Here are two great Western medicines fresh out of the ground from a Western state. The "smaller" of the two is still an impressive 8 1/2" tall with a rich turquoise aqua color. It has a knarly applied top, and is embossed "Dr. Warren's Botanic Cough Balsam, S.F. Cal." These are pretty rare in this size and with the applied top. I would estimate there are about 10-12 in collections. In the same pit was this "tanker" of a sarsaparilla. The diggers originally thought it was just a cool Eastern Bristols or Kennedy's, but the glass is sparkling western aqua and clean as can be...it is embossed "Langley's Compound Sarsaparilla, San Francisco". What a giant bottle, and in perfect condition! It is hard to believe such a large bottle would come out whole, let alone in such pristine condition. I believe there are about 10 of these Langley's in collections, and they are not to be confused with the very scarce narrow medicine version. This example is a whopping 11 1/2" tall.These do come in green, and I have seen one example, though it was not crude. These are late 60s bottles, and are so rarely dug, it is an exciting find! Full of bubbles and character...this is what gets my blood pumping!
Whoa..
ReplyDeleteA giant size and a killer color. Really nice find. Thanks for filling us in on this honker!
rs
nice bottles ,dug a ice blue one in the 1990's of the large langley's,and mint,looks as rich in color as the cough balsam.30 ft deep and thats about all we found in that well except common stuff,but the age kept us going.old bumseead
ReplyDeleteold bumstead had a bad case of digging in the rain and the med's have not worn off yet so my spelling is not so good today,need a shot of old unk weed cure.
ReplyDeleteHey, M. E. Veeeeeeerrrrry nice bottles. I loooooove those crude western meds as much as any other type of bottle. Dug a smaller aqua green one in old Sacto in the mid sixties the langleys....Andy/djsoldstuf
ReplyDeleteDug in Nevada ? Any more news on the aqua Wonsers just dug up there ? Dug in the same hole ?
ReplyDeleteVery very nice
ReplyDeleteDennis
I have to ask, can someone post photos of the Wonsers ? Those Nevada boys just keep pumping out the bottles. I live in the wrong state, VC here I come.
ReplyDeleteHey ME, turn-off that bottle vacuum you have going, and let some of us get some bottles !! Just kidding........
ReplyDeleteVery cool Bristol's "knock-off". No doubt, made to compete in the Western market......... Time to dig those Bristols out a little more carefully from now on, for maybe one will be a Langley's !
ReplyDeleteJob Moses
Veeeeeery nice meds M.E Didnt know that the Langleys came in that large size, I dug one about the size of the Dr Warrens in your pic, only narrower in the sixties in old Sacto.......Andy/djsoldstuf
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