rare and intact c. mid-1870's medium olive green quart bottle manufactured for chicago bottler j.a. lomax by an english glassworks. the champagne-like shape is finished with a long neck and an applied narrow blob top that exhibits some whittling and asymmetry. there are multiple long, vertical bubbles on the inside of the bore, just below the finish. at the shoulder is embossed the raised 4-bottle logo with "trade mark registered" surrounding and "jal" initials within. the front body is embossed "ja lomax / 14 16 & 18 charles place / chicago" and just above the heel "alfred alexander & co" with underlined raised end-letter 'o'. on the reverse the body is embossed "this bottle must be returned" and "makers london" directly above the heel. the maker's mark is unusual, and indicates that this bottle may postdate 1880 by a few years, but nonetheless represents one of two known examples of bottle styles used by illinois bottlers that were manufactured by foreign glassworks. an early 1880's lomax product list includes "alfred's ale and porter (london)" so the heel marking may refer to the bottle's product-content as well as the glassmaker. the bottle contains a smooth base with several large bubbles, and with a depressed center and heel mold that evidences fabrication by use of cup-bottom mold. visible side seams run from heel to finish. john a. lomax entered the bottling operations in 1854, distributing soda water located at 38 w. lake street in chicago. in 1859, the plant was destroyed by fire and operations were moved to a two-story frame building located at 16 charles place. as business grew, john and his son george erected a large masonry building in 1871, which was consumed by the great chicago fire the same year. shortly after, lomax rebuilt an even larger four-story facility that was advertised as being the "largest bottling house in the world.” during their peak production years, lomax serviced more than five thousand of the approximately seven thousand saloons across the city of chicago. during the late 1870's in particular, there seems to have been a conscious advertising effort to give a distinctly "british isles" character to many beverages in the lomax line, extending even to bottling in different styles of quart bottle, and commissioning london glassmaker alfred alexander & company to produce a quart bottle. the lomax works furnished soda-waters, ginger ale, mineral and spring water, ales and other drinks. the company ceased operations in 1885. the bottle was discovered intact long ago (with original cork still inside) in chicago's douglas park lagoon during a redevelopment project.