Help with this flea market find...Whitall Tatum Co. chemists bottle

[gohunt]

Hey all, yes, my first post. I've always liked bottles and buy one here and there. I was at the Hillsville, VA annual flea market a couple weeks ago and being a laboratory manager I was attracted to this sulphuric acid bottle with raised etched lettering on the face of the jar saying "ACID SULPHURIC H2SO4". I picked it up and looked at the bottom and saw the patent date of 1879 and decided I'd better pick this one. Generally, besides missing the ground glass stopper, it is excellent condition with a few small air bubbles. Upon further inspection, the bottom has the following info reading from top top to bottom "PHILA", "PAT MAR 15 1879", "F", "USA" and "NEW YORK". See pics attached. I've read "The Dating Game" articles, but no description that matches this is discussed nor is the markings on the bottom very similar to this one. Can anyone tell me more about this bottle, got one like it, possible historical importance and value? Thanks for your help.

 

[cowseatmaize]

Hi,I think I also see "WHITALL TATUM&Co." and if you look at page 9 there is a little bit that reads... "Occasional pieces were simply marked with the Whitall Tatum name.Apparently during the 20th century, the corporation had
figured that free advertising was to its
advantage. Although we are unable to
positively date some of these, all were made
after 1901 (as shown by the lack of the ampersand).
An eBay seller describing a
milk-glass apothecary jar noted that “text
on the bottom of the jar forms a circle. The
text reads Whitall Tatum Co. Phila & N. Y.
At the center of the circle is the letter ‘B.’”
A similar piece with identical marking on
the base was described by McKearin and
McKearin (1941:165; plate 62). Numerous
eBay apothecary jars have been reported
with similar markings. The Philadelphia
and New York sales offices are of little help
in dating as they were in place by at least
1880 (Whitall Tatum catalog)."FROM SHA and other sites.
THE DATING GAME:
WHITALL TATUM &CO.
By Bill Lockhart, Carol Serr, David Whitten,
Bill Lindsey and Pete Schulz Try to put all that together I think it's safe to say 1880-1901 unless new information has been found. There may be a way to prove or disprove it but you would need about 5 of the same with the stoppers. If the swapped around and fit just right they may be after 1908 when the method for interchangeable tooling came about. http://www.google.com/patents/US914244

 

[strongj5678]

That is a reagent bottle. They have made them since the 1800's and are still being made for laboratory use. I used them as a chemist in my younger days.

 

[gohunt]

Sure is a reagent bottle, specifically a Sulfuric Acid bottle. Probably about 100 ml in size. cowseatmaize,Can you provide a link to this reference...."A similar piece with identical marking on the base was described by McKearin and McKearin (1941:165; plate 62)." I'd like to see it and haven't had any luck finding it.thx

 

[cowseatmaize]

That's the book American Glass by Geo. S. and Helen McKearin, no link. The picture is a covered milk glass jar.Here's a similar sold one, same compound. http://www.worthpoint.com...r-apothecary-jar-adeps