SODAPOPBOB
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2010
- Messages
- 11,502
- Reaction score
- 49
- Points
- 0
RE: Here's your Missing Link from 1930
Speaking of ACLs, here are a few messages I received from two of the countries leading researchers. I won't mention their names because these were personal communications sent to me and I'm not sure if either researcher would want me to quote them without getting their permission first. I am primarily posting them here for the purpose of using the information for future research, and to suggest that other members check their collections for any of the bottles mentioned and see if you have one or more that might qualify as early acl soda bottles. There are some good leads here that I feel are worthy of taking a closer look at.
SPBOB
(1st Message)
Do I have some surprises for you! The first large confirmed use of ACL soda bottles was in 1934. Two of the brands that really stand out are 7-Up and Par-T-Pak brands. There were others too. I've seen 2 different 1934 7-Up bottles. One from South Gate, CA., and one from Philadelphia, PA. Can't remember where the third one came from or if it even had a bottler's name on it. The Par-T-Pak brand really stands out because Nehi didn't start bottling the Par-T-Pak brand until Feb of 1935. Yet there are date stamped 1934 ACL Par-T-Pak brand soda bottles out there. I know you're asking how can that be? Before WWII, depending on the design of the label and bottle, the lead time for new bottles was 9 months to a year. If the bottle was really elaborate, the lead time could extend out to 14 or 16 months. So first run new bottles could be dated the year before they were used. Remember, this is only on first run new bottles. I have some information, but no proof yet that there were some small runs of ACL soda bottles as early as 1929. I have in my collection a very late 1920's or early 1930's EMB soda bottle. On the back side is a very crude, about a 2 inch round dark green, ACL label. [/align] [/align](2nd message )[/align] [/align]Owens-Illinois was experimenting with ACLs by at least 1930. However, the firm's first catalog (December 1930) illustrated several ACL bottles, but none of them were sodas or beers. They were all household types. In 1933, the Brockway Glass Co. advertised the first ACL bottles -- for druggists! Although some sold, the idea never caught on in the pharmacy field.[/align][/align] [/align] [/align](3rd Message)[/align]
[/align]Owens-Illinois offered to put ACLs on older, embossed bottles for its customers. A leading researcher I know found at least two articles by O-I inviting it's customers to send back their old bottles. We found two milk bottles in the California State Parks collection that had 1931 date codes and ACL labels. Other identical bottles had the same embossing but no ACLs.[/align] [/align]I strongly agree that some ACL bottles were actually made in 1934, probably including the Jumbo Cola and the 7up and/or Par-T-Pak. I think the documentary evidence is pretty clear that the first commercial use of ACLs was on the Brockway pharmacy bottles, followed by O-I and Thatcher in 1934.[/align][/align]
Speaking of ACLs, here are a few messages I received from two of the countries leading researchers. I won't mention their names because these were personal communications sent to me and I'm not sure if either researcher would want me to quote them without getting their permission first. I am primarily posting them here for the purpose of using the information for future research, and to suggest that other members check their collections for any of the bottles mentioned and see if you have one or more that might qualify as early acl soda bottles. There are some good leads here that I feel are worthy of taking a closer look at.
SPBOB
(1st Message)
Do I have some surprises for you! The first large confirmed use of ACL soda bottles was in 1934. Two of the brands that really stand out are 7-Up and Par-T-Pak brands. There were others too. I've seen 2 different 1934 7-Up bottles. One from South Gate, CA., and one from Philadelphia, PA. Can't remember where the third one came from or if it even had a bottler's name on it. The Par-T-Pak brand really stands out because Nehi didn't start bottling the Par-T-Pak brand until Feb of 1935. Yet there are date stamped 1934 ACL Par-T-Pak brand soda bottles out there. I know you're asking how can that be? Before WWII, depending on the design of the label and bottle, the lead time for new bottles was 9 months to a year. If the bottle was really elaborate, the lead time could extend out to 14 or 16 months. So first run new bottles could be dated the year before they were used. Remember, this is only on first run new bottles. I have some information, but no proof yet that there were some small runs of ACL soda bottles as early as 1929. I have in my collection a very late 1920's or early 1930's EMB soda bottle. On the back side is a very crude, about a 2 inch round dark green, ACL label. [/align] [/align](2nd message )[/align] [/align]Owens-Illinois was experimenting with ACLs by at least 1930. However, the firm's first catalog (December 1930) illustrated several ACL bottles, but none of them were sodas or beers. They were all household types. In 1933, the Brockway Glass Co. advertised the first ACL bottles -- for druggists! Although some sold, the idea never caught on in the pharmacy field.[/align][/align] [/align] [/align](3rd Message)[/align]
[/align]Owens-Illinois offered to put ACLs on older, embossed bottles for its customers. A leading researcher I know found at least two articles by O-I inviting it's customers to send back their old bottles. We found two milk bottles in the California State Parks collection that had 1931 date codes and ACL labels. Other identical bottles had the same embossing but no ACLs.[/align] [/align]I strongly agree that some ACL bottles were actually made in 1934, probably including the Jumbo Cola and the 7up and/or Par-T-Pak. I think the documentary evidence is pretty clear that the first commercial use of ACLs was on the Brockway pharmacy bottles, followed by O-I and Thatcher in 1934.[/align][/align]
