The Wormser Brothers

 

The firm of Wormser Brother was located on the corner of California and Front Streets in San Francisco and listed as importers and jobbers of wines and liquors. Started sometime in 1856 Isaac Wormser, who was living in Germany, was the president of the company and his brother Lewis was the manager. In 1864 Lewis left San Francisco and his brother Simon took over management of the company. In October of 1867, during Simon’s management of the firm, they trademarked the “Golden Sheaf” brand of whiskey. By 1872 the Wormser Bros. business was sold to the firm of Braeg Frank and Dallemand.



The Wormser Brothers produced some of the more desirable western bottles while they were in business in San Francisco. The earliest glass container from the Wormser firm is the large whiskey flask horizontally embossed WORMSER BROS. SAN FRANCISCO. The Wormser  flask is considered very rare with possibly 8 to 12 examples in private collections. Several of these early containers seem to have poor quality glass with annealing checks and other manufacture related problems. It is not known if this bottle was blown in a San Francisco glass house or manufactured in the east and distributed in the west. 

Horizontal embossed Wormser flask circa 1867-69





It is believed the barrel shaped bottle with an applied tapered top and a smooth base embossed WORMSER BROS. SAN FRANCISCO was produced for a very short period of time, possibly in 1869 only. Although I could not find any advertisements to confirm what these bottles contained, Western collectors believe this container held a whiskey bitters product.

Wormser Bros. barrel style bottles



This barrel shaped bottle comes in various shades of amber from light yellow to darker brown amber. Most examples show very little crudity but a couple examples that I have observed have some pretty good whittle to the glass.

It is thought that there are between 25 and 30 of the Wormser Bros. barrels in collections at the present time.  Years ago, in the Virginia City area, several examples of the Wormser barrel were recovered from a large bottle digging excavation.

 

Vertical embossed Wormser flask



The last bottle produced by the Wormser Bros. is the vertically embossed flask. These bottles were more than likely manufactured post 1869. They come in colors ranging from dark chocolate to green and are the most common of the Wormser bottles.



 

 



Thanks to American Bottle Auctions, Western Whiskey Gazette, Western Whiskey blog site and Dale Mlasko for the images - rs -

Sands Sarsaparilla

Sands Sarsaparilla

A.B. SANDS & CO.
SANDS SARSAPARILLA
NEW YORK

Abraham B. Sands of New York City opened his first retail drug store sometime around 1840. In 1842 he expanded his horizons and opened a wholesale store at another location installing David Sands in the original retail store. By 1843 Sands has published a informative pamphlet on the curative properties of their sarsaparilla product.  In early 1850 the firm of A B & D Sands emerged as a wholesale and retail drug company and were advertising regularly in local newspapers.

By 1851 David retired, was replaced by William Sands, and the firm was listed as A.B. Sands & Co. After 1851 Sands & Co. became primarily a wholesale drug operation. Sands produced other products (Horehound Cough Syrup, Liquid Opeldoc and Anodyne Liniment) but his sarsaparilla was by far his best seller. A.B. Sands & Co. continued in business until 1875 when the company was dissolved.

 

 

 

 

Pictured at right is the earliest example of the Sands Sarsaparilla. It has widely beveled corners and is embossed on three panels SANDS SARSAPARILLA NEW YORK. The Sand’s Sarsaparilla was distributed throughout the California  gold rush country. Open pontil examples of the Sand’s have been found from  San Francisco to the Mother Lode and the  gold rush camps and settlements of the Northern Mines. These bottles are considered  scarce but as with all gold rush era bottles are highly collectable and prized by western and gold rush bottle collectors. The Sand’s that I have examined, that were recovered from Sierra County, are usually pretty crude, highly whittled and usually come out of the ground without mineral staining

 

 

 

Pictured at left is a copy of a Sand's Sarsaparilla advertisement. The second variant of the Sand's bottle, on the right side of the ad, is being filled with the sarsaparilla product. Sand's sarsaparilla was coined by the company as "The Very Best Remedy for Purifying the Blood"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Pictured at right is the later variant of the Sands bottle that was produced sometime after 1858. It still has a pontil base, but is a larger size, different shape, and has “GENUINE” embossed on one panel.

One whole example of the second variant of the Sands was recovered from the gold rush settlement of Excelsior in the early 1990’s. Two examples were recovered from the southern Sierra County settlement of Plum Valley and another mint example was un-earthed at Brandy City by a Nevada City digger. Numerous broken examples have been found at the Sierra County gold rush camps of  Monte Cristo, Poker Flat, Chaparral Hill and Rattlesnake. This variant of the Sands is considered more common than the earlier example with the widely beveled corners but is still a scarce and collectable gold rush bottle.

 



MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 

and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Another Recent Dig

Submission by JD 

Thanks JD - rs -

49er Historical Bottle & Collectibles Show

Attn Western Bottle Collectors
               
                       40th 49er Historical Bottle Show

Now being held in a newly renovated building at the Placer Valley Sports and Tourism facility. This show will be the largest antique bottles & collectibles show in California. You will not want to miss this show !!

                         December 1st  9 to 5
                         
                         December 2nd  9 to 3

Downieville 2017

 

Come on up to the Northern Mines and celebrate our last Downieville Show

See you in September



Don’t miss the annual “Santa Rosa Antique Bottle & Collectibles Show” coming up. This years show is combined with the huge 40/8 Flea Mkt. and not to be confused with the smaller Flea Mkt. we’ve held our show with in the past. The 40/8 Mkt. on Sunday is one of Northern California’s largest annual  collector events. There will also be the Sonoma County Farmers Mkt. on Saturday. Dinner & Get-Together Saturday night at the “Union Hotel” for all show dealers. This jamb packed collectors weekend at the Vets Hall is the areas biggest of the year. Hope to see you there!

Show info. Click Here

Jefferson State Bottle & Insulator Show

Loaded Liquor Pit

Every once in a while you hit a pit that is absolutely loaded with liquor bottles. Sometimes they have whiskey, and sometimes they are full of champagnes, blacks, case gins, and wines........... It takes a special pit to produce this volume of liquor in the form of whiskies !

Picked up this 1/2 Pint Flask, Saw one kinda like it in the Washington Whiskey Book by Thomas, but, it just said OUR HOUSE, same bottle form, saw a Dandy Flask Corker with the Same Embossing OUR HOUSE CAFE, SEATTLE, WASH. a Different Variant I guess?

It's Millers time !

Here is a rare western flask from a recent West Coast dig. While the large design Millers are considered common by most, the small design variants are much rarer is any color, especially amber. Less than 4 examples known in straight amber ?

Sac National Dig Report

Here is a dig report in from a local digger: "We had fun at the National Show, but had even more fun Saturday afternoon. We were fortunate enough to find a fresh demolition near the show and located an 1890s and 1870s privy. The 1890s privy produced a local Sac hutch soda, and the 1870s privy contained 4 lime green star based whiskies, a cobalt Dickies and an aqua Billings Soda. Fun show and fun dig!"

2016 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Convention & Expo

Only 54 days till the largest antique bottle event happens in the western U.S. Four days of antique bottle activities among bottle collectors from 21 states! All happening at Lions Gate Hotel and McClellan Conference Center, August 4th thru 7th. Get the details at FOHBC.org  or Warren Friedrich, (530) 271-5757 or warrenls6@sbcglobal.net

50th Annual - "Northwestern Antique Bottle Collectors" - Show!

 

 

Come shop or sale at our 50th annual show this year. We still have a few sales tables left for anyone interested. There is the “Farmers Market” Saturday  & “Collectors Flea Mkt.” Sunday all the the same location and time. We're expecting a good turnout, these two events draw lots of people to the Venue.

There will be an old time collection hit the market this year in addition to many dealers from all over with new additions.

 

Come celebrate our 50th show at the Saturday night dinner for dealers.  We have once again reserved the Garden Room at the popular “Union Hotel” restaurant next to Santa Rosa creek. Great food, full bar, raffles, good times. 

 

Hope to see you there!

info. http://www.oldwestbottles.com/THE_SANTA_ROSA_SHOW.php

Old Valley Resting In Peace

Kane, O'Leary Trademarks

Here are a few of the Kane, O'Leary & Co. brands that were trademarked in 1880. In addition to these, "Old Judge" and "Paragon" were trademarked in 1881.

From Peachridge Glass

Love this color run of Barkhouse Brothers Gold Dust Kentucky Bourbon bottles from a prominent anonymous western collector.

 

 

Kane O'Leary

Speaking of OGW bottles, here is a recent find that was resting next to two OGW half pint flasks, a half pint Roth flask, and a CP Moorman flask. Surprisingly the Kane O'Leary was the sole survivor.

Whiskey In Layer

Here is a great layer shot of a classic western whiskey.