Like modern glassware, ancient bottles relied on three basic ingredients: Sand or silica, sodium carbonate, and lime, also known as calcium oxide. In the United States, however, the oldest bottles were actually ceramic vessels produced by indigenous groups. Europeans brought their knowledge of glassmaking to North America and began crafting their own glass bottles in the mid-17th century. America’s first major manufacturer of glass bottles was established in 1739 by Caspar Wistar in Salem County, New Jersey. One of Wistar’s competitor’s, Henry William Stiegel, built a reputation for much finer glass at his third facility, which was modeled on English methodology. In contrast to Wistar’s utilitarian products, Stiegel specialized in lavish designs made from amethyst or sapphire-colored glass, often incorporating engraved or enameled details. These two bottle-making firms were followed by other producers like the Philadelphia Glass Works (later known as the Dyottville Glass Works), Olive Glass Works, the Pitkin glasshouse, the Stoddard glasshouse, and the New Hampshire Glass Factory. Until around 1850, all bottles were mouthblown through a blowpipe and finished with a process known as empontilling, where a separate rod tipped with hot glass was attached to the bottom of a vessel so the blowpipe could be removed from the bottle’s top. Typically, the blowpipe was severed by marking the top with a wet wooden paddle and then giving it a sharp tap to break it along this line. This would create the bottle’s lip, which would then be heated to a smooth finish. A completed bottle was finally broken from the pontil rod, leaving a so-called “pontil scar,” which could be removed by carefully grinding the bottom. Most antique bottles were made in hues of green, blue, or aqua. Clear glass was more difficult to manufacture since it requires purer ingredients, while more unusual colors depend on specific additives. Reds were made with copper, selenium, or gold; purples used nickel or manganese; greens required chromium or copper; browns needed carbon or nickel; white or milk glass used tin or zinc. Since these colors were much rarer until the 20th century, collectors often place a higher value on antique bottles with such interesting hues. In 1921, Stephen Van Rensselaer wrote one of the earliest books on collecting old bottles, entitled “Early American Bottles and Flasks.” However, antique-bottle seeking remained a fringe interest for another few decades. The odd-seeming hobby finally emerged from obscurity in 1959, after John Tibbits organized the country’s first bottle-collecting club in Sacramento, California, which he dubbed the Antique Bottle Collectors Association of California. Eventually, the club became a nationwide group, united by its monthly newsletter called “The Pontil.” As interest in antique bottles ballooned, famous shops like John Fountain’s Ole Empty Bottle House opened to meet the growing demand. Today, collectors are drawn to antique and vintage bottles for their attractive forms, historical interest, and availability to anyone willing to do some sleuthing or digging—this digging is often literal, since old bottles are frequently found buried in former dump grounds or latrines. The rarest and most prized bottles include mouthblown glass bottles (as opposed to machine-made), especially those with interesting shapes, like figural bitters; dire warnings, like those on medicine and poison bottles; or other unusual embossings. Other enthusiasts focus on specific brands; beverage types like soda, mineral water, beer, whiskey, or milk; manufacturing regions; products like ink or perfume; or bottles that were used in specific contexts, like pharmacies or canning foods. Collectors often seek particular pontil marks and rare colors, and, as always, condition is paramount.