Francis Bros. of Uhrichsville

[Robby Raccoon]

I picked this straw-tinted one up at the (local) bottle-club's annual picnic yesterday in thinking that the mouth looked like a much older style:"FRANCIS / BROS. // PROPRS. // UHRICHSVILLE // OHIO" it has lightly embossed on the tiny panels. If I could find the "Official Gazette" mentioned here and in the next link, I might be able to learn more on them. But I cannot find much-- two sites claim to have a bottle with the same embossing as mine, but one is down (webiste was circa 1997?) and the other gives me this: "This site may be harmful to your computer! Back to safety." This page from 1884 has a list saying that the Francis Brothers of Uhrichsville patented a Dr. Wilson's Anti-Bilious Cathartic Cordial. A Cathartic Cordial is like a laxative. Cathartic otherwise has to do with releasing emotions (according to Google.) Uhrichsville is a town with under 6,000 people in it and is under 3 miles in size; it was established in the 1830s just like my own town over in Michigan. I had to redo my pics because of the light embossing, but everything is clearly readable in person:

It's tooled-top, not applied. The base has that interesting feature photographed above. I'm wondering what anyone can tell me on the base (how was the bottle made, what made the interesting indentation on the bottom,) and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me some history on the Francis Bros./what my bottle wasruggist or Patent Med? 1880s? Common or Scarce?

 

[andy volkerts]

Red would know for sure, but I would say it was done in a post mold style bottle mold and the top was hand tooled with the bottle being held by a snap case bottle holder..........prior to 1905

 

[Robby Raccoon]

I'm familiar with some of the terms used, but not as well as I'd like to be. Thank you.

 

[MichaelFla]

In case you're wondering (like I was) what was on the 'unsafe' website, I found this photo with the caption below it:

"I am divesting myself of many things at the present. This is one of my Ohio medicine bottles (like the Tonsilene with the giraffe) that were in my former collection. This one is embossed on four sides with; Francis Bros, Props, Uhrichsville, Ohio. While that doesn't sound amazing, look carefully at what that bottle is sitting on. It's an American Quarter coin. It is the smallest embossed Ohio bottle I've ever seen!" This was posted in 2013.

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Thank you, Micheal. ?•??•?
Did you see the other site? It is supposed to talk about bottles but takes me to some sort of National Park (if I recall) page claiming that it's down. I read the Google info that it has under its link, and it tells me August of 1997. Indeed: The bottle is small, and it measures in at just under 2 inches tall (like literally about the width of a hair shy of 2 inches.)

 

[botlguy]

That bottle fits right into the Wheelhouse of my "Littles" collection. I will be interested in seeing what information you come up with and am willing to trade for it if you decide to part with it. Jim

 

[sunrunner]

terms , post mold , a metal mold with hinge on the bottom , and slug plat at the bottom .term , snap cass , a metal basket thing which holds the bottle so the nick or lip can be applied .

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Jim the First, I'll be hanging onto it for a little while as it's an interesting bottle (to me.) But you'll get it eventually. [] Jim the Second, Snap Case is what I was looking for. Thank you kindly. ???????????????•??•??????????

 

[botlguy]

Thank you Bear, I'm really not trying to talk you out of it. I mention it to express appreciation and "put my money where my mouth is" so to speak, makes my words more serious to some folks. Jim

 

[Robby Raccoon]

As it's not local like these, I won't likely be keeping it more than a matter of months.