Curled Up With A Bottle

Chris here: Although running this shop hasn't driven me to drink quite yet, I am getting to know my bottles. A couple of months ago we picked up an old soda bottle embossed with "C.W. Ramsburg, Bottler, Winchester, VA." On the base is "O.B. CO." I know just enough about glass to tell it was made on an Owens bottle machine, (WRONG- upon further review it was mouth-blown in a mold) and figured "O.B. CO." was for Owens Bottle Company. WRONG. As usual, the answer came in a roundabout fashion, though.

About a week and a half ago Jen and I picked up a mess of inventory from some friends of ours, including a 5-gallon boxed brandy demijohn ("Newman's Improved Boxed Demijohn" from the Pacific Coast Glass Works to be precise) and while researching the P.C.G.W. I happened across a list of bottle manufacturers ( Soda and Beer Bottles of North America) and decided to check the Ramsburg bottle against it.

Lo and behold, the Ramsburg bottle is the product of the Ohio Bottle Company that was the result of a merger of several other glass firms and operated as the Ohio Bottle Co. from 1904 to 1905 when it reorganized as the American Bottle Company. The kicker- the Ohio Bottle Company was the first and apparently at that time the exclusive licensee to use the Owens Automatic Bottle Machine.

In glass circles it seems you mention the Owens machine and collectors' eyes glaze over. Once the Owens machine went into use gazillions of nearly-identical bottles were cranked out at light speed without any of the artistry and individuality of the old mouth-blown bottles. Frankly, when we acquired the Ramsburg bottle and I saw it was made in an Owens machine (it was not made in an Owens Machine!) I figured it had no interest other than its appearance (admittedly pretty with aqua glass that has taken on iridescence from being in the ground). Now, though, I am not so sure. The Soda and Beer Bottle folks list three examples on their site of Ohio Bottle Co. bottles (as opposed to 21 examples of P.C.G.W. bottles, for example).

Anyhow, I have updated the listing for it on our website.

Well, Jen just walked in and shot me with a Nerf gun, so it is back to cataloging inventory for me.