mid-nineteenth century (1852-1857) vibrant cobalt blue pontiled pony privy dug bottle with an applied blobtop manufactured for john ryan in savannah, georgia. a rare feature of this bottle is that it includes the names of both the glass house and bottler. the body is deeply embossed on one side, “john ryan / excelsior / mineral water / savannah” followed by an abbreviated “ga” in raised end-letters. the opposite side is embossed “union glass works / phila / this bottle / is / never sold”. the base has a high domed kick-up from the pontil. it contains crudities typical of its age and date of manufacture, including several long vertical bubbles in the neck and asymmetry in the finish. john ryan started the excelsior bottle works in savannah, georgia in 1852, becoming the first soda bottler in the state. they manufactured soda water and carbonated beverages. the business eventually expanded and opened branches in augusta, columbus, and atlanta. the company used very colorful cobalt blue bottles. john ryan would retire in 1879 and would pass away in 1885.