Dump digs...nice cologne

[farmerdan]

My lovely lady and I headed down to our TOC - 20s dump this afternoon to play in the mud for a bit. (A dump, by the way, which was supposedly "dug out" 20 or so yrs ago....) I jumped back in a hole I started last weekend, and she got going in a hole someone had opened up way back. It was next to my spot so we were separated by a wall of dirt and ash. So she worked for like 2 hours to clear out a spot where she could get into the deep layer. Meanwhile, I'm flingin' slicks and Durkee's and three in ones outta the pit. I even made up an annoying little song titled "Why are all the Blob Tops Broken" which I sang as I was pullin' out shards of half a dozen local criers.....(till she told me to shut up of course) Up till now, best thing I found was an Acme Blacking....And finally I hear "ooooooh I found a bottle!" from over the wall. I stand up and she's holding this gorgeous emerald green cologne. Guess we know who had the luck today! Two minutes later she comes up with a minty paneled extract, embossed on three sides.....But I tell ya, I'm the luckiest of all just to have a woman who will come out and dig with me!
OK pics

 

[farmerdan]

All cleaned up

 

[farmerdan]

Riker NY. All I know is that Riker had a drugstore in NYC and I guess they had their own line of cosmetics. Haven't been able to find much on this particular bottle. (help?) It's a bit dinged up, bit it displays nice. Good shape and color.

 

[farmerdan]

L to R: Francis H Leggett & Co. New York/Gilt Edge/Pure Extracts. Acme Blacking trade mark Wolff & Randolph Philadelphia. The slick on the right is interesting just because its the weirdest color- like an extremely light olive green. Is there a name for that color?

 

[farmerdan]

L to R. The "Crinkle" Orange crush is bottom embossed: Lindenhurst NY which makes it pretty local (within 20 miles). That weird color slick again, A.S. Hinds/Portland ME.

 

[lexdigger]

A lot of the Riker bottles are listed as Poisons, but that one does appear to have a perfume shape. Looks a lot like a Palmer. Might be a copy cat? It doesn't have the R like the Riker poisons has... an Rx inside of a mortar and pestle. Nice looking window bottle though!

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Dan,

It sure does look like it was a mud fest from the "before" pictures.

But I tell ya, I'm the luckiest of all just to have a woman who will come out and dig with me!

Not only that, he said jealously, but she found the "pretty" cologne.

I agree with Chris/lexdigger on the Palmer Green, but am ignorant of the Riker Poisons.

From what I've found W.B. Riker was primarily a druggist and perfumer, with a minor in soaps & powders. He also had a certain flair for window dressing.

There's a great ad for Riker's Violate Cerate on this page of Munsey's Magazine 1907.

"TABLEAU—REALISM.
In displaying a shampoo soap in one of their windows. W. B. Riker & Son Co., Sixth avenue and 23d street, made use of two figures, which showed at a glance what was being featured. They represented two little girls, one shampooing the head of the other. On one side was a large tray, supported on a wooden standard which held a hairbrush, comb, hand mirror and some of the shampoo soap In a glass dish and In the original bottle. The liquid soap was shown to advantage on two platforms made of boxes, which were covered with the same green material used in covering the floor. Small green leaves on trailing branches were used to decorate the window. A sign briefly setting forth the advantages of liquid shampoo occupied a conspicuous place." From Pharmaceutical Era 1906.

"FOB CHAPPED LIPS AND HANDS.
It would be hard to make a window display which in beautiful blending and harmonizing of colors and in the arrangement of goods could excel that of the W. B. Riker & Sons Company, in one of its windows in the store at Twenty-third street and Sixth avenue. The article featured was the firm's violet cerate. On a raised platform, or pedestal, at back of the window in the center was a large wax doll. The doll's dress consisted entirely of bunches of violets. The outstretched hand offered a package of violet cerate. The cerate is put up in white glass containers tied with narrow violet ribbon, which formed a pleasing contrast with the white containers. The goods were symmetrically arranged and cards telling about the merits of the cerate and giving the price plainly were placed In a conspicuous position. At the store of the same company at 771 Broadway, this same article was featured in another way. The window contained a large frame with sloping sides inclosing a changeable mirror; the frame, covered with white cloth, held packages of the cerate. The mirror alternately reflects a picture of a young woman having blemishes removed from her face by a cupid mounted on a ladder. Bunches of violets were scattered among the goods, which were neatly arranged in the window." American Druggist 1906.

"1923 RIKERS DRUG STORE Interior" From.

From.

 

[farmerdan]

Wow! Thanks surf, as usual you have an amazing knack for web research. I must not be looking in the right places. I'm sure my fiance' will appreciate the info as well. I guess I couldn't hide my jealousy (I only got junk...[]) but it's all good. She's new to the hobby and its great to see her excited about her finds. The dump's a mudfest alright - the oldest trash layer just happens to coincide perfectly with the water table. This is good in a way, because no oxygen = no sick glass. For the most part, the bottles clean up minty with minimal effort. That Orange Crush was my good keeper and it looks like it just came out of the mold. Kinda weird to find a '20s deco soda in a 1900s layer, most of that stuff is 3 feet higher. Guess things got pretty mixed up

I dug it!