These two early bitters share some unique characteristics that give some clues to when and where they were made.The variant 1 Dr. Renz's Herb Bitters has 4 key features in common with the Alex Von Humboldts Stomach Bitters
which suggests that both bottles were made by the same moldmaker which probably was associated with the same glassworks. (Renz variants 2 & 3 have different mould features and are probably made and blown by a different glassworks)
which suggests that both bottles were made by the same moldmaker which probably was associated with the same glassworks. (Renz variants 2 & 3 have different mould features and are probably made and blown by a different glassworks)
The Renz bitters was first introduced to the California public on August 31st, 1867, the Von Humboldts bitters was a product of Charles V. Fleishmann, and first advertised in early 1868.
Both bottles have the same style & size of lettering, both bottles were made with a 7/16th wide bevel edge (uncomon on squares), both have a particular circular inset in the base with a rather large center dot and both have a unique mold line running parallel along two adjacent panels on the base. These two western squares share features with two other western figural bitters which are associated with SFGW. At the 1868 S. F. Mechanics Fair, the San Francisco Daily Times reported in their article about SFGW's display that among their varied display of glassware were bitters bottles with names stamped into the glass.
In my research of western bitters, those particularly made or marketed during the 1860's the evidence suggests that San Francisco Glass Works most likely was responsible for these two bottles and their respective moulds.
So variant 1 Renz's were made for about a year before SFGW burned ?
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteRenz may not have had an embossed mould made shortly after introducing his bitters product, but it was most likely in production for part of 1868. The Von Humboldts bitters was marketed beginning in March 1868 and was advertised in only two newspapers by two liquor agencies that I could find and their advertisements for this bitters ended July 1868.
My theory is that the off color Renz's with the sloping collar top are 1867 or 1868 while the truer green and amber variants with traditional whiskey tops are early to mid-70s. Last year we recovered a green Variant 1 (whiskey top), broken olive Variant 1 (whiskey top), and a broken amber Variant 2 in a mid to late 1870s hole. Do you think Variant 1 and 2 were being blown at the same time by both PGW and SFGW in the mid 70s ?
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of advanced western bottle collectors that subscribe to your thinking. I believe that variant 2 & 3 were made and blown by the same glassworks and that they date from the '69 on, which glasworks is not precisely known.
I would think because John Renz was promoting this bitters vigorously during 1868, 1869, that he would commission another mould made immediately after SFGW's destructive fire, therefore causing the different bottle variants to be made within such short time periods of each other it would make it impossible to know for sure when excavated from the privies. Remember that inventory was maybe even mixed between bottle batches as he was struggling to keep up with orders he was receiving. He gave up his lively hood in order to spend full time with this bitters business in October 1870.
His brandy and bourbon appear to have been less successful, as those bottles are much rarer than the bitters...
ReplyDeleteAP
A.P. Hotaling,
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about Fleischman or Buneman? Charles Fleischman came to S.F. in 1866, he registered the label for Von Humboldts bitters in 1867 and was listed in the S.F. voter registry in 1868 and then left I believe sometime in 1869. I believe the embossed bottles are associated with him, not Buneman. Apparently Henry Buneman was listed as an agent for Von Humboldts bitters in the S.F. directory in 1879.
Neither. I was referring to Renz (Blackberry Brandy and Bonanza Bourbon)
ReplyDeleteAP
Warren, how many small letter Renz's in amber have you seen? I believe the majority I've seen have been shades of green. I did have an amber example yrs ago, and all the others I've had have been green...
ReplyDeleteaphotaling,
ReplyDeleteThe majority of of the small lettered Renz variant are in shades of green. I've accounted for 6 examples in shades of amber coloratiton.
It appears that in the late 1860s, green was the predominate and fisrt choice of color for some of the Western Bitters. Variant 1 Lacours = green; variant 1 Renz = green; Cassins =green. The large letter Renz's are just the opposite, where shades of amber seem to be dominant.
ReplyDeleteAP