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BARBER BOTTLES AND THEIR SHAPES  Barber bottles were a part of the barbers tool box. These unique bottles contained shampoos, hair tonics and facial splashes. The barber could purchase a large quaintly of a product or make up his own recipe and refill his bottles. There were many styles and shapes of these bottles. A large variety of colors, enameled floral decorations and unique designs made these bottles very eye appealing while setting on the shelf. The famous artist Mary Gregory with her enameled scenes of small children are very popular today with collectors. Pressed and cut glass examples were available along with opaque personalized bottles in demand also. The personalized bottles would have the barbers name or a very good clients name on it with some kind of a design or picture painted on it. There were also applied label bottles. This was a thin layer of glass covering the label. Many of the earliest bottles were hand blown with a pontil base and a applied or sheared lip. These bottles were manufactured in the United States and imported from Europe. Most of the fancy styles bottles were not embossed but there are a few exceptions. The T Noonan & Co. Barber Supplies Boston, Mass. embossed there name on the base of some of there bottles. Barber bottles were in high demand between 1880s thru the early 1900s. In 1906 the Pure Food and Drug act of 1906 restricted the use of alcohol based substances in unlabeled and refillable containers. This made these bottles no longer used for there original purpose. The demand slowed down but they were still being made till the 1920s. Here below are just a few of the colorful and unique shapes that were offered.                 Reference: Collecting Barber Bottles by Richard Holiner Copyright 1986. Frank & Cheryl (Wicker) Bottle Collection  |
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