intact vibrantly colored c. 1880's dark cobalt or "electric" blue hutchinson style blob top bottle manufactured by j.a. lomax in chicago. severely caseworn embossing remains just visible along the front of the body, near the top configured in a diamond shape are an open-lined pin logo and "trademark registered". from the center of the bottle to the heel was embossed "j.a. lomax" "14 16 & 18 charles place" and right above the heel, "chicago", the city name being the only intact, legible lettering. the applied blobtop finish features stretch marks inside the bore and slight slop at the neck. the bottle features crudities like scratching along the body surface. the base features a small kickup from manufacture with iron pontil. glass is tumbled, so appears clear and clean. 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.