Are the GI 95 and 97 and the GII 52, historical flasks the oldest made?

[earlyglass]

Steve,

I am at work at the moment, and basically glanced at your information. I will look at it further tonight.

I wanted to note the age of the earliest New England flasks. The flint glass Masonics are the earliest New Hampshire flasks, dating from 1815-1820. They are quite decorative molds, beautiful heavy bottles blown in a wide array of colors. These would include the GIV-1 through 14, although some of them are may have been produced after 1820 as well.

Earlier (possibly) New England flasks may be the sunburst motifs which are probably from the same period. These would include the GVIII-5, 7, 16, 18 to name a few... probably blown at the Pitkin Glass works. Other important New England flasks which are quite early are the Jared Spencers which may have been produced at the John Mather Works in Hartford.

The Lafayette flasks were blown primarily in CT, although a few examples are attributed to NY state. The earliest of these flasks were probably produced in 1825 to commemorate the visit of General Lafayette to the US. These were produced at Coventry, CT although there is speculation that Pitkin produced some as well.

I just wanted to add a few tid-bits of New England flask info.

Mike

 

[kungfufighter]

I'm of the very strong belief that the first American figured flasks were not produced until after 1815.

 

[earlyglass]

I agree Jeff... that is why I have always felt that the heavy flint glass Keene masonics are some of the earliest historical flasks. Although I speculate that some of the Pittsburgh Washingtons and Eagles may be of the same era? This was probably being played out around a half dozen other glasshouses between 1815-1820.

Which mold (or group of molds) according to McKearin to do think are the earliest?

Mike

 

[cobaltbot]

Although I am not worthy to be discussing flasks with the three of you I am bored silly waiting out this blizzard and really enjoy the knowledge you bring to the forum so please forgive the intrusion. I recently dug pieces of a GII-54 and a GI-117 at an early site and both of these have 13 stars. While I agree with your commemorative theory for some of these flasks I think the thirteen star motif was just so strong in a young country as represented by coinage then and even now and that aspect of just using thirteen stars carried forward to the Civil War and beyond. Now I'll get back to my bromos[&:] (ya gotta start somewhere!)

 

[woody]

I was curios if any flasks are attributed to the Temple Glass factory in Temple, New Hampshire???

 

[earlyglass]

Woody,

No historical flasks attributed to Temple... it was roughly 30-40 years prior to the dawn of the historical flask era. They produced what you might expect from a Revolutionary era glasshouse... vials, freeblown bottles, chestnuts, etc... and they were primarily in the business of making crown glass (window, bullseyes, etc).

There were many glasshouses during the colonial times that were producing patterned glass and dip molded patterns. For example, the diamond daisy flasks, ribbed and swirled pitkins, diamond patterns, etc. However, these are not "historical flasks".

Mike

 

[kungfufighter]

Spot on Steve (cobaltbot)! Back in the day (as they say) we did not have an ever changing array of heroes and symbols, plastered across an omnipresent 24 hour news cycle. In contrast to the here today gone tomorrow celebrities of the 21st century, the heroes and symbols of the 18th century enjoyed extended periods of adulation. Heck, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Lafayette, et.al. had a fifty year or longer run at the box office - even Seinfeld can't compare today!

 

[baltbottles]

Steve,

On the GII-52, 53, and 54. Flag /Eagle flasks I have dug two of these intact and at lease a dozen more broken examples I never really paid attention to exactly what mold I found where. But they show up in Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Burlington Nj privies so they were a well distributed flask. I'm sure they would turn up in most mid-atlantic towns. The ones I have found come out of an 1840s context very consistently. I think these flasks are strictly 1840s. And not as early as McKearin thought.

Chris

 

[baltbottles]

Also the only flasks I have ever found in a pre 1820s context was a couple early sunbrusts in a deep aqua color from an 1790s-1820s pit in Baltimore. These flasks were similar to the GVIII-28 sunbursts. Sadly they both were smashed.

Chris

 

[earlyglass]

Chris,

I would certainly agree with you that the sunburst motifs are the earliest of the historical flasks.
Baltimore, Pitkin, Coventry Keene and possibly Mt Vernon were probably all producing sunburst flasks during the 1815-1820s time frame.

How I would love to dig the Keene Marlboro Street site!

Mike