Article - "Bryant Bitter's"

[appliedlips]

Jamie, I think the cobalt Harrison's brought $33,000 or something close, which at that time (70's-80's) was a record. The next time I believe it sold for less. I think 30 maybe but no where near 80. Many bottles have sold for more than the Harrison's since.

 

[westernbittersnut]

The initial write-up about the Bryants Stomach Bitters is erroneous. This is a New York concern by a G.N.W. Bryant and this bottle and product were made and distributed from New York state. A lot of these bottles were sent by ship to San Francisco where the agent for this product was Wm. Newell & Co. Some of these bottles (broken) have been dug back East. They were just an early bitters that was marketed in the West in 1859. Just like Dr. C. W. Roback's Stomach Bitters, Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic, Catawba Wine Bitters, Dr. J. Hostetter's Stomach Bitters and a host of other eastern bottles during the late 1850's and onward.

 

[CALDIGR2]

I always maintained that the Bryant's was an Eastern product, but the "believers" wants so badly for it to be of San Francisco origin that a simple conjecture became accepted as fact by the collecting community. After the first one was dug in Sacramento, way back in the '60s, this myth has perpetuated, despite evidence to the contrary. Research on the Bryant's bottle led me to this conclusion many years ago, but the locals refused to allow facts to overide their preconceived notions. Thanks for posting this information, Warren. It's about time this "misunderstanding" was clarified, so perhaps the record will be corrected. I won't be holding my breath, though.

 

[GuntherHess]

bottle myths are tough to dispell. people believe what they want to believe.

 

[Oldtimer]

I had always understood it to be an eastern made product.

 

[CALDIGR2]

Yes, but some folks still insist that is is a Western product. A few cases of the Ladies leg type were pulled from the harbor in Sao Paulo, Brazil several years ago. The water was only about 12' -15' deep and you could see the bottles sitting down there. They were cargo on a ship transporting goods around the "Horn" to SF. The ship sank in the harbor and some goods were not retrieved at the time, the bottles among them.

 

[glass man]

DOUG:I found the mag from july 1980 where the RARE HARRISONS COLUMBIAN MASTER INK WITH EXPANDED JAR MOUTH. HEIGHTH:10 /12 INCHES ,DIA.6 1/8INCHES BRILLIANT DEEP SAPPAIRE BLUE,SHEARED MOUTH-SCARED BASE. IT SOLD FOR $8000 WAS PART OF COVILL'S COLLECTION AND AUCTIONED BY SKINNERS AUCTION HOUSE.
I AM ALMOST SURE IT SOLD FOR $80,000 IN 1990,BUT THE BRAIN IS A SLIPPERY THING![] I HAVE THAT BOTTLE MAG. IN THIS HOUSE SOMEWHERE. AMAZED ME TO FIND THE 1980 ONE. I FOUND MY EXPO 96 BOTTLE MAG TOO,WITH A PICTURE OF NINA IN IT! JAMIE

 

[beendiggin]

http://www.americanbottle.com/ A Bryant's just sold recently. Here's the link.

 

[blobbottlebob]

Great link Beendiggin. I would have liked a little more specifics about the sale but I suppose 'the six-figure catagory' is close enough.

 

[glass man]

AM ALMOST SURE IT SOLD FOR $80,000 IN 1990,

DOUG I ALOMOST SURE I AM LOSING IT![SURE THAT SURPRISES NO ONE] THE ink did sell for 8,000 in 1980 and like you and Jeff told me later sold for $33,000! [8D] OH WELL! jamie