original closely matching nineteenth century vibrant cobalt blue squat blobtop chicago privy dug soda bottles manufactured for chicago bottler john lomax. the bottles date to 1870-1872 and 1873-1886 respectively, determined by the addresses embossed on the front body. cleanly embossed, the earlier bottle reads "j.a. lomax / 14 & 16 / charles place / chicago". the later produced bottle reads "j.a. lomax / 14 16 & 18 / charles place / chicago" on the front, and "this bottle never sold" on the back. they feature identical casewear on the lower body, rendering "chicago" nearly illegible. the earlier bottle is pony shaped, while the later produced bottle is closer to a gravitating shape, both having squat bodies and low shoulders finished with a squat neck and an intact applied blobtop. both have smooth, flat bases with the initials "j.l" centrally embossed, albeit in slightly varied fonts. crudities are typical of the age and date of manufacture, including bubbles, whittling, and minor surface wear. the bottles have been cleaned (i.e. tumbled) and so appear in good condition and free of haze. 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. their bottling works furnished soda-waters, ginger ale, mineral and spring water, ales and other drinks. the company ceased operations in 1885. priced for the set.