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Whitall Tatum &Co

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Whitall Tatum &Co 2 Summer 2006 Bottles and Extras This consisted of a metal plate made THE DATING GAME: of varying sizes to fit the various molds used in casting bottles of WHITALL TATUM &CO. different shape [he noted the American Druggist as his source]. By Bill Lockhart, Carol Serr, David Whitten, Bill Lindsey and Pete Schulz According to Griffenhagen and Bogard One of the best-known manufacturers Glasstown plant or the Upper Works; the (1999:36), bottles with embossed letters had of prescription glassware was Whitall newer plant was called the South Millville been used in the United States since at least Tatum & Co. Once perhaps the largest plant or the Lower Works. 1809. Donut-shaped plate molds around producer of flint container glass in the That the operation specialized in the outside edges of bottle bases were world, the firm produced a large variety of glassware for druggists, chemists and invented by Henry Ricketts in 1821 (Jones bottles and jars over a long time span. In perfumers probably reflects the fact several & Sullivan 1989:48-49). Jones and addition, most Whitall Tatum bottles were of the early owners were Philadelphia Sullivan also noted that “an official starting clearly marked with the company initials pharmacists (Shoemaker 1890; Toulouse date for plate moulds in the United States in a variety of styles from the last third of 1971:545). This was not true of the is a patent of 1867” – obviously referring the 19th century until near the end of the Whitalls and Tatums. It did, however, to the Christie patent noted above. 20th century. provide them with a business compatible Although peripheral to this study, there with their religious beliefs. Both families is empirical evidence that plate molds were Company History were devout Quakers, who “did not believe used on the bodies (rather than the bases in war, nor in litigation, nor in the like Ricketts-type molds) of soda water Whitall Tatum & Co. manufacture or sale of intoxicating bottles at least as early as 1850. We have Whitall Tatum & Co. has a long and liquors.” As a result they refused to seen bottles produced by the Union Glass involved history that goes back to the manufacture liquor bottles of any kind – Works of Philadelphia, for example, that cylinder window-glass house of James Lee, then one of the mainstays of most bottle were embossed with plate molds for the San established in Millville, New Jersey, in makers (Anonymous 1896). Francisco soda water firm of Lynde & 1806.1 Although many writers have Since an important element of their Putnam that operated only in 1850 and referred to the evolving ownership of the trade consisted of bottles embossed to 1851 (Markota and Markota 1972:53). operation, Toulouse (1971) and Pepper identify local druggists, some background There are numerous other examples of soda (1971:225-228) seem to provide the most on that market is worth discussion. Pepper bottles with embossed plate molds prior to systematic chronologies based on primary (1971:230) noted that “as early as 1868 the 1867 patent. Boley & Co., Sacramento, sources - and they contradict each other on Whitall Tatum began making lettered plate California, for example used bottles with several points. According to an ad in The ware.” She explained that “some customers plate molds during the 1849-1862 period. Glass Packer (November 1925), the could not afford an individual mold cut for Delahanty, Skelly & Co., San Francisco, company itself traced its existence to 1836. about $400, [so] Whitall Tatum devised an used similar bottles from 1854 to 1864 It is clear, however, that from 1845 to 1848 inset lettered plate that cost only about $2 (Schulz et al. 1980:125, 136). the firm was styled Whitall & Bro., and to $10.” This suggests that Whitall Tatum Pepper (1971:228) claimed that Whitall from 1848 to 1857 it was Whitall, Bro. & adapted the use of plate molds on bottle Tatum began making “flint glass” (i.e., Co. In 1857 the partnership became bodies, but the story is more complex than colorless glass) in 1863 and built a “new Whitall, Tatum & Co., and remained so for that. In 1867, James J. Christie patented a flint glasshouse at South Millville” in 1864. the rest of the century. On January 2, 1901, “glass bottle mold fitted with a removable However, she claimed that the company the firm incorporated as the Whitall Tatum panel that was inscribed with the name and used “William Leighton’s formula for lime Co. (Moody Manual Co. 1914:1200). It address to be molded in the bottle.” Christie glass” which actually used no decoloring was purchased in June, 1938 by the made flint glass bottles in Baltimore, chemicals. Pepper stated (1971:232) that Armstrong Cork Co., who owned the Maryland. Whitall Tatum began using the “the flint glass was of extraordinary clarity operation until April of 1969. plates in 1868 (Griffenhagen & Bogard and brightness, especially considering its Although the factory originally made 1999:36). intended use for fairly expendable bottles. window glass, by 1820 it produced Tatum (1900:20330) supported the date . Sand for the flint glass was brought in “carboys, demijohns, vials, druggists’ from a perspective only 23 years removed. by rail from Ohio where washing was done bottles, snuffs, chemicals, and the like” After discussing the introduction of the on a large scale and more economically than (Toulouse 1971:545-546). The company French Square,2 he noted that: Whitall Tatum could have done at the bought a second Millville factory about time.” Despite her claims, all identifiable 1853. Allegedly the second plant was not this was followed about 1867 by the bottles we have seen were solarized purple, wanted by the Whitalls, but its purchase appearance on the market of lettered a sure indicator of manganese used as a was necessary in order to secure rights to bottles, that is bottles bearing on one decolorizer in the glass. timber needed for fuel but controlled by the side in raised letters the name and Horner (1985:98) placed the date of second plant’s owners. Regardless, the address of the pharmacist, Whitall Tatum’s first flint glass company thereafter operated both factories accompanied in some cases by manufacture at 1862 (almost certainly the (Lefebvre 1949:89; Pepper 1971:225-228). devices, monograms, etc. The process described by Pepper) and noted that The original plant became known as the lettering was known as a plate mold. it met with “only partial success.” The lack Bottles and Extras Summer 2006 3 of complete success led to the building of after Repeal it is clear that those bottles – and 1937 were helpful in establishing the the new flint glass house in 1864. It was in a departure from the company’s 19th- relationship between catalog numbers and not until 1870, however, that “the progress century tradition – were meant to hold beer. embossed digits as well as related data. in that branch of the business has been quite Wine and liquor bottles soon followed. This This sample gave us a good look at rapid.” “Glass formulae” used by Whitall was evidently part of a major effort at bottles in use between at least 1880 and the Tatum included ten ounces of Manganese diversification, which had already led to early 1920s. Marks on these bottles are Dioxide for a 500-pound batch of “Lead production of glass insulators beginning in sometimes embossed horizontally and Glass” and four ounces for a 200-pound 1922. sometimes slightly arched depending on the batch (Horner 1985:101). This is more in shape of the bottle base. On drug store keeping with observed Whitall Tatum W. T. & Co. and W. T. Co. bottles, all marks are found on bases. Many colorless pharmacy bottles. Manufacturer’s Marks on Pharmacy of the colorless bottles are solarized (often In addition to pharmacy bottles, the Bottles artificially by collectors) to a light amethyst company manufactured laboratory ware for Toulouse (1971:544) claimed that the color, and it may be that all of them would chemists and druggists, perfume bottles, W T & Co manufacturer’s mark was used change color if exposed to ultra-violet nursing bottles and other druggists‘ by the company “until 1935.” As shown radiation. It is clear that the use of sundries, as well as various glass and rubber below, this is incorrect. Other dating manganese extended for the full time period implements used by physicians. Toward methods are more realistic. For example, when the W. T. & Co. or W. T. Co. marks the end of the century the operation was any specific bottle with a mark that includes were used. touted as “probably the largest flint- bottle a patent date could not have been used prior A few generalizations provide a basic works in the world,” having “thirteen flint- to the patent date. However, many patents guideline (see Table 1 for a basic dating furnaces, in addition to five green-glass were used for years, so the patent date does guide to Whitall Tatum pharmacy bottles): furnaces and a green-glass tank.” The firm not necessarily reflect a valid initial date 1. A major division between marks employed “from 1500 to 1900 employees, for the bottle’s use. According to occurs with mouth-blown vs. machine- according to the demand for their goods” Griffenhagen and Bogard (1999:38), made bottles. Mouth-blown bottles are (Depew 1895:282) Whitall Tatum & Co patented at least ten marked with either the “W. T. & Co.” or Whitall Tatum had developed a designs for medicine or pharmacy bottles “W. T. Co.” logo. Machine-made bottles semiautomatic machine for wide-mouth alone during the 1878-1898 period.
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