Posted 9 years ago
hotairfan
(388 items)
These are (3) early PA German baby bottles. They were made by tin smiths like Peter Derr who was noted for his Betty Lamps. I was told, by the tinsmith who demonstrates at the Landis Valley Farm Museum, PA, that they were made as early as the 1600's.I believe that these were made around the American civil war era. I left the tag in the one mammily that stated it was grampa's nursing bottle 1858
People weren't aware to germs accumulating in the seams and causing illness until after the civil war so they thought that if they looked clean, it was all right for baby.
Note the way the stem goes down to the bottom of the bottle to deter air from filling their bellies during nursing.
In the last photo, note that it has a round nipple like mouthpiece. This was often a bullet that was soldered onto the drinking straw.
OMG! These are incredibly rare!!! Amazing find. You can find one in Wallace Nuttings books, I have only seen one other so far. Did you get these at auction? Great job..really great job.
I am always keeping an eye out for one of these...I am yet to find one.
Thanks for the reply BHock45. I found one at an auction that was held at a small fire Co. auction hall in Rehrigsburg, PA. This is not too far from the Peter Derr homestead. There was also a betty lamp signed P.D. at that sale (very rarely found and highly sought after). This is why I think that the Mammily might be a Peter Derr item. But, I must add that all Peter Derr items that I have seen are marked either Peter Derr or P.D. So, I can't be sure. Even in my Derr book of his tin smithing, the mammily with the little note in the inside looks strikingly similar to the model in the book.
As for the other two that I have pictured, I received one from a dear friend and the other, I bought from a 94 year old collector who heard that I would be interested in purchasing it from her... I was.
This is my problem, I find something that captures my interest, and I don't quit until I have a collection of them. My wife says... it's a sickness.
found some PD stuff at auction
http://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/Peter-Derr-Betty-lamp_36C4A95BC8/
http://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/Peter-Derr-dough-scraper_D144102BE2/
Oh the history! These are great!
I looked at your links BHock45. thanks a lot for posting them. The prices of Peter Derr items are quite salty as you can see by the link info. This is why I don't have a collection of his work.
Thanks for the comments MyFavoriteTreasureres.