Added Purple Radway - seen one before?

[Lbrewer42]

Hi all - new to the forum. I have a number of bottles in my collection, and looking for info on the following. I know... its just a Radway, but a purple one? Its the only one I have seen and I like ut. Anyone else know what colors these come in?

 

[botlguy]

Hi and welcome to the forums. I see them regularly on eBay in my search of the Bottles - Before 1900 - Medicine category. I haven't paid much attention as they don't fit into one of my collecting specialties, Bottles under 3/12 inches tall or those with really odd embossing. (I have other specialties) I suspect that you could get quite a bit of information by doing a continuing search on eBay in the general Bottle category as well as the "Sold" archives. Keep tuned to these forums, someone might have some experience with Radway. Good Luck. Jim

 

[Sand_pontil]

Hey Lee! I was just about to paste the ICON links then realized it was you!! -Mason

 

[Lbrewer42]

Hey Jim - fancy meeting you here on this forum - shouldn't we be talking insulaltors or date nails LOL! ! I have been looking at ebay for awhile - and did a thorough search of the sold items. I am suspecting this purple Radway was made by Brookfield with their chemicals from the B.G.M.Co. takeover. Radway, although 10 years earleier) was said in the NYT to have bottles made by Brookfield. At this time Brookfield easily could have supplied their entire needs (25 tons of glass per day made into product even 10 years prior to this). This bottle dates from around the 1897 takeover. WE also know shops dipped from various pots during the day of work. Since these purple ones seem hard to find (at least from what inline research i have done), and this glass is the same color as the B.G.M.Co. glass,I have to wonder if the worker getting the gob did not dip into the clear/SCA glass when the other pots were being used? All theory - but fun to speculate.Lee

 

[truedigr]

Most clear glass, from the period, will turn purple in the sunlight. Many people do this manually these days. The earlier bottles, pre 1880, such as the hair tonics, flasks, etc. were made purple, puce, violet. 99% of the bottles after that more than likely started out clear, before they became purple or violet. RC

 

[botlguy]

Hey Guys & Gals who are veteran, as well as newer, A-B.N users. Let me introduce Lee Brewer to you. Lee is an old friend from at least 20 years back and is a VERY experienced glass collector, mainly insulators, and knows more about Brookfield made glass objects than just about anybody. I PRAY he sticks around, he will be a HUGE asset. Lee, I didn't make the connection before but it is GREAT to see you here. I have no doubt that you are on the right track. Take care Buddy and come back often (daily - 8 or 10 times) Jim (continuing CREBhead)

 

[Lbrewer42]

Thanks trudigr. Yes, the manganese used as a clarifying agent agent reacts w/ ultraviolet light to cause purpling. The thing I am wondering is just how common, or uncommon an RRR is in SCA/purple. I beleive the vast majority made were the typical "green glass" aqua, but I am trying find out just how odd this clear/SCA one is.

 

[Lbrewer42]

Thanks for the kind words Jim. Wow! It HAS been 20 years (already!). BTW - not sure if you saw on ICON - the CREB book is FINALLY done and at the printers (15 years!)! Let me quote one part I know you will appreciate from the acknowledgement section:

During the early part of this project, and wearied in the cataloging process of having to type out the words “Dome Embossed Brookfield” (what these pieces were commonly called back then), on a whim I ‘acronymically’ reduced to the words to DEB. It was a friend, Jim Sinsley, who pointed out the DEB acronym fostered an incorrect idea since these insulators are embossed on their crowns -- not their domes. It took but a few seconds to see that CEB would not make an easily pronounceable term and hence, I coined the term CREB. Surprisingly, my personal laziness invented a term that is now common in the insulator community."

I am not sure how much I will be able to help out with Brookfield bottles though. The only specifics I have been able to nail down on bottles is shown in an 1884 NYT article where Bushwick Glass Works (Brookfield Glass Co.) made all bottles for Dr. Squibbs (now Brystol-Meyer Squibbs). And just one reference was made to Radway in another article. However, unlike Dr.Squibbs, the article did not specifically say Brookfield made all Radway bottles. I weighed this purple RR bottle and divided the 25 tons of glass Brookfield went through daily in 1884. If Brookfield dedicated all their glass to just one order at a time - which we do not know, their ten hour shifts would have only taken 8.25 days for Brookfield to make 1 million RRR bottles! I am only speculating, but I would think the largest bottle maker in Brooklyn, not too far from RRR headquarters, with a million bottle per 8.25 day capacity would likely be all Radway would need. But again it comes back to my wondering if anyone else has seen a purple RRR? If there are quite a few more - just not sold online for some reason - then mine has the possibility of being a fluke coinciding with Brookfield making a small run of purple glass from the B.G.M.Co.supplies they got.

 

[botlguy]

Thank you for your acknowledgement for my participation in the term CREB, I was thinking I was going to die without getting due credit for something SO IMPORTANT. [] Actually, it has been a totally accepted, common term. I'm looking forward to the book and want to be as high on the list of buyers as I can be. Please let me know where and when to send the money. Jim

 

[cowseatmaize]

It appears this is an insider conversation but I have to ask, What is ICON, CEB, CREB?On the other side, you know, the one about the bottle. I have seen some almost clear that maybe had some clarifier but not quite enough. They had just a hint of aqua.