It is commonly thought among collectors that the Higgins Ink bottles
from Virginia city Nevada were the only western embossed ink bottles.
The Pacific Ink Factory was listed in the San Francisco directories from
1871 through 1897 at three different locations throughout its history.
There is an early aqua dome ink with an applied top embossed PACIFIC on
the shoulder. Is this possibly a western ink from The Pacific Ink
Factory in San Francisco.
from Virginia city Nevada were the only western embossed ink bottles.
The Pacific Ink Factory was listed in the San Francisco directories from
1871 through 1897 at three different locations throughout its history.
There is an early aqua dome ink with an applied top embossed PACIFIC on
the shoulder. Is this possibly a western ink from The Pacific Ink
Factory in San Francisco.
Regards Michael
I can't give you an answer on that particular bottle, but I can tell you that S.F.G.W did in fact produce ink bottles as early as 1867. I can't imagine there would not be a demand for this type of container from the glass works needed on the West coast.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ink...
ReplyDeleteAs for western embossed inks, there are a few more. The Gibb umbrella, and the N.E. Plus Ultra house form. There is also the amber SF Ink schoolhouse, and the extremely rare Pacific Glass Works base embossed master. Dale M.
As much as I would like to think that this bottle is a product of California (I have the bottle as well), it is very likely not from this coast. Some specimens look like they could have been blown in the West but that is questionable. Knowlton's Pacific Ink Factory was in operation during the right period to be a candidate but also not likely. About 15 or 20 years ago several of these inks hit the market and all originated from the mid-west.
ReplyDeleteThe Pacific Ink Co. of Seattle got its start in 1896, which is probably a little too late for this bottle. The best bet is a company from somewhere in the mid-west that advertised Pacific Fluid Ink in 1865. As the product was advertised in central Indiana that might be a good area to focus a search for the proprietor.