New ACL's for me from Napier's Country Antiques..Choice of the Canadian Pickers!

[Canadacan]

I sent an email to a fellow to see if he has any ideas, He has many Thorpe's stone ginger bottles and may have something to offer. Well we know it's meaning can only be about three different things, the first idea of 'Complementary' or 'free' beverage is too far of a stretch, so that leaves two things, one being a description of the process for the product contained within 'Cold Compounded' or ingredients based 'Colored Compound'.What ever it is Thorpe's requested it on this bottle...and I would think at the whim of the mold maker himself had to figure out how to squeeze it in that space...and the bottle being made in the USA I assume the abbreviation is purely American I noted on the two Thorpe's GA bottles there is no abbreviations.

 

[Canadacan]

I ran across this little item from the Williams directory of 1889, listing Thorpe & Co at the Corner of 6th Ave. & Scotia st., the first of 4-5 locations they had during their 45 years of operation...the last location from 1928-1934 is still standing today. This I believe was the first year of business for them, some information on certain websites had them starting in 1890 but I suppose that was incorrect. This proves in part, at least during the beginning they manufactured Syrup. [attachment=Thorpe & Co. -1899..liams directory.jpeg]

 

[Canadacan]

I dug up some interesting information via the directories regarding locations of Thrope & Co. and this is what I was able to put together from the directories. I am pretty sure about the 5 locations they had over the years not including the Victoria & Nelson BC operations but they are noted, and there are probably some time overlaps and this may not be 100% accurate but would be reasonably correct IMHO. 1889-1891 6th Ave. & Scotia St., Vancouver BC1891-1898 97 6th Ave. East, Vancouver BC 1898-1900 241 6th Ave. East, Vancouver BC. ...at this time locations were opened in Victoria & Nelson BC, 1900-19231901-1904 Robson & corner of Beatty, Vancouve BC .....I believe the next addressed/# location is the same as this one.1905-1927 785 Beatty & corner of Robson, Vancouver BC1928-1934 1460 Burrard St., Vancouver BC As I mentioned the last location still exists and I have some screen shots to share, they are not the greatest but better than me having driving in to Vancouver to take photographs []This location has some very fascinating history as it housed two latter soda companies!...all this is new to me [8|]In 1931 Country Club beverages emerges in Vancouver....at what location!?...1460 Burrard! So not to jump to conclusions but it seems to me that they took over operations of Thorpe & Co. and just let it run it course?They are listed at this location until they disappeared altogether in 1947. The overlap in the years I have listed may simply be the directories not updating the listings or they were still being operated under new ownership.Then in 1942 7-up Vancouver Ltd. emerges onto the scene with the 1460 Burrard St. address....but yet Country Club beverages appears in the listings until 1947. 7-up Vancouver Ltd. or 7-up BC Ltd. was at this location until 1950 when they moved operations to 3131 Main St. Vancouver. What happened after this time at 1460 Burrard St. I do not know. [attachment=1460 Burrard st , Vancouver BC.jpg] [attachment=1460 Burrard st , Vancouver BC2.jpg]Thorpe & Co.- 1928-1934Country Club Beverages - 1931-19477-Up Vancouver Ltd. (B.C. Ltd.)- 1942-1950

 

[Canadacan]

And yet another piece of the puzzle came to me just after I posted the above!The reason Country Club Beverages appears until 1947?...well they had the 7-up franchise!...duh!!!..I knew that lol,But It was Gray Beverage that took over the location in 1948 as evidence in this 1978 30th commemorative bottle. It shows the year they added each product to their line up 1948-7-up, 1960-Hires & Crush, 1968- Schweppes & Pepsi, and 1968- Dr Pepper.And to boot take a look at the bottle...it has a rendition of the 1948 location at 1460 Burrard St.!.....awesome as I've always wondered where that building was or if it really existed. [attachment=7-up Anniversary2.jpg]

 

[CanadianBottles]

Oh hey, I never made the connection between the building on the bottle and where it would be in real life, I was always sure that it existed but had no idea where it was. That's great that it's still standing! I'm surprised that Country Club bottled Seven Up until 1947, never would have thought of franchises for the same product competing with each other. Do you know of any Country Club Seven Up bottles other than the embossed paper label quart?

 

[CanadianBottles]

Wait, Seven Up Vancouver and Seven Up BC were at that address too? Could they have all been the same company using different names?

 

[Canadacan]

Ha ha yea this was confusing me too...but got it figured.....In 1942 Country Club Beverages (1460 Burrard St.) introduced 7-up to BC...then in 1948 Gray Beverage (1460 Burrard St.) would have obviously bought them out....it all fits the time line like a glove , Country Club Beverages disappeared in 1947. []So yes 7-up Vancouver / BC Ltd is all one in the same.

 

[CanadianBottles]

The only problem is the bottles though. I'm sure Seven Up was in BC before 1942. My Country Club bottle has U7P embossed on the neck, and that wasn't used past the thirties. I've also seen a BC eight-bubble, again not used by 1942.

 

[Canadacan]

Check that 7-up embossed, I thought those were US bottles?..is it Canadian made?..just curious and need a refresher as I think we chatted about this before right? []. Yes true it may have been here before 1942 but not legally registered? or just not listed. Most of this is just going by the BC directories...so they may not have had it listed for the first few years as they had Country Club Beverages already listed....just some thoughts.And remember the Country Club 7-up caps I have...those are pretty early but I can't date them....5 bubble.

 

[CanadianBottles]

Yeah it's a Canadian made bottle, a Dominion I think. I don't know about the 8-bubble, I didn't buy it and it was a while ago. You're probably right, they probably weren't listing it in the directories for the first few years.