AB of RI - New Finds 9

Okay, call me a slacker. Yes, I've neglected my duties to bring you New Finds, but hey. I'm a bum, life is good, and I'll let you know what I've found when I'm good and dang ready. I'm ready.

I've been out roaming the shops and sneaking around on Ebay and have come up with a few things that just might pique your interest.

First up is a little number that I saw on Ebay. Evidently quite a few of you saw this too and said, "Something new! I have to tell Dave!" I got more emails about this little bottle than any other bottle to date. And that's a good thing because it shows you're all out there assisting me in the never ending search for new additions to the book and I truly appreciate it.

This clear, cylindrical, smooth base bottle is 3-3/8" tall and embossed QUAKER / EYE LOTION / PROVIDENCE / R.I. I was the first to bid on it but was outbid in the first day or two. I won't say how much my bid was for but the final price of $59.00 shows there was more of a demand for this than I thought or was even willing to go. I'm sure it isn't the only one ever made but it will probably be quite a while before another shows up.

I received an email from Richard Sheaff regarding the William E. Clarke / Hunt's Remedy bottles and information found in the book. He is a long time collector of bottles and go withs from the Clarke company and informed me there were several bottles he had that weren't listed.

The one I will share with you this month is a small, rectangular bottle embossed HUNT'S REMEDY CO. / ONE DIME SAMPLE. It makes sense that there would be a sample bottle made for this successful product and this bottle in itself is a great find. But add the fact that it is amber, a color unknown in any other reported Clarke or Hunt's bottle, and it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. I had no idea that any of the Clarke bottles came in any color other than aqua but if there is this amber version, might there be amber examples in the larger sizes, too? Chances are no, there aren't, but who knows for sure?

Richard also informed me that some of the information in the book might be incorrect.

He sent me the correct info but I developed a hard drive problem and lost what he sent. Luckily he was nice enough to resend me the information.

Richard, if you are reading this, thank you again!

A bottle which I had heard of but had never seen until our show last January is this great O.H.P. ROSE / E.G. R.I. bitters from the collection of Steve Anderson. The photos are pretty good but really don't do this bottle justice. The bottle is a gorgeous olive green with strong amber streaks throughout. While the amber O.H.P. Rose bitters are considered scarce, this one is EXTREMELY RARE being the only one currently known in this color.

Steve originally owned this bottle having found it in a river in Exeter. After a while he sold it to a fellow collector and evidently regretted what he did. When the other collector decided to sell the bottle several years later, Steve was able to purchase the bitters back and return it to his collection.

I know I said I was going to show you the round bottom ginger ale that Art Pawlowski found at our show but the photos I took came out lousy and I haven't gotten to their house yet to retake them.

Also, Dave Stamp and I took a ride out to New Bedford a few weeks ago and I came home with four new additions to the book. Nothing expensive but New Finds anyway. Those are for next time.

So until then, adios, amoebas!

Oh, and by the way. YOU could contribute to this page, too! If you find something not listed in the book, please email the information to me at oaklawn@earthlink.net so I can add it.