Shards of Wisdom

And—phew—pre-1900 travel books on Japan, old hair bottles, clothespins, children’s aprons, museum-quality demijohns with historic ship battles painted on them, and other major collections that have come—and gone—like GIX-10 scrolls, Sandwich colognes, and of course my once-great accumulation of 250-different glass target balls and related ephemera.

Another collection that still warms my heart and (hamburger) buns is Ketchup stuff. In fact, my ketchups have been mentioned in books and featured in at least three documentaries—one done by a TV show in Moscow.

While there are common bottles and a few jewels, part of my “ketchup klutter” is the world’s best assortment of ketchup crocks and jugs. Is there a better display? I’ve never heard of one.

One wall holds about 29 crocks and jugs emblazoned with the magic word, the nectar of the gods: KETCHUP or “catsup.” (I would accept or k-e-chap—it’s Chinese—or...whatever. You say tomato, and I say tomahto (part of a 1937 Gershwin song).

And, recently, I came across what would be No. 30, and the big apple of my ketchup collection (Mixing fruit and vegetables here.) It was the auction’s star (in my opinion), Lot 491, described (edited) as:

“… large Bristol-slip-glazed jug with bail handle, featuring “MY MARYLAND / HIGH GRADE / CATSUP / VAN LILL PRESERVING CO / BALTIMORE MD” on the front and reverse… and 18.”

Eighteen inches high? I have two other large ones, but not that large.

Lot 491 was estimated at $100-$200 but sold for $950 plus a reasonable 20 percent buyer’s premium, plus shipping.

I found little on the ketchup; Van Lill was a preserver, but I guess not a really successful one. The Van Lill name was a prominent one in Baltimore, but...

I was so excited when the ketchup from Crocker Farm came to my front door in a really big box, and in it was another box, and in that was my wonderful ketchup jug.

We carefully unpacked it and found my ketchup had...multiplied. It was now in at least eight pieces!

I have no idea what happened (nor does Crocker). The outside box looked well-packed, but the inner box had a four-inch bite out of one corner. Strange, and so, so, so very sad.

And a couple of weeks later, Crocker returned our money. I’d rather have catsup than lettuce...(bad joke).

FYI: Crocker Farm says: “We are a family business owned and operated by Anthony, Barbara, Brandt, Luke, and Mark Zipp. We have been selling stoneware and redware since 1983 and possess an unsurpassed knowledge of the art form. Our company is the industry leader in selling antique American stoneware and redware pottery, and our auctions have transformed the marketplace, realizing numerous major world auction records and achieving over $40 million sold. We are based out of our historic gallery, the 1841 Gorsuch Barn, in Sparks, Maryland.”

The firm once sold a jug for a record-setting $1,560,000!

Hello friends, I went through some old photo albums and came up with a few photographs from antique bottle shows 40+ years ago. I wish two things…that we had taken a lot more pictures and that the quality of the photos we took was much better! Ralph (Finch) may be able to identify more people in the Rochester, New York banquet photo. I identified some of the seated diners. Lots of great memories...as I said, wish I’d taken photos at Laconia; Portland, ME; Sidney, NY; Buffalo; Rochester, NH; etc.

in four colors with some mixed-in-color. She asked if I knew who made the bottles, and I told her I did not. I got an address for the company that owned Lestoil and gave her the address. Lestoil sent her the letter I have included. Finding out was a great bit of history, and she was tickled to get the reply.

I will guess that someday there will be someone who collects these flasks. I am not sure how many designs were on these flasks. I have seen George Washington, cannons, ships and the bald eagle design. I can guess they used other designs in the series. Now we know the rest of the story about these flasks. I am providing two photos of one of the flasks that I have [note that the editor provided higher-resolution images].

Thomas W. Brown Findlay, Ohio

Response from the Noxell Corporation Consumer Services, March 8, 1990.

Sure had a blast cruising to shows in my 1970 Boss 302 Mustang...not super comfortable for long trips and the jar inventory space was limited but it sure was fast. All paid for by canning jars...those were the days. Let me know if you have any questions.

Mike Beardsley, Chittenango, New York

[Note] Make sure you read Jarring Discoveries, The Fruitful Early Days of Collecting by Mike in the previous issue. We have added all of the photographs Mike provided and posted on FOHBC.org. See Editors’ Pick on the home page.

I have been collecting and digging bottles since 1970, and I have seen a lot of bottles including a series of reproduction flasks. They were generally found at flea markets in various colors, including mixed glass colors. In 1984, I bought my current home and saw them again.

After getting to know my next-door neighbor, she noticed I had a lot of bottles. I explained that I was a collector and digger, and then she told me she had flasks! I was very excited, as you could see the flasks in the windows of her house. I asked if I could look at what she had. I went to her front room, and sure enough, she had a series of various colored flasks on all the ledges of her windows. I knew, of course, they were reproductions or newer flasks and told her they were made for Lestoil and could be found

Thank you for inquiring about a promotional bottle of Lestoil Heavy Duty Cleaner with a colonial motif. The colonial bottle was strictly a promotional item for the Lestoil line, offered from approximately mid-1964 to mid-1965 in several short selective runs. The bottle was produced exclusively for us by the Knox Glass Company, Danielson, Connecticut in 1964. Only four colors were offered: green, blue, purple and amber. The reason for the variation in shading was that the same glass tank was used for all the glass bottles made. Consequently, as the desired production quantity of one color was reached, the glass was diluted with the next color. We have no idea as to the value of the bottles, if any. Thanks for contacting us. If we can assist you again, please let us know.

Hi Ferd, just devoured the latest magazine and again you hit it out of the park with your layout and embellishments of my story! [Pike’s Peak or Bust] I especially enjoyed, as always, the Lost & Found section which is where I always start my reading. The jaw dropper was the article by Rod Vining [Bottle Tumbling with a Twist] with those colored Mobile bottles! I’m still breathless as

I look at them now. As I type, I am awaiting the thumbs up from Lou Lambert to whom I have just shipped my green Ravenna flask for a possible cleaning. He said he would inspect it and render his opinion as to whether or not it is too risky. I leave that decision in his capable hands. I have banged out a couple of stories and am working on a few more. Lemme know if you can still use any. I also started my own YouTube channel of all my dig videos from the past ten years. I feared all my old DVDs would end up in a landfill and nobody outside my close friends and family would ever get a chance to see them. Check it out if you are bored or suffer from insomnia. It might just be the 21st century cure! The Old Dirt Slinger is my channel name. Take care.

Jack Klotz

Louisiana, Missouri

Dear Mrs. Meyer, Please, can you tell me where in 2005 the publication Bottles and Extras was based? I must quote Keep Your Powder Dry…In A Glass Powder Horn?, Cecil Munsey, Scott Grandstaff, Kitty Roach, FOHBC, Bottles and Extras (2005), pp. 2-8 and I have to include the place where the magazine was issued at that time. Is it Sacramento, California? Also, which number was the issue...Spring 2005? The 11th? With kind regards,

Alexandru Gh. Sonoc, PhD

Brukenthal Art Museum, Brukenthal National Museum Sibiu, Romania

[Response] Hi Ferdinand & Elizabeth, Hope you are doing well!! I will answer the man’s questions. Bottles and Extras was published in Happy Camp, California at this time. I still have the powder horns (pictured above) on my side table. Cecil and Dolores (Munsey) came for a visit in probably 1994 and I showed them the powder horns. Cecil became interested in doing the article about them. Besides Bottles and Extras, Cecil also sent the article to an early American collectibles magazine and a black powder magazine plus a couple others too. I am sorry I don’t remember the issue number.

Scott Grandstaff, Happy Camp, California

We recently traveled cross-country and went bar hopping in Key West, Florida. We stopped in to Sloppy Joe’s Bar for some live music—they claim to be Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar. Debatable. Above is their bottle display and “History Under Foot” information.

Brian Bingham Oceanside, California