"Noble Catcher" Is this a Cyrus Noble Whiskey Bottle?

[CarltonHendricks]

Hello all,
Well day one and I'm not seeing anything that sticks...

Buffallo Hunter, the pitcher's left hand is holding a ball....the cricket bat is just an optical illusion....

cowseatmaize,
Cuba and other countries still make bottles that appear old but may not be.
It's possible it's a Cuban commemorative from RAFAEL ‘RAY’ NOBLE 's induction to the Cuban Hall of Fame even as late as 1985.
Just a thought.
I'm going to keep the Cuban connection under my hat....I'm not seeing it if for no other reason than the ancient-tique of the patina...but...I won't toss it out completly for now....not to throw gas on the fire but I have seen Cuban figural bottles of baseball players...but they represented teams, the the Almendares and Havanas....

Courtesy Hunt Auctions
Lot 240
Description: Rare pair of Cuban figural baseball liquor bottles c.1952. Painted glass decanters representing the Almendares and Havanas teams in unopened original condition. Obtained by Jacobs while playing in Cuba, 13†tall with only very minor age wear: EX-MT
Sold For: $650.00

Estimated Price: $350.00-$450.00

 

[CarltonHendricks]

Well I finally got one measly photo to manifest of the Cuban liquor bottles...not where I wanted them really ARRGGHH
but up there!

Not of huge consequence but below, an interesting news clipping out of an 1898 Sporting Life magazine, just graciously received from fellow sports collector Shawn England re Cyrus Noble sponsoring a baseball trophy in Manila...now we have documentation CN was actively pursuing baseball as an advertising vehicle as early as 1898.....Don't get excited LOL....it doesn't prove the bottle is Philippino!

Shawn also sent a vintage CY print ad referencing James H. McLeod as a CN agent in Mexico located at No.13 Coliseo Viejo, which I believe was in Mexico City....

So there we have it...Cyrus Noble was an international brand early on....Cyrus Noble in the Philippines....Cyrus Noble in Mexico....And baseball was played in both countries....However....I doubt Cyrus Noble was bottled outside the United States...it was likely imported into those countries....which would negate a foreign bottler producing it for Cyrus Noble...It's just conjecture but I don't think these references have a bearing on this bottle....I don't think!

Now the photo box won't let me upload more than one photo...so below direct links AAARRRGGGHHH

https://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc120/CarltonHendricks/NewsClippingManilaBBRED.jpg

 

[epackage]

I am truely intrigued and mesmerized to see what comes of this....Jim

 

[CarltonHendricks]

ORIGINAL: epackage

I am truely intrigued and mesmerized to see what comes of this....Jim

I am too...I just wish someone would cough it up!....Let me ask this...How many bottles are this mysterious that you get on here?

 

[epackage]

ORIGINAL: CarltonHendricks

ORIGINAL: epackage

I am truely intrigued and mesmerized to see what comes of this....Jim

I am too...I just wish someone would cough it up!....Let me ask this...How many bottles are this mysterious that you get on here?

There have been many mysterious bottles to be honest but because of the rich history of baseball and sports this has me on my seat. I think it's elevated because it's such a "cross collectible" that I would have expected to find info about a baseball collection online with a few in them and some info....Jim

As a member who thrives on doing research here along with my buddy Surfaceone I both love and hate your bottle[8D]...Jim

 

[cowseatmaize]

Really great stuff and I'm fascinated. Thanks for all the research. I'm not a sports person but the bottle aspect has me.
You must realize that Cyrus Noble, patina and glass making are all only partly connected though. The frosting shouldn't be confused with patina if that's what it is. Without actually holding it it's difficult for me to say of it's acid wash, powder blast or naturally occurring. Cyrus Noble in the earliest days probably didn't use glass and the commemoratives most likely didn't start until the time Jim Beam and others did, say 50's and 60's for the most part.
I think the French connection as Surface tended to agree with, can't be ignored. You mention Mexico also which was another big contributor to new glass looking old.
Everything I'm saying is speculation and theory but with a trace of glass knowledge.
I look forward to more and thanks for the lively and great post to talk about!

 

[CarltonHendricks]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=147839
Cowseatmaize, You got it amigo, my pleasure...If I may....for everyone who has read all this, inluding my post on Net54Baseball linked above....Based on what we know (or don't know) thus far....what say yee? Can I see a thumb up if you think it's by Cyrus Noble...and a thumbs down if not?

ORIGINAL: cowseatmaize

Really great stuff and I'm fascinated. Thanks for all the research. I'm not a sports person but the bottle aspect has me.
You must realize that Cyrus Noble, patina and glass making are all only partly connected though. The frosting shouldn't be confused with patina if that's what it is. Without actually holding it it's difficult for me to say of it's acid wash, powder blast or naturally occurring. Cyrus Noble in the earliest days probably didn't use glass and the commemoratives most likely didn't start until the time Jim Beam and others did, say 50's and 60's for the most part.
I think the French connection as Surface tended to agree with, can't be ignored. You mention Mexico also which was another big contributor to new glass looking old.
Everything I'm saying is speculation and theory but with a trace of glass knowledge.
I look forward to more and thanks for the lively and great post to talk about!

 

[epackage]

Carlton I have to be thumbs in the middle right now, I have some old Bottle Collector magazines from the 60-70's and a few are dedicated to figurals and I'll see what I can find....Jim

 

[cowseatmaize]

If your taking a poll now I would be in the nay.
Sorry about that but as a glass collector I just don't see American made.
I agree with your blog thing. It most likely had a cork with some other material top rather than an all glass top. Many ground top bottles also had a glued metal top with some other way of opening it, ie screw cap, flip open or other as part of the closure. I'll see if I can find an example but inks, colognes, oil lamps and others were made that way for a long time.

 

[surfaceone]

ORIGINAL: CarltonHendricks

ORIGINAL: epackage

I am truely intrigued and mesmerized to see what comes of this....Jim

I am too...I just wish someone would cough it up!....Let me ask this...How many bottles are this mysterious that you get on here?

Hey Carlton,

Believe me, if we had the straight dope on your catcher, we'da coughed it up. The only hard evidence we have, so far, is your bottle, and the existence of a matching Pitcher. We've got some good speculation going on. Leads to Cuba and the Phils, a possible Mexican suspicion. The French connection... nothing concrete so far.

As Eric has mentioned, the possible countries of origin all had large glassmaking experience. We don't see many Phillipine examples in these parts, save the occasional San Miguel. Your picture of the Cuban Ballplayer bottles appears to be more modern than your catcher. Very similar in form, though the heads appear to be the stoppers.

We've not talked about counterfeiting yet. This was, and is a practice in the aforementioned countries. It was practised big time, across the board back in the day. Your call to the Cyrus Noble VP with no corporate memory does not surprise me.

Here we have a highly decorative bottle with a Baseball theme, for crying out loud, and I've not seen one before. No one else is chiming in with, "Oh yeah, I've dug/bought/sold the Catcher, but you'd really like the Batter..." Doesn't mean that one of our less active members won't find this thread and say "Bingo" one of these days.

With the advent of the Pure Food & Drug legislation starting in 1906, the government entered the regulation field and started prosecuting adulterers, waterers, counterfeiters, and the whole of the Patent Medicine industry. To name but a few.

When I first started looking into the Noble decanters, I found a 14 inch model of another figural, though unrelated to your Catcher. Now, I can't retrace my steps to that other durned figural. I switched up the search several times, to the tune of not much of anything. This is not unusual for bottle research. It's a happy day in googleville, when there is good history available.

Jim said it well and succinctly.

...because of the rich history of baseball and sports this has me on my seat. I think it's elevated because it's such a "cross collectible" that I would have expected to find info about a baseball collection online with a few in them and some info....Jim

We do love a good mystery. I think the baseball guys, with the focus on history and statistics, not so much. Baseball was in one of it's golden eras when this bottle was made. Worldwide exposure and buzz was created. How come we don't know about this one?

Pretty good question...