Ghost Labels

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

logan.the.collector

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Messages
168
Reaction score
437
Points
63
Location
Tupper Lake, NY
Since I started bottle digging years ago, I've come across many pyroglaze / ACL bottles that have been wiped clean by the elements of nature. Always thought it was cool though that most bottles have a ghost label that stays on the bottle forever. This local one I found last night has a very prominent "ghost label" that made it very easy to read even with the paint long gone.

Screenshot_20210621-204618_Instagram.jpg
 

YoloBottles

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2021
Messages
48
Reaction score
110
Points
33
Location
GA, USA
Sweet, any idea how it happens? Looks like some kind of UV damage.
 

Mailman1960

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
1,227
Reaction score
1,540
Points
113
Location
Lyons, IL
Since I started bottle digging years ago, I've come across many pyroglaze / ACL bottles that have been wiped clean by the elements of nature. Always thought it was cool though that most bottles have a ghost label that stays on the bottle forever. This local one I found last night has a very prominent "ghost label" that made it very easy to read even with the paint long gone.

View attachment 226765
Never saw anything like that all of my digging in an old burn dump, what type of dump was that in.
 

ROBBYBOBBY64

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2020
Messages
4,942
Reaction score
5,383
Points
113
Location
New Jersey
Since I started bottle digging years ago, I've come across many pyroglaze / ACL bottles that have been wiped clean by the elements of nature. Always thought it was cool though that most bottles have a ghost label that stays on the bottle forever. This local one I found last night has a very prominent "ghost label" that made it very easy to read even with the paint long gone.

View attachment 226765
They are almost like a weak acid etched label. I have an acl milk you can't see wet but dry the remnants can be seen at an angle and in the right light.
ROBBYBOBBY64.
 

treeguyfred

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
630
Reaction score
608
Points
93
Location
Northern N.J.
Nice and clean example there! it's more than likely a combination of things happening. ~first, as I understand it, there is some acidity in the paint used to apply the logo and advertising on the bottle. ~ second the ground may also have a high acidity level (possibly tannic acid from evergreens and other conifers in area ... or ash from coal or wood burn) which may strengthen the effect (the paint would act almost like a concentrator or conduit for the reaction). and finally when the paint is finally eliminated due to bacteria or enzymes in the soil all that is left is the very fine and faint ghost of the original ACL or pyroglazing ...(it is something I think someone else brought to us using the info from various ACL producing company histories)
Always a neat topic,
~Fred
@logan.the.collector
 
Last edited:

logan.the.collector

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2020
Messages
168
Reaction score
437
Points
63
Location
Tupper Lake, NY
Bruh, I'm always, ALWAYS glad to find a local with anything...and that one is cool af
~Fred
@logan.the.collector
I certainly will never complain over finding a local bottle even in this condition. Yesterday I dug a Saranac Lake NY milk like this too, very different than what I am used to finding
 

Members online

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Threads
83,217
Messages
742,903
Members
24,231
Latest member
rrenzi
Top