Q: I have an old blue green bottle with an applied blob top. It has seams on both sides and a smooth bottom. It’s about seven inches long and is inscribed “H. Schmidtmann, 413 E. 24th St., New York” and “H.S. 1874.” Can you give me any information on this bottle?
A: H. Schmidtmann was in business from 1864 to 1875, so “1874” may have been the date of manufacture. No other information on this company is available. Blob top soda and mineral water bottles were first made in the 1840s. Later, some blob top bottles were made for beer. Most blob top bottles are pony shape, like yours, with sloping shoulders and were blown in a mold. Your bottle probably originally had a cork closure held in place by a wire bail looped around the blob top. Bottles like yours occasionally show up online and sell for less than $20.
