Description:

An exceptionally diverse and visually compelling early to mid 20th century North American glass bottle and advertising jar collection, comprising over thirty pieces spanning dairy, soda, preserves, peanut butter, marmalade, pickle, pharmaceutical and household categories. This carefully assembled group offers embossed, labeled and lithographed examples that collectively illustrate the evolution of commercial glass packaging across Canada and the United States.

The collection includes, but is not limited to, the following notable examples:

McLarens Invincible Queen Olives jar with original lithographed metal lid, Hamilton, Canada
McLarens green and red branded preserve jars with printed metal lids
St. Williams glass preserves jar with original red printed lid
York Peanut Butter wide-mouth jar with period paper label
Junior Ice Box Jar measuring jar with sanitary cap advertising lid
Rosebery Dairy, Napanee, Ontario bottle with red pyroglaze decoration
Lindsay Creamery Limited milk bottle with red pyroglaze
Triangle Dairy, Fulton, N.Y. milk bottle
Bancroft Dairy bottle
Embossed dairy bottles including Brockville Dairy and Kingston example
Diet Pepsi-Cola and Pepsi-Cola ACL soda bottles
Dow Ale green glass bottle
Amber 500 ml apothecary or laboratory measure bottle with graduated embossing
True Fruit embossed bottle
Marsa Chan Fruit Marmalade advertising jar
Prince Sweet Mixed Pickles jar with original label
St. Joseph style handled syrup or cruet bottle
Multiple early square and round milk bottles with applied lips and embossed panels

The group presents a strong cross-section of regional dairies and food producers, several retaining original lithographed tin lids or applied color labels. The inclusion of Atlantic Canadian, Ontario and New York State examples enhances regional interest and collector appeal. Early applied lip milk bottles and square-section dairy forms suggest production from the 1910s through the 1940s, while ACL soda bottles extend into the mid 20th century.

Individually, many of these bottles are moderately scarce regional issues, particularly smaller-town dairies such as Napanee, Lindsay, Bancroft and Fulton. Complete examples retaining original lithographed lids, such as McLarens and St. Williams, are increasingly difficult to source in untouched estate-found condition. While none are extreme rarities in isolation, the breadth of regional representation and survival of original advertising elements significantly enhances group desirability.

Overall estate condition. The majority of bottles exhibit typical ground-recovered or attic-stored surface wear including interior haze, light mineral staining, soil residue and minor scuffing. No obvious major cracks or large structural fractures; however, some pieces show moderate staining and surface wear consistent with age and use. Paper labels show age toning and edge wear. Metal lids exhibit oxidation and paint loss. Condition is consistent with authentic early commercial glass and supports period originality.

This collection offers immediate visual impact when displayed as a grouped installation - an evocative snapshot of early grocery, dairy and soda distribution across small-town North America. For collectors of Canadian dairy bottles, regional advertising, early food packaging or general antique glass, this lot provides depth, variety and resale potential. The presence of multiple branded examples makes it suitable for breakup and individual resale, thematic display or curated retail presentation.

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April 5, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Stouffville, ON, CA

Oakwood Auctions

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $299 $10
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $99,999 $1,000
$100,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 + $10,000