Page 33 - BBR magazine 140 - 30yrs issue

ground a market properly giving bottles charisma and kudos. This book sets a new standard in bottle provenance, with auction records (including BBR
Auctions), collections, private sales, archaeology and numbers known carefully noted. We can thank a certain pioneering retired dealer in the Caribbean for access to his records I think, but everyone from Mr AB to Laurence Cooper, David Walker Baker and Fay Banks appear in the acknowledgements - so well done to all for contributing.
This is a superb
effort, solidly
grounding the study
of such bottles for years to come. Boosted
by Kosler’s ‘Flasche, Bottle und Bouteille’
(1998), ‘Packaged in Glass’ (‘In glas
verpakt’, 2001) by Soetens, then Willy Van
den Bossche’s ‘Antique Glass Bottles’
(2001), the mainstream knowledge of, and
interest in packaging bottles up to c. 1800
has grown. Those past books were
European in focus but with David’s book the
British black glass sealed bottle market now has the definitive guide it needed. With such a huge work it will take a while for it to be properly digested. I have some small quibbles in respect to Vol. 1. Some ideas about shape (very early, shorter necked pre 1650 bottles for instance) seem based more on opinion than proof and also statements about the atypical,
shapes. Reference to later unsealed packaging bottles would have been
helpful in drawing conclusions about their antecedents. Personally, I
believe shape follows function and aided product identity? Rum,
gin, wine, cider, mineral water, beer, all developed distinct forms
and these may explain
bladders and other curious-seeming types? Conclusions here are sometimes (necessarily) based on very few examples. But as we know, handling the items is all
important and David has probably handled more black glass than any of us in the pursuit of this book. Although I heartily approve of his efforts to bring logical
order he uses some very odd terms for shapes on occasion (a “rectangular octagonal cylinder” for instance seems particularly obtuse and strange for a rectangular
section bottle with heavily chamfered edges). The issue of when these objects became packaging, as
opposed to owner identified decanters, or refillable stock, is still in need of work. But these are minor
considerations.
He has placed before us such a deluge of facts and research, not to mention simply gorgeous bottles, that everyone from amateur collectors to museum
curators, archaeologist and auctioneers, will be in his debt for years ahead. An absolutely magnificent
lifetime achievement publication!
Hardcover: 1800 pages. Publisher: Antique Collectors' Club; 3 Hardback Volumes, Boxed edition, 30 x 23.7 x 15 cm
Milk Bottle News
rarer
CRICKET items wanted Pots, jugs, all ceramics showing cricketers or cricket scenes - dug, damaged & mint.
annual subs £15 UK
Alton Bottle Collectors Club present their
Paul & Lisa Luke, 60 Rose Valley Crescent, Stanford le Hope, Essex, SS17 8EF email: mbneditor@blueyonder.co.uk
Also other sporting ceramics, 140-
Antique Bottle
Collectors Fayre
reach 1,000’s
Mike Egan: 01254 584927 or 07940363221
th
138- 140
football, rugby, golf etc.
143
&
LIVERPOOL &
Sun 16
Nov
W O R L D W I D E this box ad just
WIRRAL WANTED Pot lids, g.b’s, printed early stoneware plus
4 inserts £18 WANTED
Ointment pot lids 138/ Bob Houghton 141
West Country sealed bottles Kevin Shaddick 01271 375756/
ads just £18 REACH 1,000’s worldwide
Refreshments Parking 50p
60 stalls @ £16 cheques to ABCC
07775 704811
138- 140
bookings with sae:
1 Ings Close, Alton, Hants, GU34 1TB
01628 482383
4 gb box
10.30am -1.30pm EE 9.30pm £3 Adults £1 Accomp’d Children Free
Mick Wells tel: 01420 88773
33
Due to hit BBR’s bookshelves in August, pre-order now at our very special exclusive price.... see enclosed flier this issue. Offer closes end of July.
ALTON, Hants SatNav GU34 1HN
The Community Centre