ROYAL CROWN COLA BOTTLE / GLENSHAW GLASS CO.

[SODABOB]

Howdy

I acquired this Royal Crown Cola bottle two weeks ago and will start by describing it as follows ...

1. Clear Glass
2. 12 Ounce
3. Nehi Bottling Co.
4. Made by the Glenshaw Glass Co. [G] Mark and 1360 on base
5. Lip Codes GI on one side and 83 on the other side
6. Debossed pointed pyramid on shoulder

Please note that I am still researching this bottle and that it will likely require several more post to cover everything I have discovered about it - part of which will include an attempt to date it. Another thing to note is that it is the only one like it that I have been able to find. However, as you will see I found two bottles that are similar to it but not identical. I do not own the two other bottles that are described as follows ...

1st of the two ...
Same as my clear bottle except it's emerald green and has GH on the lip - 1360 base

2nd of the two ...
Similar to my bottle except the pyramid has a flat top with a Star - Lip Code unknown - 1360 base

That's it for now. I will be back soon with more.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

This page about the Glenshaw Glass Co. is from the book titled "Collecting Applied Color Label Soda Bottles" that was published by Rick Sweeney and the Painted Soda Bottles Collectors Association (PSBCA) in 2002. It is also a reprint from the Sodanet magazine that was published twice - once in November of 1992 and again in January of 1993.

Two of the key sentences are ...

"PSBCA member David Meinz cracked the odd code after visiting the Glenshaw Glass Co. in 1989."

"Why the letter "G" for 1935? That may have been the the introductory year of the first Glenshaw applied color label."

I will address those comments as well as the codes in my next post.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

Many of you probably remember and/or participated in these earlier threads. For those of you who are new to this forum they will bring you up to speed as to what was discovered and discussed years ago. I tested the links and hopefully they still work.

Member morbious_fod - October 3, 2014

https://www.antique-bottles.net/threads/earliest-acl-royal-crown-cola-redux.663404/

Member dbv1919 - May 19, 2014

Oldest ACL Royal Crown Cola Bottle?

Hey, just a question, has anyone ever saw an RC bottle ACL older than a 1936? From the left 1936, 1937, 1937 debossed and 1938 and 1938 embossed. Thanks, Brad

www.antique-bottles.net

Member Sodapopbob (Me) - October 11, 2014

GLENSHAW GLASS COMPANY ~ PENNSYLVANIA ~ BOTTLE DATE CODES ~ BRIEF HISTORY ~ ETC.

I've been talking about starting this thread for at least a week now but because of the overwhelming amount of information I found, it delayed me in posting it. My biggest challenge was to try and glean the information into a simple format without getting too far afield with stuff that was of no...

www.antique-bottles.net

Member canti128 October 16, 2016

Paper Label RC Cola Bottle

Hey guys! I finally found the discussion about the oldest acl RC bottles and thought I'd share my Paper label RC Cola debaussed bottle I bought ages ago off of ebay for a cool $19.99. While I honestly have reason to doubt its age as its in relatively good condition (save for a little stain on...

www.antique-bottles.net

More to follow.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

Before continuing I want point out that my earlier comment about my RC GI 1360 bottle being the only one like it I have been able to find did not include member canti128's bottle because he described his bottle as being marked on the base with "LGW 6" - which is a Laurens Glass Works bottle. Even though his bottle is similar to mine in many respects, because it's a Laurens bottle and not a Glenshaw bottle I do not consider it identical. Not to mention that most if not all of those LGW bottles are still a mystery because there has been no way that I know of to accurately date them. They are discussed in some of the earlier threads I posted links to. In this thread I want to focus primarily on the Glenshaw bottles because they are likely easier to date. As most of us know there were other glass factories that made RC bottles. I have a 1937 RC ACL that was made by the Owens Illinois Glass Co. that many consider to be one of the first Royal Crown Cola ACL's ever made. I will post a photo of it later.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

Now back to David Meinz's comments where he said ...

"Why the letter "G" for 1935? That may have been the the introductory year of the first Glenshaw applied color label."

The following link is to a book titled ...

"Men and Women of Wartime Pittsburgh and Environs."

It was published in 1945 by Frank C. Harper. See pages 185-86-87-88 about the Glenshaw Glass Co. - which I attached image of - especially page 186 where it says in part ...

"Color Print Department Established / 1937 / Additional ground was purchased and a special plant erected for this purpose."

Even though it was published in 1945 it's only eight years after the fact and what I consider to be a semi-primary source. In other words, almost certainly accurate. I haven't done a follow-up on it but I'm confident that other sources will eventually be found to confirm the 1937 start date for their Color Print Department. Please note that I'm not attempting to discredit David Meinz, but just attempting to set the record straight about the date. I also acknowledge that he said "may have been" and that he apparently was not entirely certain.

So the next question is ...

If Glenshaw started producing ACL bottles in 1937 and not 1935, does that change or factor into the code timeline? I don't know the answer yet but I'm working on it. By the way, notice on page 187 of the book where it mentions 7-Up and Royal Crown Cola bottles. That may not be anything definitive but it's pretty cool to say the least.

Men and women of wartime Pittsburgh and environs

More to follow.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

This is the earliest Ad I am aware of regarding Glenshaw Color Print bottles. Digger O'Dell passed away several years ago and was a true pioneer of soda bottle collecting.

(More to follow)

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

If the Glenshaw Glass Co. was producing Color Print (ACL) bottles prior to this June 27, 1937 article about the opening of the new Tom Tucker Beverage Co. plant, then why were the paper labels made by the Republic Bank Note Co? If Glenshaw was producing ACL bottles at the time you would think it would have been a prime opportunity for them to introduce their ACL bottles. My reasoning is because this was just before they introduced their first ACL bottles. This is just one of many aspects that I need to follow up on, especially regarding Tom Tucker soda bottles.

(More to follow)

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

I don't know who made this Tom Tucker bottle or when, but the paper label is the closest one I have been able to find that somewhat matches the bottle shown in the 1937 article I just posted. After this I am switching my focus to just Glenshaw and Royal Crown Cola stuff.

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

Even though we probably need to take a closer look into the Glenshaw lip codes before drawing any conclusions, this is where things currently stand based on everything presented thus far ...

Solo G = 1935 (apparently because this was when Glenshaw first introduced their first ACL bottles - which I believe is incorrect)

GH = 1936 (like what's on the lip of the green RC bottle)

GI = 1937 (like what's on the lip of my clear RC bottle)

In addition to these questions about my GI bottle ...

1. If it is a 1937 bottle, then why isn't it an ACL?
2. Did it originally have a paper label but made just prior to the first ACL?
3. Is it possibly a 1935 or 1936 bottle and the code chart is wrong?

Note: My GI bottle definitely does not have a so-called "Ghost" ACL.

(More to follow)

Bob

 

[SODABOB]

The general consensus regarding the introduction of Royal Crown Cola is as follows ...

1934 = Test Marketed
1935 = Most sources claim is was still being test marked
1936 = Started being distributed nationwide

Even though I can't find a primary source from 1934 to support that particular year, there are a lot of later accounts about Royal Crown Cola being introduced in 1934. The earliest of those claims I have been able to find is the one I attached from 1942 - and still looking for one that's actually from 1934. But regardless if it was or wasn't first introduced in 1934 there are ample sources from 1935. Even though newspaper ads don't tell the whole story, there are just enough of them to support that some type of distribution definitely occurred between October and December of 1935.

The following locations are some of the bottlers that advertised during that three month time period ...

Alma, Oklahoma
Lexington, Kentucky
Roanoke, Virginia
Abbeville, Alabama
Charlette, North Carolina
Dothan, Alabama
Columbus, Georgia

Maybe that's why one of the RC slogans says "It's a Southern Thing"

Like I said, I can't find anything from 1934 so I attached a sampling from 1935. I especially like /RC\ pointed pyramid trademark from 1935. I'm also searching for a 1935 bottle if they exist - although I have no real clue as to what they might look like. They could just be some type of generic bottle with no marks or embossing?

That's it for today - more tomorrow.

Bob