Blue Glass Flask

[KSM]

Back in the early 60's my Father had a foundation dug for an extension on the house. I was digging through the rubble and found a Blue Glass Flask ( about quart sized) with the initials T. W D ( note : no "period" between the "W" and the "D") on one side...under a picture of an eagle with a sheild. On the other side is the picture of a sailing ship with the name Franklin under it. It has all the indications that it was manufactured between 1840 and 1858 ( I am going by the bottle neck shape and the pontil mark on the bottom, with a #5 to one side of mark, also the fact that the mold marks on the side of the bottle are irregular.) Could the initials stand for T. W. Dyott ? I cannot find a picture that matches with this flask anywhere. I have looked for indications that it is a reproduction, but there are none. I would very much like to know the value of this flask. Any information that you could provide me with would be very much appreciated. PLEASE RESPOND ! ... I have been on a number of sites that have not responded to my questions. <<IF YOU NEED PHOTOS I CAN SEND THEM TO YOU VIA E-MAIL >> my address is SMOKINGMAN61@aol.com

 

[IRISH]

Hi KSM, welcome to the bottle forum [] , you have found the right place to get the info you need.
You can post a photo here in this thread if you like, or email it to me and I can post it for you. Sounds like a great find.

 

[KSM]

The neck of the bottle appears to be crooked in one picture, but not the other from the bottle moving slightly during scanning. (crude attempt, I appologize)

 

[IRISH]

Thanks Admin, you are a bit (lot) faster than me using photoshop [] .
KSM, that is a fantastic looking bottle, I don't know a lot about that type of bottle but I don't think it is a repro considering that you dug it in the 60's and even the older repros would have been only a few years old, seems unlikely they would have got where you found it.

 

[KSM]

Yes Irish.......that is what has got me so exited about this bottle...... When I found it it was approximately two feet deep in the rubble pile......which would mean that it was dug from the BOTTOM 2 to 3 ft. of the foundation..the bottle was full of dirt ...packed... it took me quite some time to clean out by running hot water into the mouth ...and pouring it out. So far I have had a few responses from other sites saying its a repro(much to my dismay) however that could be because they think I am lying about my story. I assure you I am NOT ! I have carried this bottle around with me for 38 years, and loved it because of its beauty, never thinking it was a "great find." I used to collect old milk bottles as a young child, and when I fould this bottle...I stopped. ( nothing could compare, I guess.) So I never thought about its value until recently, but judging by my recent research, it seems to be one of the cleanest examples I have seen. THANKS AGAIN ! for your help.

 

[KSM]

well....... as I could have guessed. Upon further digging into the vast internet info super highway, I am now seeing a bottle from the Lestoil Co. that is quite similar. However, the bottles were manufactured reproductions of the U.S.S. Franklin / T.W.Dyott bottle commemorating said ship which was originally made in 1822. My problem is, I don't see the "TWD" under the eagle in any of the pics I have encountered. Also, where and when I found this bottle still has me wondering. Does anyone have a picture of the original Flask commemorating the U.S.S. franklin that was made in 1822 by T.W.Dyott?? If so, I would appreciate them posting it in this thread, as I cannot find a pic of the original anywhere!! I did however see a where the original had 25 rays over the eagles head, which mine HAS !

<<ANY PICTURES OF THE ORIGINAL/AUTHENTIC BOTTLE WOULD HELP>>

 

[Harry Pristis]

It is not a reproduction, technically speaking. But it is not a historical flask. It was produced in the late 1960s for the Lestoil Company of Holyoke, MA. It contained Lestoil, the cleaning product.

The bottle design was adapted from Dr. Dyott's Kensington Glass Works flask GII-42, which has a sheared and fire-polished lip. This Lestoil bottle was produced in blue (like this one), light-blue, amethyst, and colorless.

This from McKearin-Wilson, AMERICAN BOTTLES & FLASKS AND THEIR ANCESTRY.

----------Harry Pristis

 

[KSM]

Photo of the Lestoil Repro...... whaddya think?

 

[woody]

Yes, it isn't right to be an authentic flask from the era.
The lip is wrong.
I'd go with the Lestoil bottle as a good choice to what it is.

 

[vtspring]

COULD YOU POST A PICTURE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE? I HAVE SOLD 1 OR 2 OF THESE USUALY GETTING AROUND $5 APIECE FOR THEM. IM PRETTY SURE IT IS LESTOIL.PRETTY BOTTLE THOUGH.