Unusual Glass Telescope-Shaped Bottle – What’s the history on this one?

 Unusual vintage glass “Telescope” bottle 

Over the last several years I’ve heard from four different readers who had found an older glass bottle with three “tiers” designed in the general form of a telescope.   I’ve tried to find more background information on this style of bottle but have come up with virtually nothing!   When doing a web keyword search, unrelated bottles made for Old Spice and Avon come up frequently, but very few examples are found of this glass bottle!

I believe this type of bottle was most likely produced for an unidentified brand name product – perhaps for a particular brand of cologne, lotion, or aftershave?  Or hot pepper sauce, olive oil,  or an unknown food product?   Or,  was this merely a “stock” bottle produced for sale to any company to use as they wished?

Many unusually designed bottles (of every style and type imaginable) have been marketed over the years here in the United States (and of course in many other countries around the world).  Many of them were short-lived “figural” designs – for colognes and other cosmetics, alcoholic beverages, bitters, sauces, foods, etc.     Even though in some cases the shape is unique or interesting, the bottles made for “throwaway” or common utilitarian use were usually discarded after being emptied.    This is probably why some rarely seen bottles are known only from a few scattered finds in old dumpsites.    Without an original label still affixed, it can be a bit difficult to find out what was contained in some old bottles.

This bottle design might be best described as a telescope or “spyglass”, but at a quick glance some might be reminded of a lighthouse or a tower of some sort.  The bottles measure approximately six inches in height.    I believe these examples generally date from the 1940s-1960s era – but cannot narrow that down to an exact year – since none of these bottles bear a date code.   I suspect that a design patent was issued for this style of bottle, but haven’t found information identifying such a patent.

So far, we have found, from studying the base marks of these bottles, that they were made by at least three different glass manufacturers.   Those three include Glass Containers Corporation , Fullerton, California;  Fairmount Glass Works, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Brockway Glass Company,  formerly based in Brockway,  Pennsylvania.    The glass company identification marks seen are, respectively, an “angular GC”;  an “F in a hexagon” and a “B in a circle”.  It is possible other glassmakers made a similar bottle.   If you find one, please let us know!

The amber bottle made by Fairmount Glass Co. has an interesting circular geometrical design embossed on the lower part of the bottle (see pics) and a raised circular design on the upper area of the bottle appears to be a representation of a nurse standing behind her patient.  (The other examples of this type of bottle are entirely unmarked on the “face” or sides of the bottle – only marked on the base).

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Below are photos of these bottles – from Parker Kolb, Jane Roth, Andrea Handley, and Jessie Johnson.  THANK YOU to all of you for allowing me to post these photos!   Perhaps, as time goes on more examples will “come out of the woodwork” and we will find out more info on this style of bottle!

Profile pic of glass telescope shaped bottle - GC on base - 3173 style number (photo courtesy of Parker Kolb).
Profile pic of glass telescope shaped bottle – GC on base – 3173 style number. (Photo courtesy of Parker Kolb).
Off-clear or very light green glass telescope-shaped bottle - GC mark and 3173 style number on base - Photo courtesy of Parker Kolb
Off-clear or very light green glass telescope-shaped bottle – GC mark and 3173 style number on base. (Photo courtesy of Parker Kolb).
Amber telescope bottle. This version was made by Fairmount Glass Company (F in a hexagon mark). The height is about six inches. (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).
Amber telescope bottle. This version was made by Fairmount Glass Company (“F in a hexagon” mark). The height is about six inches. (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).

 

Base of amber "Telescope" bottle made by Fairmount Glass Works, Indianapolis (F in a hexagon mark).  The bottle mold design number is "9-554". Photo courtesy of Jane Roth.
Base of amber “Telescope” bottle made by Fairmount Glass Works, Indianapolis (F in a hexagon mark).  The bottle mold design number is “9-554”. (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).
Lower heel portion of amber glass telescope bottle made by Fairmount Glass Works - Photo courtesy of Jane Roth.
Lower heel portion of amber glass telescope bottle made by Fairmount Glass Works – (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).
Upper portion of amber telescope bottle - Fairmount Glass Works - photo courtesy of Jane Roth.
Upper portion of amber telescope bottle – Fairmount Glass Works – (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).

 

Top view of amber telescope-shaped bottle (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).
Top view of amber telescope-shaped bottle (Photo courtesy of Jane Roth).
Clear telescope bottle - 3174 design number on base (photo courtesy of Andrea Handley)
Clear telescope bottle –  product of Glass Containers Corporation – GC mark – 3174 design number on base.  (Photo courtesy of Andrea Handley).
Base markings on clear glass telescope-shaped bottle - Angular "G C" and "3174" style number. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Handley)
Base markings on clear glass telescope-shaped bottle – Angular “G C” and “3174” style number. This bottle was made in mold number 2.  (Photo courtesy of Andrea Handley).
Amber telescope bottle - made by Brockway Glass Company - 4503 mold design number- B inside a circle (Photo courtesy of Jessie Johnson).
Amber telescope bottle – this version made by Brockway Glass Company – 4503 mold design number –  B inside a circle maker’s mark.  (Photo courtesy of Jessie Johnson).
Base of amber telescope bottle made by Brockway Glass Company (Photo courtesy of Jessie Johnson)
Base of amber telescope bottle made by Brockway Glass Company – mold style number 4503. (Photo courtesy of Jessie Johnson).

Note that the two examples made by Glass Containers Corporation bear slightly different mold style numbers:  3173 and 3174.

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