Giant Milk Bottle Collection Helps Preserve Dairy History

Giant Milk Bottle Collection Helps Preserve Dairy History AG WORLD Milk bottle collecting isn’t as easy as it used to be but every once in a while someone unearths something that makes the hearts of collectors beat faster Pete Whiteford knows The prolific Maryland collector has what may be one of the oldest milk bottles still in existence – an 1884 Corbin Amos & Son Upper Xroad embossed bottle A “digger” found it 6 ft underground on the eastern shore of Maryland and contacted Whiteford Though it has cracks the collector considers it his most valuable piece “The history part drives you ” says Whiteford who grew up in Harford County a predominantly dairy region A milk bottle Christmas gift from his sister in 1980 started his appreciation for the vast variety of milk bottles A few years ago he had more than 3 000 bottles in his collection Since then he’s sold off duplicate bottles to trim his collection to about 2 000 bottles that he stores in various areas and displays on floor-to-ceiling shelves in a room in his basement The collection includes bottles from other countries and from all 50 states It also includes related items such as bottle caps cream spoons signs stools advertising and milking machines “It took me 30 years to put the state collection together ” Whiteford says States such as Pennsylvania had more than 18 000 different bottles But bottles from places like North Dakota Arkansas and Louisiana with far fewer dairies are more difficult to find Collectors like the painted bottles because they can be filled with finely ground Styrofoam and look nice in a display Whiteford says But the embossed bottles are the oldest often dating from the 1880’s Though he is interested in all unusual bottles he focuses on bottles from his state which has an estimated 1 036 different bottles He has 732 of them including 29 from Harford County There are so many bottles particularly from Michigan to New York because many dairy families bottled their own milk or ran a bottling business for area farmers The names on bottles can drive prices high at auctions Whiteford has heard of a bottle selling for more than $5 000 because a family member wanted it “I have 150 bottles with names but don’t know where they are from ” Whiteford notes For example one bottle is labeled “Lennox Dairy JH Bell 808 6th Avenue” but there is no town or state name Serious collectors go to dumps and old outhouses poking with rods to find old bottles “I get most of my bottles at antique stores or from people who call me ” Whiteford says He is a member of two area bottle clubs and the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors www milkbottlecollectors com He advises people interested in bottle collecting to join and they will receive “The Milk Route ” a monthly newsletter with articles and ads of people looking for and selling bottles www milkroute org A sample issue is on the organization’s website and the group holds a convention every spring near Hershey Penn

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