caps that have kitchen utensils on them.
26 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles