Brockway Glass Company
Brockway, Pennsylvania (1907-1988)
Brockway Machine Bottle Company, of Brockway, Pennsylvania was founded in 1907. The company merged with its own subsidiary Broadway Sales Company (created in 1927) to form Brockway Glass Company in 1933. Also in 1933, Brockway bought the Monaca Glass Company, Monaca, Pennsylvania, but closed that plant about a year later.
Other glass plant acquisitions over the years included the former De Camp Consolidated Glass Casket Company (Muskogee, OK) in 1946; Sterling Glass Company (Lapel, Indiana) in 1950; the Demuth Glass Company of Parkersburg, WV in 1955, and the Tygart Valley Glass Company, Washington, PA, in 1959. In 1964, eight of 10 Hazel-Atlas Glass Company glass manufacturing plants were acquired by Brockway, bringing the total number of plants at that time to sixteen (Julian Toulouse, Bottle Makers and their Marks, 1971, pages 60-61).
Brockway evidently used a “plain B” on some of their containers beginning around 1925. But sometime between 1925 and 1933 (sources of information are contradictory or unclear on this issue) the “B in a circle” trademark was phased in on many, if not most of the bottles made by Brockway. Possibly, 1933 could have been the first year the “B inside a circle” was actually used, since that year is when the slight name change occurred.
This mark is usually seen on the base, sometimes the heel, and seems to have been placed in the center of the base on most earlier bottles (I don’t have a timeline to indicate how early), but by the late 1970s, if not earlier, the “B” was typically placed near the top, as in the 12:00 position on a clock. (See pics below of late 1970s-early 1980s bottles). However, keep in mind that this typical placement of the mark is not 100% consistent, and some percentage of bottles made by Brockway may not conform to this general rule.
BROCKWAY marking. Many bottles are found with just the company name BROCKWAY (embossed in cursive letters) on the base of the container, usually accompanied by a mold number. It seems to be a marking that was used primarily on the bases of a line of amber and clear druggist / prescription bottles, and the bottles I’ve come across appear to date mostly from the 1940s- 1970s era.
Brockway manufactured huge numbers of glass containers of every description over the years, including soda, beer and other beverage bottles, general household, chemical and drug bottles, food containers and many other types of bottles.
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Factory Locations
In the year 1973, (besides the main Brockway PA location), their bottle manufacturing factories were located at: Crenshaw, Pennsylvania; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Lapel, Indiana; Freehold, New Jersey; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Washington, Pennsylvania (2 plants) ; Rosemount, Minnesota; Zanesville, Ohio; Montgomery, Alabama; Ada, Oklahoma; Oakland, California and Pomona, California.
In 1988, Brockway Glass Company assets were purchased by Owens-Illinois, Inc., forming Owens-Brockway, Inc., later known as Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc.
Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc., is presently (2024) a subsidiary of Owens-Illinois, Inc., with O-I corporation headquarters, formerly based in Toledo, now based in Perrysburg, Ohio (since 2006).
NOTE: Just as there is confusion on the first year of use, there is some uncertainty on what year the “B in a circle” mark was actually phased out on bottle molds! Although I had previously written on this webpage that the mark was phased out around 1988, we now know that soda bottles with the “B in a circle” bearing later date codes (such as “90” for 1990) are out there. So I can’t say for sure when all the molds were retooled to carry the “I inside an O” trademark in use on Owens-Illinois bottles. Bill Lockhart, in his article on Brockway, indicates the mark may have remained in use on bottles up until around the year 2000. If any readers have information on the year that the “B in a circle” mark was discontinued on bottles made by Brockway / Owens-Brockway, please let us know!
Many of the former Brockway Glass container plants are still in operation, under the Owens-Brockway Containers Inc. name or “O-I, Inc”. (For more information, please see my webpage that pictures Owens-Illinois Glass Company marks).
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For a list of Brockway Glass plant codes in use during 1973 (courtesy of Dick Cole, fruitjar.org), see this chart: Chart of Brockway Glass Company codes.
For much more detailed information on Brockway and the marks they used, please check out this article by researcher Bill Lockhart (and others), including a list of plant location code numbers:
https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/Brockway.pdf
For an extensive list of glass manufacturers’ marks on bottles, fruit jars, insulators, tableware and other glassware, please click here to go to the Glass Bottle Marks pages.
Click here to go to my website Home Page.
Sometimes bottle bases with this mark (as well as many others) are found among “Beach Glass”. For more info, click here to check out my summary webpage on Sea Glass/Beach Glass.
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Just a data point: I found a bottle with a date code of 1989 with the B (in a circle) smack dab in the middle of the bottom. It was for Heinz as it has 57 embossed on 4 sides.
I have a 1oz jar with the logo “Amber Glas” spelled G L A S and the Circle B w/ two serifs to the left and the number “2” just under Glas on the right. Cant find anything about it. Screwtop as well
I have a 5 inch high clear glass clown bottle with cursive Brockway, 1718, 4oz. Cap, 3 on the bottom. Curious if you know the age and if it is rare.
I have a glass medicine dropper style bottle with a silver “cover” on it that says vermouth. The B on the bottom appears to be either a capital B or the number 8 right in the middle of the bottom of the bottle. The pipette inside is glass also. I’ve found a few listings online showing the exact one I have but they don’t say anything about what markings are on the bottom so I could verify the maker. Any ideas?
Hi RuthAnn,
I don’t know anything about it. Perhaps a reader will have info? If that is indeed an “8” on the bottom, that would be a mold number, which doesn’t tell us anything.
David
Hi David!
I found a 1L narrow neck glass bottle with B in a circle at twelve o’clock on the bottom, 8400 about 1:30, 71 at 3o’clock, 15 at 6, and 13 at 9 o’clock. The bottle has a large NO RETURN just below the “shoulder”.
Hi Robert,
That sounds like either a beer, malt liquor or a soda bottle. It was made in 1971. The “71” is a date code. The year date codes were usually placed at the 3:00 position on many of their sodas and beer bottles, especially in the 1960s-1980s time period.
David
Hi I found a gallon jar with a B in a circle in the bottom center and 2 below that. A 3 to the left and above is 5996. Thanks
Jeannie
I found a clear food jar with “Oxford” in a shield, and “Pride of New England” on the bottom. The Brockway logo is above it and there is a 3 at the bottom. Any clue what the 3 means?
Hi Samuel,
The “3” could be either a mold number or a glass plant location code. I’m sorry but I am not sure which purpose is the correct one in your particular case!
David
I found a small brown bottle 1847 on top of bottom. The letter D to the left. The circled B in the middle 3 to the right and 15 under
Ruth, I would love to see a picture of the bottle. Colm from Ireland. My email is colmofaolain@yahoo.com Thanks a million.
My mother died this year at 94.(9/21) She had dark colored beer bottle with only markings on the bottom. a B in a circle in the center, 860 at the top, 8 at the bottom, left of the B on the left side is a dot, right side is 46. Any ideas?
Hello Berrye,
My condolences on the passing of your mother. I can say your bottle was made in 1946, as the “46” placed to the right of the logo is a date code. “860” is likely a mold style identification number used by Brockway.
Best regards, David
Hello. I found a 4 finger tall brown shouldered medicine style bottle with a screw type lid. It has the B inside the circle with the dreaded zero below it. 1492 to the left and 14 to the right which I believe is the Oklahoma plant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
David. Thanks, much for your feedback. I’m pleasantly surprised that the jar could be that old. If in the early 1940s it would even be in my date range. Smile.
All the Best,
Armin
Hello David! I found a clear glass bottle. On the bottom of it in “compass” positions is the Brockway “B in a circle” mark at the North position, “83” for 1983 in the East position, “28” mold number in South position, and “0” (zero) in the West position. I know the location of the zero is usually the plant number/location, but I can’t find it anywhere. All of the plant numbers I’ve found for Brockway have been 1 through other numbers except zero. Any ideas which plant location it is? Thank you!
Hi Adrya,
I have to be honest with you……….. I have seen that “0” on Brockway soda bottles, and I don’t know what it means. I think it is possible that (in this instance) it isn’t a plant identification code…..it might mean something else. OR, if it is an actual plant code maybe it stands for a plant that was acquired later in Brockway’s existence and is not listed in the charts we have seen online.
I just don’t know! Perhaps a reader who worked at Brockway and has good background information will land on this page and let us know! Thanks for writing!
~David
I worked for Brockway Glass Company, as my first job when I was discharged from the Marines {1969}. I started out as a Janitor, and within a year, I worked my way up to Shipping and Receiving. At the time if my memory serves me correctly, they made Canada Dry soda bottles, and another kind, which slips my mind. Other products that they made was Avon, Revlon, and Pond’s Cold Cream jars. I worked there for about a year and a half, until I got the urge to travel.
Hi Jim, Thank you very much for your post! I appreciate your information.
~David
You are very Welcome .
I found a bottle that has Brockway on the bottom. Sani-Glass on the front and a “+” inside of a circle, not a “B”. At first I thought it had 3×11 just below the neck but now realize it’s 3 x ii. Measurements go from 300 down to 50 on one side of the bottle and 10 down to 1 in increments of two. I can’t find any images of bottles with the “+” inside a circle. Do you know anything about this?
I recently found some sea glass that’s the base of a clear Brockway bottle. There’s a circle-B in the center, “0” to the left of it, “S65” to the right, and “18” below it. That doesn’t line up with anything I’ve been able to find- can you shed some light?
I have something similar. I have the circle B in the center, a 0 to the left, a 3 on the bottom and a 1559 up top! Can’t find anything either!
Hello Ann, please scroll down and check out my reply to Lisa on May 30, 2019, in the COMMENTS section of the Home page (Welcome page) here at: https://glassbottlemarks.com/
Hope this helps!
David
John, I’m sorry but I really can’t shed any light on that piece. Brockway has made literally thousands of different bottles and jars over many years, and many of them bore a mold design number (catalog number) such as “1559” or “S65” or (take your pick… gobs of other numbers are out there). Without an example of a complete bottle at hand, it may be hard to know for sure what the exact shape, profile or intended use of the bottle was. A search on ebay (with both the title and description boxes checked) might bring up something, but, then again, it might be a long time before a similar bottle happens to be listed there.
Take care, David
I was interested in the Brockway Glass because my dad worked in graphic design from circa 1950 – 1982. Most of these items you’re talking about were designed by him. He did design some Avon cars. I am primarily interested in finding a Mountain Dew bottle from the 60’s because he drew the guy with the cork going through the hat. I have one, but not from Brockway Glass.
I think I have one of those!
I have stumbled upon a huge collection of bottles from an island my ancestors knew as home. The island is uninhabited by humans now everyone moved away after the hurricane of 1899, all residents left by 1902 because the salt water destroyed the land. The history here is simply incredible people travel from all over just to hear the stories and set foot on our barrier islands. Some of these bottles/canning jars date back to when human civilization was still thriving there, some however I’ve noted are from 1915-1950 era, in guessing from where you used to be able to get to this part of the island easily before hurricanes had moved around the shoals Now making this part of the island hard to get to by boat. If you would like me to share photos on the pages I will, they are such a cool piece of history and have weathered countless storms, and the seas.
Hi Kameron,
I tried contacting you directly by email but the address you gave is not correct (typo?). Please write again or contact me through my email which is listed under the CONTACT INFO / NOTES near the bottom of the page.
Thank you,
David
Hi! So today I picked up a large amount of canning jars from some folks who had just bought a home from an older lady. In the mix are some what I believe to be half gallon jars with the B in a circle mark. The mark is in the center of the bottom, the numbers 4413 are above the B, 13 is to the left, 2 is below it and nothing is to the right.
I have searched high and low trying to figure out what I have and if I should use it to can in or should I put these up with the rest of our antiques. Thanks so much!
Hi Ashley,
Those jars might be “product jars” meaning they may have originally held some kind of food product and were bought (full) from a retail outlet. (Possibly coffee jars??) Usually most ordinary product jars (especially those in clear glass, and that have only marks on the base but nothing on the front/sides) do not have high collectible value to most fruit jar collectors, although there may be some exceptions here and there. I would suggest you go ahead and use them for canning as long as they are in good condition, and of course if you have new lids that fit them well. The “4413” was the catalog number assigned to that jar style or design.
Hope this helps,
David
Thank you! They are in perfect condition, I’m going to attempt to order some lids online. The mouth is a very odd size. It was quite a large lot of jars; some old Ball and Lamb ones in the mix too from what I can tell they are oldies.
Hi Ashley, did you ever find the right lids for these jars?
Found this bottom today on the property. One of many pieces I have found. It only says Brockway in cursive with a number 8 centered below it. Brown, what looks to be an old medicine bottle.
I e-mailed you a while back, but got too busy to respond to your question.
I’ve been interested in Brockway bottles I’ve found in a dump pile behind our house (pre-curbside pickup). Prob it, the numbers aren’t matching up to the ID on the Brockway page.
Here are the images on Flickr (the first 4): https://www.flickr.com/photos/141980306@N08/with/49908868742/\
the number that’s suppose to be the date is ’90’, though it states Brockway wasn’t open in a year ending in ’90’. Are the numbers mixed up?
Hi Jodie,
No, the numbers aren’t mixed up. Your bottle was indeed made at the Brockway plant located in Brockway, Pennsylvania, but it was made AFTER the acquisition of Brockway assets by Owens-Illinois, Inc. in 1988, to form the mega corporation Owens-Brockway. Evidently (and your bottle basically proves this) the factory at Brockway did continue for some time to produce bottles with the “B in a circle” mark, as well as the date code. The “18” is the plant location code for the Brockway factory, that number being used by Owens-Illinois.
See this article which mentions the #18 plant: https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/OwensIllinois2018Part1.pdf
Basically, the “90” date code on your bottle means that some period of time (how long?) ensued after 1988 before the Brockway plant had completely re-tooled (or phased out production) of any molds still bearing the old Brockway mark. I would guess that most bottle molds in use at that location would have been re-tooled with the “I inside an O” mark within a year or so of the takeover of the Brockway plant, but in this case we can see it was not. If you find any other bottles with date codes past 1990, please let us know! Thank you for your post and take care,
David
I have an old large, heavy glass bottle–the same size as you get water in plastic bottles delivered to your house now; in fact a current plastic disposable lid fits it. It’s marked on the bottom “BROCK 32” with the Brock encircled with a sort of shoe-shaped oval. Would this have been manufactured by Brockway? It had been at my parent’s house in southern California for 60+ years.
Peter, I am not familiar with that mark on your water bottle. Perhaps someone who lands on this site will have more information.
Thanks for your post!
David
I have found a brown one gallon jug and I was trying to find out some information on this and I’m not finding anything. The top of the jug is missing and it has a small crack in the jug but if you could help me I would still like to find out some information please. On the bottom of the jug, it has 2290 in the center. It has the B with the circle, and to the left of the circle it has a 0 and below the circled B it has 10. There is nothing to the right of the circled B and I thought that was where the number would be for the year. For any information regarding this jug …. God Bless Ya.
Hi Felicia,
It seems like the markings on the bases of some (or many) Brockway Glass containers will not conform to the way they are usually oriented on other kinds of containers such as soda bottles. In the case of your jug, the “2290” is a code or inventory number assigned to that particular jug style. The “10” is a mold number. I’m sorry to tell you I can’t date it precisely but I would guess it is from the 1940s-1960s.
Best regards,
David
I just purchased a Pep Kola, 10 oz. soda bottle. It has a B in a circle in the middle of the bottom. 67 to the right, and 3 under the circle. Could this be a Brockway bottle, possibly from Lapel, Indiana?
Hello Dan,
The bottle is a product of Brockway, and the “67” is a date code for 1967. I’m not sure which plant it was made at. The “3” is probably the mold number.
David
I have a jar with B in circle on bottom, 10 above that and something under that I cannot discern. Any idea of it’s age?
Luann,
Brockway Glass Company made lots of jars over several decades, and since the “10” is a mold number, I really can’t tell you how old it is.
David
Hi, I have a container with B in circle on base center. Left is “0” below is “2” and above is “5679”. Nothing to right. Any idea where this was made? The container is close to 64oz capacity and a screw top with a handle on 1 side. Any help is appreciated. Thank you
I have a little brown bottle 1/2 oz and the numbers 1501 above the circled B
I have a small brown bottle that has SQUIBB on the top front and on the bottom there’s a 2 then a B in a circle in the middle and a 0 on the right of the B
I have a small brown glass bottle with B a circle around it 1340 above it and 5 DR. Obelow it
Josephine, it sounds like a small medicine vial that holds five drams. The “1340” is probably the bottle style number assigned to that mold design.
~David
Hello! I have an 8 oz Brockway Sani-glass medicine bottle. On the bottom where Brockway is in cursive, the only other thing there is the number 18 below it. Do you know what this means? The number?
Makayla,
The “18” is probably a mold number. Please see my page about numbers on the bases of bottles and jars.
Take care,
David
I have a brown bottle with Broadway wrote out underneath on the bottom the top it has a crazy looking 3 with viii beside it…at the bottom of the bottle, but not underneath, it looks like a plus sign in a circle with the word “sari-glos” any idea what kind of bottle…on the side the measurement goes to 220cc
Hi Julia, the marking is meant to be “SANI-GLAS”, a trademark used by Brockway Glass Company for their line of “generic” medicine bottles. The bottles could have been used for a variety of products, but primarily medicinal products. the “Crazy looking 3” means “ounces” and the viii means “8”, thus your bottle holds approximately 8 ounces of liquid. I don’t know the timeline for the Sani-Glas bottles. Perhaps a search of patent or trademark sites could bring up the date ranges for it’s use.
David
Hi David! So I found this bottle with a B in a circle, it has a W and some embossed leaves on the bottom it had the numbers 2566-A with a O on the right and a 1 under the B in a circle, I have been searching online but nothing specific appears. Thanks for the help!
Helen, I’m sorry but I don’t know. The “2566-A” is a code number assigned to that bottle style/design. Perhaps using that number in online keyword searches you could find out more info. However keep in mind that Brockway (as with many other large glass container manufacturers) made many, many styles and sizes of bottles over a long period of time, and often it is very difficult to find detailed information on a particular container.
~David
I believe I have found the same bottle and can not find anything else about it! 🤔
Hi Heather,
Can you please check my “Contact Information” page on this site and then send me an email with photos of that bottle? I have not found any info on it either since the original post by Helen several years ago. But if I can see photos of the bottle maybe I can come up with some info on general type or perhaps an idea on what it once held. Brockway made huge numbers of glass containers of every description, and each type/mold style was assigned a catalog/inventory number for their records. That number often was marked on the base of the bottle or jar. I’m sorry this site isn’t set up so that reader can upload photos along with the text.
Thank you and best regards,
David
I have a bottle I found and no luck finding any info about it.
It has B in a circle in the center and a 3 to the left. Above the B it says 1847. It’s a small clear glass. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Scott
Hi Scott, since Brockway made thousands of different bottles and jars over many years, it would be no surprise that info on any particular bottle can be very hard to find. The only bit of info I can pass along is that the “1847” would be a mold design number (inventory number) assigned by Brockway to that particular bottle. You might try searching ebay with such keywords or phrases as bottle, “B in a circle” and “1847” in case others have posted similar bottles up for auction.
Best regards,
David
Thank you for all this great information! My husband and I found a small glass jar while digging in our yard. I believe it’s a medicine jar. It has a circle with a B in it, but the B has 3 serifs.
I have (4) 4″ glasses, there are 3 “lines” of circles, with a pedestal bottom. Reminds me of Old jelly jars or maybe even soft cheese product jars.
The bottoms all have B in a circle, but with just one other number, each on one side of the glass bottom. The numbers are on the left and the B on the right. One glass only has the B.
I’d appreciate any help you could offer.
Thanks,
Bobbi
Bobbi, I don’t know anything about the jars, but I will assume they are product jars for soft cheese, peanut butter, jam or jelly. Brockway made a huge variety of containers with the “circled B”. The numbers to the left are presumably mold numbers and give no information on date.
~David
I found a small bottle with the circle B in the middle that washed up in St. Augustine, FL. The number over the B is 818. The number to the left is 0, and the number on the bottom is a 10. There is nothing to the right. The neck of the top of the bottle is textured or with tiny little bumps. Is this from 1910 maybe?
Martha,
I am quite sure it is not as old as 1910. However I have no info on exact age. The “818” is a mold number assigned to that particular bottle style or design. The “10” could be a plant code number or mold cavity number. It is certainly not a date code for 1910.
Best regards,
David
David: I just found a marked Brockway Clear-Vu glass Mason jar (quart-size). On the bottom is the circled B i the middle. Below the B is 1104. Nothing to the left or right. Above the circled B is the number 44 and right above that is the number 1. From the overall looks of the jar it doesn’t seem to be particularly old, but probably is older than 1990. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Armin
Hi Armin,
I’m honestly not sure about the date range, but I’ll guess it might date from sometime in the 1940s-1960s. Perhaps someone with deeper knowledge on the Brockway fruit jars can give us more information.
Best regards,
David