Rare Cobalt Blue Farmacia Zambeletti Medicine Bottle / Milano Italy / History & Collectibles

DR.LO. ZAMBELETTI / MILANO cobalt medicine bottle (photo from Mike Urbanski)

This beautiful bottle was posted on the Bottle Collectors Facebook page by Mike Urbanski. He was looking for any info about it. So, a-googlin' I went. [Link to the post.]



Sadly, there's no comma, so it's NOT from Milan, O., birthplace of Thomas Edison. Instead, it is from Farmacia Zambeletti.








Dr. Lodovico Zambeletti
Chemist & Druggist - Volume 40 - 1892

Farmacia Zambeletti was a very successful Italian pharmacy started in 1820 in Milan, Italy (Milano en Italia), by Cavaliere Zambeletti. It stayed in his family, eventually passing to our bottle's namesake, Dr. Lodovico Zambeletti, who continued to build the business into a large chain (which only just recently, in 2001, was bought by/merged with the giant international GlaxoWellcomeSmithKlineBeechamGroup monster corporation).

Merger info excerpt from an article about Zambeletti [in Italian here, and the English translation here]:

Found a fair amount of Zambaletti items online, esp. on ebay.it, but did not find another cobalt bottle, so I think we're safe to say it's not common.




Zambeletti pot crock from OintmentPots.com


Syringe and ampules boxed set from MedicAntica.com


Zamamina ad (from ebay.it) (and box from Delcampe)


1969 Zambaletti laboratory article.
Dropper bottle.

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Dr. Kilmer's Indian Cure / Navahoe Mineral Water / Charlie Ross Kidnapped in 1874 / Antique Vintage Bottles ~ Potpourri for February 2014

Potpourri for February 2014

I Got the The Target Blues


FYI -- New blue jars and demijohn bottle at Target. -- http://www.target.com/p/threshold-blue-bubble-glass-vase-collection/-/A-14942422#?ref=tgt_soc_0000021112

Oh the Things You'll See and Learn... on Facebook!

Interesting tidbits and conversations from assorted Facebook bottle group page posts:

Good Medicine by Dave Dube

Artist Dave Dube shared his latest beautiful bottle-art creation, an Indian Kickapoo SAGWA medicine bottle drawn on an old receipt from the Montana Drug Company. Good luck in the March 2014 Western Heritage Art Show, Dave!

Here's another Indian themed bottle:

NAVAHOE
Kevin Cain posted this beauty, embossed with an Indian Chief's face, and just the word Navahoe (note the spelling). [Link to the FB-post] Speed-googler Jim Lockmiller found this label, so it's ''mystery solved''.


The labels says Navahoe Carbonated Water / Cedar Springs Hotel Co. / New Paris, Ohio.



New Paris is near Dayton, Ohio. The hotel was opened in 1875.




Postcards picturing the hotel:




Staying with the Indian theme...


Mike Holzworth shared his colorful Dr. Kilmer's Indian Cough Cure Consumption Oil tradecard [link to the FB-post], wondering what the bottle looks like. So, I googled some up.

Bottle photo source: Poisonous Addiction

  • AntiqueMedicines.com has a whole page devoted to Dr. Kilmer and his bottles, tradecards, and ads, where they show 2 other Dr. Kilmer's Indian Cure bottle shapes. 

This paper-labeled Dr. K's Indian Cough Remedy bottle sold on ebay in 2006 [Via Worthpoint's archive.]


  • See a collection of 13 different Dr. Kilmer's tradecards, including the above gem, on Tradecards.com/Kilmer.



  • Read some history on Dr. Kilmer from Digger Odell's site: "Dr. Andral S. Kilmer, the inventor of the Swamproot, set up business in Binghamton, New York in the 1870s. There he developed a line of proprietary medicines, pills and ointments."
Read more:

On Point ~ or ~ Diggers Delight

Anthony Savani shared the bottle shard arrowhead he made [link to FB-post]. He says glass knaps like flint. Check out some How To's.  

Another Kind of Nap 
~ or ~ 
Say It Ain't So, Charley! 

Noel Tomas shared this little 4" bottle saying just that it would be on 'Mysteries at the Museum'. So naturally, I had to google that!

Turns out the portrait on the bottle is ''Poor Little Charlie'', Charles Ross, the young boy who was kidnapped in 1874, just 4 years old, never to be seen again. His was the first kidnapping for ransom in America to receive widespread attention from the media.

The admonition to children "Don't take candy from strangers" came as a result of this sad but much publicized affair. The story goes that Charlie and his brother were enticed by two men to go with to them to buy candy. The men drove the boys to a store, gave Charlie's brother money and sent him in to buy the candy. The men then drove off with Charlie.

The kidnappers wanted $20,000 [$400,00+ today], and the ransom notes threatened Charley's life if the police got involved. Charlie's father couldn't afford the ransom, and turned to the police.

The kidnapping soon became national news. In addition to the heavy press coverage, some prominent Philadelphians enlisted the help of the famous Pinkerton detective agency, who had millions of flyers and posters printed with Charley's likeness.




Apparently there were several versions of the Little Charlie Ross souvenir/memorial bottles, too, since there weren't milk cartons yet. Today a missing childrens data base is named after Charlie: http://www.charleyproject.org/ .



A popular song based on the crime was even composed by Dexter Smith and W. H. Brockway, entitled "Bring Back Our Darling".

Several attempts were made to provide the kidnappers with ransom money as dictated in the notes, but in each case the kidnappers failed to appear. Eventually, communication stopped.

There were suspects, trials, some were jailed or died, no one ever knew for sure who did what. The family searched for years, spending 3 times the ransom money following leads, and dealing with 1,000's of boys (then young men) who claimed to be Charlie, but Charlie was never found.


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Troy Lee posted this carnival glass jar lid with an embossed eagle on it, not knowing what jar it went on. [Link to FB-post]Several folks joined the discussion. Lou Holis was first to mention the milk glass owl figural jar takes an eagle insert, but no one had seen the jar in carnival glass. Then Jim Eifler posted a pic of the milk glass insert. Which gave Marianne Dow enough info to be able to hit google and come up with this trio of ornate jars whose lids take fancy inserts. But still no carnival glass examples. Anyone out there have one?

These 3 jars sold as a lot for $480 @ Cowans Auction in 2007 [link]



Troy Lee shared a flask shaped blown bottle that was etched HFV on the base [link to FB-post], and wondered as to by whom and when the bottle was made. The ensuing discussion between the "resident experts" in the group informed us that the initials stand for Hale Farm and Village, which is part of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Clevelaland. They demonstrate the old ways of glass blowing, and sell the results. 




Justin Fox shared this JT SHINN / PHILAD. bottle, wondering what it held [link to FB-post], and a quick google told me it was possibly Chloride of Iron. 

James T. Shinn was a noted Philadelphia pharmacist - see bio below. 


Matthew Knapp pointed out it could have held Shinn's Dentallina.



The Bitter End... Almost 
or
Orange You Bitter Glad There's More?

Looking for more reading material? Peachridge Glass has a whole series of articles about different orange bitters bottles and labels. [Link to list.]
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Rare Antique Folk Art Sand Paintings in Glass Bottles and Jars by A. Clemens




The artist who created these beautiful bottles in the late 1800's was Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) of McGregor, Iowa, who was a deaf-mute.


His signature is in the sand: 
A. Clemens, Artist




"... It's estimated that of the hundreds of sand art bottles Clemens made during his regrettably short life (he died at age 37 or 42 depending on which account you read) only about 50 bottles remain. They are highly coveted by American folk art collectors for their ingenuity and beauty. Prices range from about $500 for lesser quality examples to as much as $25,000. Four bottles are on display at the Iowa State Historical Museum in Des Moines ..."

  • Sand painting is called Marmotinto.
  • The Victorian-era celebrated crafts, and took Marmotinto to the next level by putting the sand paintings inside bottles and jars.
  • Andrew Clemens was the undisputed master. 
  • The sand is tightly packed, but not glued. 
  • It could take the artist 3 weeks, or 3 months, or sometimes up to a year to complete one bottle.
 These antique glass bottles are filled with tiny grains of colored sand, all placed by hand, with what was basically a long-handled hook (see pic of tools at left). Absolutely amazing, right?!



 This really rare matched pair of sweetheart sand bottles Clemens made for Henry Reinken and his future wife Helen Wimmler, have an estimated value $25,000-35,000, according to Cowan's Auctions.




Find out more about Andrew Clemens, and see many more pix of his beautiful bottles in these informative sites:


You can go see some of Clemens' Sand Bottles on exhibit at the State Historical Society of Iowa Museum.





2014 Update:

Here are couple more Andrew Clemens Sand Bottles that sold at Cowan's Auctions.

Wes Cowan now has a Facebook page dedicated to Clemens Art Bottles, where he posts some great photos.



Video screen shots.

Here's a video of Wes Cowan on the Antiques Roadshow, at the Iowa Museum, showing us some of the museum's Clemens bottles, and telling the history.

He comments that when that Clemens bottle appeared at the Roadshow back in 2002, it was the first any of the appraisers had ever seen.

Thanks to the infamous ''Roadshow Effect'', many more have come to light, and prices have escalated.  A must see!



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Originally published on 'Tique Talk @ msdowantiques.com
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