Some Recently Dug Bottles...

[Staunton Dan]

ORIGINAL: GuntherHess


That was laundry starch.

That makes perfect sense with the flatiron on it. All I can think of when you say laundry starch is a can of spray starch. I guess the aerosol can was still a long way off to the women back then.

 

[GuntherHess]

you ever see the old movies, they took a swig in thier mouths and spayed it on the shirt[]
Thats probably a hot item with the iron collectors.


I had a trade card with one of those gilt edge bottles on it but sold it.
Here is one from the company from Reggie's site...
http://www.antiquebottles.com/rl/tc/GiltEdge.jpg
They were in fancy bottles because they were marketed to ladies.

 

[DeaconDave]

Matt it wasent starch that they swigging, it was water Women in thoes days never new what a steam iron was because they were not invented yet. But they knew if they spewed a little water on the shirt that it would make steam, and steam is murder on wrinkles.
Dave

 

[kanudigit?]

Spitting on shirts? Mebbe they just didn't like ironing []

 

[GuntherHess]

I was just joking...you wouldnt want to take a swig of that stuff.[]

 

[Staunton Dan]

Maybe it had alcohol in it like the bitters of the day. Then they could drink it, swig it, spit it or do just about anything they wanted with it. It would probably make ironing quite enjoyable then.

 

[GuntherHess]

I think there was a 3 stooges episode where they were spitting starch in the laudry...sounds like them anyway..

 

[cobaltbot]

Like the sad iron bottle, I have a hobbleskirt with a sprinkler top still in it that was in vogue a couple decades ago for ironing clothes. I also found one of those gilt edge dressings in a creek once, thought it was holy water or something, being so fancy till I looked it up, nice looking bottle though, as Ben said.

 

[marjorie040]

Hi Dan,
This may be more information than you care to have but: I found Joseph C Hubinger in the Federal Census' from 1880 to1920. As a young man he was a clerk in a drugstore in Iowa.
Later his occupation was listed as Manufacturer of Starch. He lived on Elm Street in New Haven. He had three servants and a nurse in 1920 and three servants and a "all around man" in his home in 1910 so he must have done well!! He was born in Indiana of German/French parents in 1858.
I really love the stories of the bottles!!
Regards,

 

[pyshodoodle]

Marjorie,
I find your posts very interesting. Do more![]

Dan - nice finds!

Kate