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large lot of nearly identical late 19th or early 20th century privy dug milwaukee john graf "mug base" hutchinson embossed soda bottles with applied blobtops
  • large lot of nearly identical late 19th or early 20th century privy dug milwaukee john graf "mug base" hutchinson embossed soda bottles with applied blobtops
large lot of nearly identical late 19th or early 20th century privy dug milwaukee john graf "mug base" hutchinson embossed soda bottles with applied blobtops

large lot of nearly identical late 19th or early 20th century privy dug milwaukee john graf "mug base" hutchinson embossed soda bottles with applied blobtops

SKU: UR-21802-15
reference only
seven nearly identical original antique american privy dug hutchinson type soda bottles manufactured for bottler john graf of milwaukee, wisconsin. the blob top bottles range from nearly colorless to a light blue or green aqua colored glass. each privy dug bottle features a short neck and blob top finish. two of the bottles retain the internal hutchinson spring stopper. each bottle has a clean strike in the form of an embossed "john graf" and "milwaukee wis" along the body. on the back of one bottle is the embossed phrase "the best what gives." the bottle bases are hexagonal "mug bases." the bottles are largely intact with wear and crudities typical of age and date of manufacture. exact bottle fabricator unknown. the bottles were discovered in privy pits in the "historic third ward" district in milwaukee. john graf sr. was born in milwaukee, wisconsin on february 27, 1853. john got his start by working for hickey & sons soda water manufactures. by 1871 he relocated to decorah, iowa where he went to work for fred hencge, who also was a soda water manufacturer. He stayed in decorah for six months and then returned back to milwaukee to work for carl kunchel until 1873. the same year he would form a partnership with phillip madlener. they called the company graf & madlener manufacturers of soda water (weiss beer brewery). from 1877 to 1883 the company was located at 530 national ave and went by the name south side white beer brewery. Sometime in 1883 john graf became the sole owner of the company. the company now was called the john graf south side white beer brewery. in 1913 the company would incorporate and was called the john graf co. john passed away on may 16 1930. his son took over the company with his sister sylvia graf as president of the firm. sylvia passed away in 1963. john graf sr.'s grandson lawrie then took over the company and under his leadership the company became nationally known for grandpa graf's root beer. lawrie graf sold the company to p & atlas industrial center in 1968. this firm sold the company to the canada dry company, who sold it to the canfield company in 1984. the company is still producing grandpa graf's root beer.

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