Oldest ACL Royal Crown Cola Bottle?

[acls]

I can't get my phones to post pictures. It is clear glass, large RC pyramid ACL, with the debossed triangle.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Leon:

Thanks again for the can pictures. Very interesting and a study unto themselves.

~ * ~

acls:

If/When possible, we'd love to see a picture of your 1936 bottle. It sounds like a winner and the frosting on the cake this thread needs.

~ * ~

Regarding bottle making machines and bottle molds ....

The best way I can think of to address this topic is to have you read the information on the following link. It's the most informative one I am aware of. Of special interest is near the bottom of the page where you will see a link to a short film clip. The clip shows two different automatic bottle machines in operation, one from 1906 and the other from 1959. (Be sure and click on the "Full Screen" option for best results). I watched the clip several times, and as near as I can determine, the 1906 machine has about 6 molds, and the 1959 machine has about 12 molds.

As to the question about the LGW 2 through 6 numbers, they most definitely could be mold numbers - but I'd say it really depends on what type of machine they came from. After doing some additional reading I discovered that bottle machines were expensive and glass factories continued using them for many, many years. It appears that even if a factory purchased new machines along the way for expansion, they continued using the older machines as well. This suggest that a single factory could have several different machines in use at the same time, some that only had six molds and others that had twelve or more molds.

As to specifics about which type and what capacity the machines were that Laurens Glass Works used in the early to mid 1930s is anybody's guess. But I'd venture to say it's probably a safe bet to assume they had at least one machine that was of the 6ish mold variety. With this said, I believe there is more evidence to support the mold theory than there is to support any other theories, including my so called location theory.

"That's all I have to say about that"

Signed:

Forrest Gump []

Here's the main link - the film clip link is tucked inside near the bottom of the page just past the heading ... "Owens Automatic Bottle Machine"

http://www.sha.org/bottle/glassmaking.htm

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. For the newbies among us now and in the future who might not know, the ACL / Painted Label process was done "after" the bottle left the mold machine. I mention this just in case you were wondering about the different types of machines that glass factories used. The ACL application was an entirely different process than bottle molding and done by an entirely different machine.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

New Clue / New Theory ... While researching Royal Crown Cola I read somewhere that Pepsi Cola was the first to use the 12 ounce bottle and that Royal Crown followed suit "a short time later" by introducing their own 12 ounce bottle. If I'm not mistaken ... "1934--A landmark year for Pepsi-Cola. The drink is a hit and to attract even more sales, the company begins selling its 12-ounce drink for five cents (the same cost as six ounces of competitive colas). The 12-ounce bottle debuts in Baltimore, where it is an instant success. The cost savings proves irresistible to Depression-worn Americans and sales skyrocket nationally." If the 1934 Pepsi Cola date is accurate, and the claim about Royal Crown following suit is also accurate, then that eliminates the LGW 2-3-4 marks from being dates. And if you eliminate three of the numbers as dates, then ya gotta eliminate all of 'em!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. For the time being I am going to assume that my clear 12 ounce RC bottle with LGW-2 on the base and PROPERTY OF NEHI BOTTLING CO. on the heel was produced sometime between 1934 and 1936.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I was in the process of putting together a Royal Crown Cola timeline of my own when I discovered this one ...


http://archives.columbusstate.edu/findingaids/mc204.php


The following is a timeline for Chero-Cola /Nehi/ Royal Crown Cola:
1905 - Claud Hatcher begins creating soft drinks in basement of family grocery store on W. Tenth Street in Columbus, Georgia.1907- Hatcher starts his own bottling works, Union Bottling Works1907- First cola called Chero-Cola, first beverage Royal Crown, a ginger ale1911 - Family grocery discontinued to concentrate on soft drinks.1912- Company name changes to Chero-Cola Co. And sells syrups and concentrates to bottlers under Chero-Cola trademark.1912- Begins selling to franchises, first one in Dawson, Georgia1914 - Lawsuit by Coca Cola over trademark use of "cola"; not won till19441917- WW I Sugar crisis limits use of sugar in soft drinks. Chero-Cola imports and refines Cuban sugar for 3 years.1920- After stockpiling sugar, price drops to 8 cents/pound creating financial hardship1922-26- Shipping practices change from syrup to concentrates, saving container and freight costs and making a fresher taste.1924-1928 Hatcher begins Nehi, a fruit flavored line- orange, grape, root beer1928 - Name changes to Nehi Corporation with stock listed on NY Curb Exchange1929-1932 - Stock market crashes and company loses money for first time1932 - Par-T-Pak introduced in quart size1933- Claud A. Hatcher dies suddenly. His will establishes the Pickett-Hatcher Educational Fund, providing education for millions1934- H.R. Mott becomes second president, reduces debt and streamlines Operations1934- New cola introduced, Royal Crown, using same name as Hatcher's first Ginger ale1934 - New RC Cola first bottled in Dothan, Alabama1934-35 - RC introduces 12 oz. Bottles; 2 full glass for 5 cents1940- Mott becomes chairman of the board and C.C. Colbert becomes president.1946 - Nehi advertises with national celebrities.1950's - RC's and Moonpie, the "working man's lunch" - new advertising Campaign1954- First to nationally introduce a soft drink can1955 -Wilber H. Glenn becomes president.1959 - Third corporate name change to Royal Crown Cola Co.1962- Diet Rite Cola introduced with great success1965-16 oz. Bottle introduced1969 - Bill Durkee becomes president.1969- Cyclamate (sugar substitute) banned by FDA as a carcinogen1975 - RC moves corporate headquarters to Atlanta.2000- Royal Crown acquired by Cadbury-Schweppes and then to Dr. Pepper Seven-Up, Inc.2001 - International RC business sold to Cott Beverages of Ontario

This timeline might be accurate after all.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

As I said earlier, the earliest mention of Royal Crown Cola I can find in the newspaper archives is from 1936. There are ample examples from 1936 and most of them mention 12 ounce bottles. However, this doesn't mean that Royal Crown Ginger Ale isn't found in the 1935 newspapers, because it is. And it even mentions 12 ounce bottles. Check it out!

From ...

Corsicana Daily Sun ~ Corsica, Texas ~ June 7, 1935

[ Ironically, this ad appeared exactly 79 years ago yesterday ]

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. The latest newspaper date I have been able to find for Royal Crown Ginger Ale is 1942

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I know I'm crazy, but let's set that aside for the moment and take another look at this ad I posted earlier. Am I seeing things or is that a triangle I seen on the (paper) neck label of this Royal Crown Ginger Ale bottle? Reminder: This is not the paper label with the camel on it. Nor is it the mysterious Royal Crown Cola paper label from the Allan Petretti book. The label depicted here is the only one like it I have seen and I cannot find another one. From ... San Mateo Times ~ San Mateo, California ~ November 26, 1932

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

All I can tell you about this paper label is that it ... 1. Depicts a lady (Queen?) wearing a crown2. Has Royal Crown Ginger Ale3. Has Union Bottling Works4. Has Columbus, Georgia5. Is diamond shaped ( or as I prefer to say - two triangles connected [] )6. Likely dates to the early 1900s / Teens ???