looking hard for a little aqua bottle

[pupman]

Really looking for a Lyons powder in aqua,this bottle will have a snapcase(to my knowledge none of the aqua examples were pontiled).Can be cloudy and stained -$$$ paid for an aqua Lyons,I have one but unfortunatly the neck was loped off as Mr.Lyon told people to throw the bottle at the insects dispensing the powder. Any help is much appreciated! Kev

 

[bearswede]

Hey, Kev...

Is it my imagination or did most of Mr Lyon's business occur in NYC...? You would think Boston would produce a bunch, but I just haven't seen them up here... No hard core privy diggers in Beantown maybe...?


Ron

 

[pupman]

Hi Ron, Not your imagination,Lyons ,to the best of my knowledge started it all in N.Y.C and his imitators grew up fast and furious. Some offered strong,well established competition and otheres dabbled in bug powders at best. It's still a matter of conjecture why all the different colors but I discount the theory that they were made to appeal to the housewife or consumer in general. First of all they were usually dark colors which ,with the wrap-around label had little to offer in the way of intrinsic beauty:lets face it ,they weren't historical flasks which I can see people holding on to because they were large and colorful. Secondly ,aqua examples were made also which were the ubiquitious color of natural glass and probably didn't attract business for their beauty at all. Rather the were strictly utilitarian,one use deals and cheaply priced so that any end of the day pot remanents would do,somtimes the colors were even mixed showing striations in the glass.There were a few competitors in other localities but many times the imitators didn't copy the Lyons shape exactly. I got interested in them when I discovered all the different makers and array of colors. I dug the aqua one out of a 11 ft.stoneliner and was a little disheartened when I discovered the neck was broken off. It's on my shelf anyway until a perfect one comes up.Kev

 

[bearswede]

Yeah, Kev...

I just figure B-Town's got to have had almost as many buggers as NYC in the 19th Century... And Lyons certainly could have been marketed in Boston... I just don't hear of any coming from up this way...


Ron

 

[GuntherHess]

I've see a lot of Lyons powders sell and I dont ever remember an aqua one, about every color but.

Is that Lyon related to the hair products Lyon?

 

[pupman]

Hi Ron,Its just a fact that Lyons started in New York and the "lions" share of bottles are found here,kev
Hey Matt, That's right Lyons powder was Lyons passion and his Kathiairon was his bread and butter.Same person.If I get a chance I'll post a picture of the aqua example,Kev

 

[druggistnut]

(to my knowledge none were pontiled)

Kevin,
I thought you might find these stories/pics interesting. The three digging stories are about pontiled Lyon's, in Puce, yellow and aqua.
Are you saying no aqua Lyon's were pontiled, or any Lyon's?
Look at the LAST link after reading the stories.
Enjoy!!
Bill

historical flask digging I had not heard from my two bottle digging partners for quite a while.

privy digging Bottle DIGGING IN THE HEIGHTS“

http://members.tripod.com/~WaipahuHaole1/SanFranciscodump.html


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RARE Lyons pontiled hair bottle New York LOOK!!!!! - eBay (item 160196482985 end time Jan-13-08 16:08:58 PST)

 

[pupman]

Hi Bill, Thanks for the links, Those guys that did those stories are friends of mine and Gary has dug with us before. Most of my pontiled Lyons came from digging there. In answer to your question,The Lyons Kathiairon on e-bay is a reletively common pontiled hair bottle made by the same Emanuel Lyon.Now the insect powder in aqua(see picture below) is , to my knowledge only
known from snapcase examples. If anyone has a different one please post the picture for us! Too bad mine was damaged but as Lyon admonished his buyers to break the flask ,dispensing the powder ,you'll see many dug with damage. Too bad. Anyhow, thanks for your help below is a picture of the bottle I need,Kev

 

[GuntherHess]

For it to break nice like that it must of had an applied lip and not a rolled lip?

Its funny that an aqua Lyons is so rare but a Costars clone is very common in aqua.

 

[pupman]

Hi Matt, I really don't know what kind of lip this bottle had,being snapcase and dating from the early 1860's you might expect a rolled lip but as you say,the break is such that it might be a very crude square band lip. These aqua Lyons are certnly known but don't seem to get the attention of their colored,pontiled relatives.When it comes to this man and his bottles I still believe there are more questions than answers.Why so many colored bottles and relatively few in aqua? Why did some companies,Costars is a good example, make largely aqua bottles ,but still making colored examples too? I believe we may never know the answer to this question but lets just say their "merchandising techniques" were unusual to say the least! Kev