O-C Brand by Orange Crush

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Canadacan

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I just landed my first 12oz paper label O-C Pale Dry ginger ale bottle!...this is the only O-C label I've seen intact on a bottle and the first 12oz. So I figured I share some insight.
O-C was Crush's flavor line which was probably introduced in the mid 1920's
Some of the flavors were pale dry ginger ale, ginger ale, cherry, grape, lime, lime rickey, lemon, lemon sour, orange?..yes even an orange!, strawberry, white soda, root beer, cream soda.
It was available in a specially marked O-C bottle that was essentially the clear krinkly, sizes were 7 oz and 28 oz that also came in green. The paper labeled bottles from what I can tell were in 24oz and 12oz...it possible the paper label was available in 6oz but I have seen no labels to date.

I was not able to locate any info on the introduction of this flavor line, but I can tell you it was advertised in Canada as early as 1925....the earliest found for US ad was 1930 depicting my label, and from what I can tell the paper label design changed around 1933. This product name ran up till the introduction of Old Colony in 1939.
Canada never had, to my knowledge an embossed O-C, but advertisements hinted that the product was packaged in regular bottles, there was however at least one eastern bottler that used a paper label marked O-C.


O-C Ginger Ale new bottle.jpg

O-C Ginger Ale- Chicago Tribune, 08 Jun 1930, Sun, Page 13
O-C Ginger Ale-  Chicago Tribune, 08 Jun 1930, Sun, Page 13.jpg



24 oz labels
20190305_220730 - Copy.jpg
O-C cherry.jpg

A few of my embossed O-C bottles, these bottles have the regular patent date on the other rside.
20190306_125851.jpg

A few examples of USA crowns.
20190305_214843.jpg

And a this is the only O-C sign that I know of design wise.
O-C Beverages.jpg


This is what I believe to be the second O-C label design.
O-C Ginger Ale-Davenport- Iowa The Daily Times, 01 May 1933, Mon, Page 7

O-C Ginger Ale-Davenport- Iowa The Daily Times, 01 May 1933, Mon, Page 7.jpg

Orange Crush-O-C Moline Illinois-The Dispatch, 10 Apr 1936, Fri, Page 21
Orange Crush-O-C Moline Illinois-The Dispatch, 10 Apr 1936, Fri, Page 21.jpg

This is one of the Canadian ads mentioning O-C ginger ale and grape...note the ad says 'all sold in the krinkly bottle'.
Orange Crush- The Vancouver Sun, 03 Jun 1925, Wed, Page 11

Orange Crush- The Vancouver Sun, 03 Jun 1925, Wed, Page 11.jpg


And shown here are my two Canadian O-C crowns.
Ward's Crush 008.jpg

And this is a Canadian O-C from Turo Nova Scotia Orange Crush...this same label has also been documented in a Belfast Ginger Ale.
Turo Nova Scotia Orange Crush-RB1.jpg

And another from the same bottler but in a Club ginger Ale.
Orange Crush-O-C ginger ale.jpg


I like this ad because it shows the patented side of the bottle, and says 10 flavors....although I listed 13, that may have depended on location or what each specific bottler choose to provide for their customers.
O-C Beverages- Moline Illinois- The Dispatch, 31 Mar 1932, Thu, Page 5
O-C beverages- Moline Illinois-  The Dispatch, 31 Mar 1932, Thu, Page 5.jpg
 
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hemihampton

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Some nice Bottles & Info. THANKS, LEON.
 

Canadacan

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Your Welcome and thanks Leon, and iggy for the comments!...the hunt is always on for more bottles!
 

bottle-bud

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Excellent story! I love seeing those old ads, especially when they have bottles pictured in them. Nice assortment of O-C bottles too!
 

Canadacan

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Excellent story! I love seeing those old ads, especially when they have bottles pictured in them. Nice assortment of O-C bottles too!

Thanks!...Yes seeing the dated ads takes away any doubt about the age of these bottles.
 

mrosman

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Hi... I beg to differ.... Canada certainly had some embossed O.C. bottles ...
 

Canadacan

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Hi... I beg to differ.... Canada certainly had some embossed O.C. bottles ...
Embossed with "O-C" or "O.C" ?....never seen such a thing,
Michael
is this new information that wasn't in the guide?
 

mrosman

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References from my book...

I just landed my first 12oz paper label O-C Pale Dry ginger ale bottle!...this is the only O-C label I've seen intact on a bottle and the first 12oz. So I figured I share some insight.
O-C was Crush's flavor line which was probably introduced in the mid 1920's
Some of the flavors were pale dry ginger ale, ginger ale, cherry, grape, lime, lime rickey, lemon, lemon sour, orange?..yes even an orange!, strawberry, white soda, root beer, cream soda.
It was available in a specially marked O-C bottle that was essentially the clear krinkly, sizes were 7 oz and 28 oz that also came in green. The paper labeled bottles from what I can tell were in 24oz and 12oz...it possible the paper label was available in 6oz but I have seen no labels to date.

I was not able to locate any info on the introduction of this flavor line, but I can tell you it was advertised in Canada as early as 1925....the earliest found for US ad was 1930 depicting my label, and from what I can tell the paper label design changed around 1933. This product name ran up till the introduction of Old Colony in 1939.
Canada never had, to my knowledge an embossed O-C, but advertisements hinted that the product was packaged in regular bottles, there was however at least one eastern bottler that used a paper label marked O-C.


View attachment 187255

O-C Ginger Ale- Chicago Tribune, 08 Jun 1930, Sun, Page 13
View attachment 187259



24 oz labels
View attachment 187256
View attachment 187257

A few of my embossed O-C bottles, these bottles have the regular patent date on the other rside.
View attachment 187258

A few examples of USA crowns.
View attachment 187260

And a this is the only O-C sign that I know of design wise.
View attachment 187261


This is what I believe to be the second O-C label design.
O-C Ginger Ale-Davenport- Iowa The Daily Times, 01 May 1933, Mon, Page 7

View attachment 187262

Orange Crush-O-C Moline Illinois-The Dispatch, 10 Apr 1936, Fri, Page 21
View attachment 187263

This is one of the Canadian ads mentioning O-C ginger ale and grape...note the ad says 'all sold in the krinkly bottle'.
Orange Crush- The Vancouver Sun, 03 Jun 1925, Wed, Page 11

View attachment 187269


And shown here are my two Canadian O-C crowns.
View attachment 187265

And this is a Canadian O-C from Turo Nova Scotia Orange Crush...this same label has also been documented in a Belfast Ginger Ale.
View attachment 187266

And another from the same bottler but in a Club ginger Ale.
View attachment 187267


I like this ad because it shows the patented side of the bottle, and says 10 flavors....although I listed 13, that may have depended on location or what each specific bottler choose to provide for their customers.
O-C Beverages- Moline Illinois- The Dispatch, 31 Mar 1932, Thu, Page 5
View attachment 187273
Hi there.... interested in your Orange Crush, as I collected such - mostly bottles, but had a lot of signs. Wrote the only book on O.C. Bottles - book presently on Ebay. Interested that you used pictures of O-C crown caps taken from my book, bottom left corner of p.122... also just above a reference to a touched up sign of O-C... very rare... glad to know more about your interesting paper label O-C bottles with different flavours - had not seen those in my recollection... Would like to hear back and see more of your O.C. bottles. Incidentally, I do have the three Ward's embossed bottles, with the three flavours, on p.28 of my book.... Hope to hear back, Regards, Michael
 

Canadacan

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Yup those 2 picture reference are from the guide. The O-C sign photo is from a friend of mine...pretty cool sign! Another sign that surfaced, and even far rarer than the O-C beverages is the Mandalay Punch sign! It was posted by a member from my Orange Crush Collectors group on facebook. Mandalay Punch was sold in the Krinkly bottle and paper label in the USA and Canada, Bruce Capel had shared a photo of that Canadian label on a bottle.
So I do not have any more O-C bottles other than what I posted....Ron Blair I think has a couple more examples for me at his place, supposed to try and get back to see him one of these days.
Cheers!
 

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