ShareThisBy HELAINE FENDELMAN and JOE ROSSON
DEAR HELAINE AND JOE: This old flask is about nine inches tall and holds four cups of liquid. The words "General Washington" are on the front above a portrait of George Washington. On the back is an eagle. It is in good condition and there is either a "6" or a "9" on the bottom. What do we have, what was it used for and what is its value. Sincerely. _ B. W., Ridgway, Pa.
DEAR B W.: Bottles such as this one are generally called either "pictorial" or "historical" flasks. They are given this name because of the pictorial designs found on them that are often related in some way to America's past. They are called "flasks" _ as in "whiskey flasks" _ because that is the liquid they were generally intended to contain.
All kinds of images are found on these bottles, which originally were made mainly in the second and third quarters of the 19th century. Such personages as George Washington, John Adams, Zachary Taylor and the Marquis de Lafayette can be found, as can representations of eagles, cornucopia, Masonic symbols, railroads, steam and sailing ships, flags and log cabins ... to name just a few.
These flasks generally were made in three sizes _ half pints, pints and quarts. B. W.'s statement that this particular example holds "four cups" signifies that this is a quart bottle because there are 32 ounces in a quart and four cups at eight ounces each equals 32 ounces.
To take this discussion further, the book "American Glass" by George S. and Helen McKearin needs to be consulted because this is the classic reference on the subject of American pictorial and historical flasks. It was the McKearins who listed and classified these items in the early 1940's and collectors still use their system today.
Checking the McKearin listing of flasks with the image of George Washington and the words "General Washington" above and an eagle on the back, all we can find is examples in the pint size. This information makes alarm bells go off in our heads; we are fairly certain that this bottle is a reproduction.
However, there are other clues as well. This bottle should have been blown into a mold, which means that it should have a pontil _ or area on the bottom where an iron punty rod was attached during the manufacturing process. The punty rod, which was used as a handle while the mouth of the bottle was being finished, leaves a "scar" or rough area.
This important tell-tale feature does not exist on this bottle. In addition, the number "6" or "9" should not be on the bottom, and indicates to us that this is a much later flask than first appearances might suggest.
One thing we cannot do from the photographs that were supplied to us is check the mold lines on the side of the bottle to see how far they go up the neck. On bottles made in the early to mid-19th century, these mold lines should not reach the lip but should stop somewhere between the shoulder and the rim. This is because on mid- to late 19th century bottles, the lip was finished by hand and this process destroyed the mold lines that might otherwise have been there. We bet that the mold lines on this piece goes all the way to the top of the lip. If so, that definitely would mark it as a 20th century bottle with only a modest value of less than $50.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Questions can by mailed to them at P.O. Box 12208, Knoxville, TN 37912-0208.)
