The Bottles of Jacob Wirth

Page last updated on 11/18/06

 

            

            Sometime around 1965 or 1966, a old friend of mine, Dick Ekwall (who shall be held blameless for what he started) stopped by for a visit, and proposed the idea that I should accompany him on a bottle digging expedition to an old family farm in the town of Heath in northwestern Massachusetts.  I queried, "Why in the world would we want to do that?"  He explained that he had located a dump on his family's property there, and that it was full of old bottles and other marvelous things from the late 19th and early 20th century, that were really neat.  Well, we were young then, and really didn't need a "good" excuse to go off on some adventure or another, so, the following Saturday, off we went to Heath!  We started digging, and sure enough, up came bottles.  Lots of bottles.  Sadly, most of them were broken, but a few had stood the test of time and came out of the ground in one piece.  The very first intact bottle that I found was a very old beer bottle, the very bottle, in fact, which I list below as W-001, complete with it's rare Schlich stopper.  I kept this bottle, mostly as a memento of the day.  I believe it's the only one of the bottles I dug that day, that I still have.  Some years later, I came across another, different Jacob Wirth bottle at a flea market.  And later still, another..................  Now then, in anybody's language, three of just about anything constitutes a collection!  As they say, the rest is history.  At last count the collection is 27 different Jacob Wirth bottles.  I keep thinking I must have them all, but every time another one shows up.

            Much of the information and the two images below, were, er, sorta "borrowed" from a small book entitled "A Seidel for Jake Wirth" which at one time was sold at Jacob Wirth's Restaurant as a souvenir of the establishment.  It was compiled in 1964 by a group of loyal patrons.

            With the 11/18/06 update, I've brought the total number of Jacob Wirth Boston bottles in the collection to 17 with another 3 that I know about but don't yet have.  The Providence collection numbers 10, with 4 more that I know about but don't have.  Seems to me, back when I had 10 total, I thought, "I must have them all!".

 

        Shortly after immigrating to Boston from Germany, Jacob Wirth set up shop at 60 Eliot St in 1868.  He established himself as an importer of fine Rhine wines, as well as other German and French wines.  He opened a bottling plant in Charlestown, and became the sole Boston agent for the lagers of Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, George Ehret's New York Hell Gate Lager, Robert Smith's India Pale Ale from Philadelphia and the products of the Narragansett Brewing Co. of Providence, R.I..  He also brewed a number of his own beers.
       In 1878, he moved across the street to 37-39 Eliot St.  There, he opened Jacob Wirth's Restaurant, which remains to this day, though in the intervening years, the name of the street has been changed, first to Elliot, and then to Stuart.  The portrait of Jake Wirth, above, hangs in the restaurant,  while a less traditional likeness of the company's founder appeared  on an 1870s advertising lithograph, which showed him, perched on a giant bottle of his own Lager, which was strapped to the back of a goat. He has a keg on his left shoulder, and a seidel (no doubt of the same lager) raised in his right hand.  The bottle pictured in this lithograph is the one designated W-001, below.

 

       In 1880 Jake opened a 2nd bottling plant (and a 2nd restaurant) in Providence, R. I. and had offices first at 160, and later at 164 Broad St.  The Providence operation was presided over by his nephew, Henry R. Wirth.  A list of Providence bottles which I have or know about can be found here.

       The following bottles are those that I know exist and have photographs of.  Most are from my own collection, but any that are not, are so noted.

       Click on the thumbnails to view full sized pictures.

 

Boston Bottles

    

JACOB WIRTH / 60 ELIOT ST. / BOSTON / MASS.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD.  Aqua, blob top, 9 3/8".  Bottle on left has rare, patented F. Schlich closure, standard on this bottle.  I believe this to be the oldest Jacob Wirth bottle, circa 1874.

W-001
JACOB WIRTH / 37 ELIOT ST. / BOSTON in a slugplate.  On base, DEAN FOSTER & CO. / BOSTON.  Aqua, blob top, 9 1/4".  Circa 1880 - 1883.

W-002

    

    

Inside a raised diamond, JACOB WIRTH / TRADE / CELEBRATED (JW logo) BOTTLED / MARK / NEW YORK LAGER BEER.  Below the diamond, No 37 ELIOT ST. BOSTON, MASS.  Aqua, blob top,   9 1/2".  Circa 1880 - 1883.

W-003
JACOB WIRTH / 37 & 39 ELIOT ST. / BOSTON, Mass. in a slugplate.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE (large letters) IS NEVER SOLD (smaller letters).  HZ or H2 logo on base.  Aqua, blob top, 9 1/2".  Circa 1883 - 1885.

W-004

    

    

JACOB WIRTH / 33 TO 39 / ELLIOT ST. / BOSTON, MASS. in a slugplate.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO / BE SOLD.  XVIII N / K. HUTTER / N. Y. on base.  Aqua, blob top, 9 1/8".  Circa 1885 - 1890.

W-005
JACOB WIRTH / 33 TO 39 / ELLIOT ST. / BOSTON, MASS. in a slugplate.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO / BE SOLD.  KARL HUTTER / XVI / N / NEW YORK on base.  Honey amber, blob top, 9 3/8".  Circa 1885 - 1890.  (This bottle was also made in straw yellow, but I don't have it in my collection.)

W-006

    

         

(JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH CO / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, high on the shoulder of the bottle.  REGISTERED on reverse.  Printed porcelain stopper, as shown.  Clear, blob top,     9 1/2".  Circa 1890 - 1895.

W-007
(JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH CO / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, in slugplate.  REGISTERED on front shoulder.  Printed porcelain stopper, as shown.  Clear, blob top, 9 3/8".  Circa 1890 - 1895.

W-008         (

         

    

(JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH.  / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, in slugplate.  REGISTERED on rear shoulder.  Clear, blob top, 9 1/2".  Circa 1890 - 1895.

W-009
REGISTERED across front shoulder.  (JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH / BOSTON / MASS. in a diamond, in slugplate.  Clear, BIMAL, crown top, 9 3/8".  Third picture shows a common variant, with B in JACOB missing or very faint.  I've classified this variant as W-010A.  Circa 1895 - 1905.

W-010

         

  

Metal strapped wooden case from Jacob Wirth Brewery, circa 1883-1885.

W-011
(JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH. / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, in slugplate.  REGISTERED on rear shoulder.  Clear, crown top, 9 1/4".  Circa 1890 - 1905.  Labeled ANHEUSER-BUSCH STANDARD, SPECIAL BREWING, EXPORT BEER, JACOB WIRTH, AUTHORIZED BOTTLER, 33 ELIOT ST., BOSTON, MASS.

(courtesy of Tom Tate)

I would like to acquire this bottle for my collection!

W-012

     

  

     

 Unembossed bottle.  Aqua, BIMAL, crown top, 9 1/2".  Circa 1906 - 1910.  Labeled NARRAGANSETT SELECT / AUTHORIZED BOTTLERS / MADE ON HONOR / TRADE (NBC logo) MARK / SOLD ON MERIT / JACOB WIRTH CO. / 31 - 37 ELIOT ST. / BOSTON / MASS. / LAGER BEER.  Partial neck label reads JACOB W...... / BOSTON / ......T BEER.

W-013
Metal strapped wooden case from Jacob Wirth Brewery, circa probably after 1906.

W-014

                  

     

 (JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH. / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, in slugplate.  REGISTERED on rear shoulder.  Clear, blob top, 9 1/4".  Printed porcelain stopper, as shown.  Circa 1890 - 1905.  Bottle is same as W-009.   Labeled ANHEUSER-BUSCH STANDARD, SPECIAL BREWING, EXPORT BEER, JACOB WIRTH, AUTHORIZED BOTTLER, 33 ELIOT ST., BOSTON, MASS.

W-015

 

 
(JW logo) / REGISTERED acid etched on front shoulder.  Blank oval slugplate on reverse.  No other markings.  The bottle as I received it had the remains of the same Anheuser Busch label as I show on W-012 and W-015.  It is shown in the first picture.  Since it was mostly gone and covering part of the acid etching, I have removed it.  Aqua, blob top, 9 1/2".  (See WP-013 under Providence bottles, another recently discovered acid etched Wirth bottle!)

W-016

 

          

     

 JACOB WIRTH / 33 ELIOT ST. / BOSTON in a slugplate.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO / BE SOLD.  E.H.E.Co.No.2 down near the base.  Aqua, blob top, 9 1/2".  Circa 1883 - 1885.

W-017 
JACOB WIRTH / BOSTON / MASS in a slugplate.  Reverse, THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO / BE SOLD.  Aqua, blob top, 9 3/8".    KARL HUTTER / 3N / NEW YORK on base.  Circa 1883 - 1890.

(courtesy of Jim Brogle)

I would like to acquire this bottle for my collection!

W-018         

          

     

 (JW logo) / JACOB WIRTH  / BOSTON / MASS in a diamond, in slugplate.  REGISTERED on rear shoulder.   Clear, crown top, 9 3/8".  Circa 1895 - 1905.

(courtesy of Jim Brogle)

I would like to acquire this bottle for my collection!

 

W-019 

 

CLICK HERE FOR PROVIDENCE BOTTLES

These page are maintained by the author, Roger Heatley, and Jennrog Collectables LLC, and are intended for the information and enjoyment of all.  I am interested in hearing about and/or acquiring any bottles which are not shown or described on these pages, as well as labeled examples of Jacob Wirth bottles, and can be contacted by email at jennrog@charter.net or by phone at 978-433-8274.