New Almaden

  In the 40 plus years I have collected western glass, I have been most attracted to the early stuff...The glass blown in San Francisco from 1860 until the early 1870s just calls to me with the beautiful colors, crudity and rarity. For many years, I had been trying to acquire a few problem free examples of the "champagne" style New Almaden Vichy water. It took decades, but I have two in my collection. These bottles are almost always seen with some form of damage...why? I understand that  a Cassin's Grape Brandy Bitters would have a tough go at surviving being blown, packed, shipped, consumed, and thrown away. I get it...they are ornate and fragile pieces. Why in the heck are the New Almaden's almost always damaged? I am sure most diggers can relate to finding a killer western bottle in pieces, and the paper thin olive oils, and tons of blacks, champagnes, and slicks are perfect. Why then would a champagne style bottle ( which are always whole if unembossed), like the New Almaden be typically trashed, chipped, cracked or in shards? I can separate the inmaking stones and flashes from post manufacturing damage as being a part of the relatively unsophisticated western skillset of 12 year old boys making bottles, but my goodness these New Almaden's are rare!    While   certainly not figurals, the Vichy Water's are still a beautiful and significant part of California history. It seems like this bottle always creates more questions for me than answers. Why this style? Were they sold at the source or at resort? Were the contents different from the soda style and what about that funky "coke bottle" style of the extremely rare soda type examples? Also, are there any ads picturing the champagne pint, and quart plus size? What were the manufacturing dates of the champagne style? These bottles really remind me of the M.Keller California Wine Bitters in color, and glass character, I would bet they were made about the same time. I sound like a kid in the back seat on vacation.


  I have never claimed to be an expert in all of the history of all western glass, and I would appreciate some answers to the many questions I have on these great bottles. DM.
As always, click on the photo to enlarge.


Daily Alta California , Volume 22, Number 7331, 17 April 1870