Millbrook Library holds ‘old bottle’ workshop

MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Library held an ‘Antique Bottle Workshop’ and presentation led by Alex Prizgintas on June 5.

Prizgintas discussed the bottle-making industry, including techniques, types of bottles, and how to date them accurately. From apothecary bottles to saddle flasks, Prizgintas displayed his knowledge of distinct characteristics found in antique bottles.

By analyzing mold seams and pontil scars, a mark left from the glassblower’s rod located on the bottom of the bottle allows bottle owners to get an idea of when their piece was made. Other qualities such as glass color, tool marks, and embossing are used.

Early mass-produced bottles tended to have rough qualities due to the crude technology of the time. As the technology advanced they became uniform and shedded impurities present in earlier samples.

The talk emphasized educating about the historical and artistic significance rather than monetary value.

“Now, a lot of us might think of it as a beautiful piece of the past, but during this time, it’s important to think that most of these, especially what’s on display, were taken for granted…they were viewed as strictly utilitarian,” said Prizgintas, pointing out the contrast between how antique bottles are viewed today and how they were used in the past.