original mid-nineteenth century dark cobalt blue glass downtown chicago dug soda bottle manufactured for chicago bottlers ainsworth & lomax

reference only
Out of stock
SKU
UR-27243-17
possibly fabricated in pittsburgh

 

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original and completely intact antique c. 1854-1856 iron-pontiled cobalt blue glass soda bottle fabricated for ainsworth & lomax and dug in downtown chicago. the 1850's soda bottle is finished with a long, narrow neck and intact applied blobtop that exhibits some slop. the front body has a good strike, with embossed text identifying manufacturer "a & l / chicago / ill." a peened-out letter on the reverse is visible though not entirely legible. the base has a kickup with strong residue from the iron pontil, and appears to have been fabricated in pittsburgh or st. louis. the crude early soda bottle is very rare and desirable color variation in the bottlers' product. crudities are typical of its age and date of manufacture, including an open bubble on the body, heavy whittling and minor surface wear. the bottle has been lightly tumbled. prior to establishing his own company, john lomax served as an apprentice and junior partner in the soda and mineral water bottling operations of robert ainsworth, and possibly edward k. bebbington. john a. lomax entered the bottling operations in 1858, 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 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.

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