L G Co Jar

L G Co

Wax Sealer Jar

Probably Lindell Glass Company, Saint Louis, Missouri

Base Embossed Yellow Green Half Gallon

Provenance: Phil Smith Collection

Our “L.G. Co.” jar is a base embossed half-gallon. This bubble-infused, olive swirl striated container is hand-blown with a tooled applied lip. The closure is a wax seal groove ring that would use a metal cap with a wire clamp. The maker is unknown though Lindell Glass Company of Saint Louis, Missouri is a probability. The yellow-green glass color, character, and condition are outstanding.

Though there are other bottles and jars embossed L.G. Co., the shape of our subject jar, the lip, shoulder, base, and color, and that a handful of jars have been found in the Saint Louis area strongly suggest a relationship to the Lindell Glass Company. There are also similar base embossed jars marked Lindell Glass Company that are usually a quart size, and those base marked L.G. Co. are typically half gallons.

Our museum jar typography varies from other half-gallon examples as periods appear to be absent. It could be that the preponderance of glass bubbles obscures the dots used in L G Co. This copy is crudely embossed in a straight line centered on the bottom of the jar. There is some indication of the remnants of an embossed bung hole motif centered above the typography.

The Lindell Glass Co. (1874-1892) was one of the most important early beer bottle manufacturers of its time. A trade note from February 1875 reported that the factory had made “9,000 gross of different kinds of bottles” since August 1874 (Crockery & Glass Journal), indicating that the plant had expanded output from the beginning to other types of vessels, such as jars. The company was first listed in the St. Louis, Missouri city directory in 1875 and last listed in 1890. A series of bad debts put the company out of business in 1892.

See a similar museum example of a base embossed Frederick Heitz Wax Sealer jar from Saint Louis.

See the museum example of a Mason’s LGCo (monogram) Patent Jar Nov 30th 1858 

Primary Image: The base embossed L G Co wax sealer jar imaged on location by Alan DeMaison, FOHBC Virtual Museum Midwest Studio

Support: Reference to Lindell Glass Co. by Bill Lockhart, Pete Schulz, Beau Schriever, Bill Lindsey, and Carol Serr with contributions by David Whitten

Support: Reference to Red Book #11, the Collector’s Guide to Old Fruit Jars by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr.

Support: Reference to Fruit Jar Annual 2020 – The Guide to Collecting Fruit Jars by Jerome J. McCann

Support Image: Auction Lot 7828: LGCo P Wax Sealer Bright Yellow Olive Half Gallon, grooved ring wax sealer mouth finish, shiny glass, has a repair to the outer ring of the mouth, Embossing: base only. Base: “LGCo P” Age: late 1800s .Availability: scarce in this bold and appealing color. – Greg Spurgeon, North American Glass, June 2014

Support Image: Auction Lot 32: LGCo / P Wax Sealer Yellow Green Half Gallon, Closure: applied grooved ring wax sealer mouth finish, Appearance: sparkling glass. Condition: no damage including a perfect applied mouth, Embossing: base only. Base: “LGCo / P”,  late 1800s, scarce in this appealing color. – Greg Spurgeon, North American Glass, July 2018

Support Image: Auction Lot 107: LGCO Wax Sealer. Strong color and crude. Applied grooved ring wax sealer mouth finish and comes with an early unmarked tin cap. Appearance: crude sparking glass with a hammered whittle effect. Condition: 2 chips on the outer ring. Embossing: base only. Base: “LGCo” Age: late 1800s. Availability: rare in this appealing strong color – Greg Spurgeon, North American Glass, January 2022.

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