GV-2 “Success To The Railroad” and Locomotive Flask

GV – 2

“Success To The Railroad” and Locomotive

Historical Flask

Lancaster Glass Works, Lancaster, New York

Prussian Blue Pint

Provenance: Sandor P. Fuss Collection

The railroad or railway, both the horse-and-cart type and the steam locomotive inspired many early American flask designs. The railroad flasks, first appearing in 1830, and the slogan “Success to the Railroad” inspired our exceptional Prussian-blue GV-2 Locomotive flask pint. Of the fourteen railroad flasks charted, the slogan appears in seven. Two charted railroad flasks have the embossed locomotive on both sides and have been attributed to the Lancaster Glass Works in Lancaster, New York from about 1849 to 1860.

Our museum example of a GV-2 “Success to the Railroad” Locomotive flask features an embossed, very early, crude steam locomotive on tracks on both sides within oval panels. Embossed copy reading, ‘SUCCESS TO THE RAILROAD’ is placed in a horseshoe configuration surrounding the locomotive. A horseshoe rib surrounds both the inscription and locomotive. The reverse of the flask is the same.

This pint flask can be found with a plain lip and a pontil mark. The flask edges are vertically ribbed (3) with a heavy medial rib.

The GV-2 design is similar to the GV-1 design. Although the embossed lettering and locomotive may appear the same on both sides, the flasks were blown in different molds. On the base of the GV-2, on one edge, there is an embossed stacked “4 x 4” and what appears to be a partial “200” embossed on the opposite edge and cut off by the base. Also, the medial rib is narrower and lacks the angular break at the base that is present in the GV-1 mold.

Known glass colors are aquamarine which is considered rare and medium green, golden amber, apricot, moss green, and clear dark olive green is considered extremely rare. Our example in Prussian blue is not listed in McKearins and must be considered extremely rare and possibly one of a kind.

Primary Image: GV-2 Success to the Railroad Locomotive flask imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support: Reference to American Bottles and Flasks and Their Ancestry by Helen McKearin and Kenneth M. Wilson, Crown Publishers Inc., New York, 1978.

Support Images: Auction Lot 27: “Success To The Railroad” And Locomotive Historical Flask, Lancaster Glass Works, Lancaster, New York, 1849-1860. Brilliant apricot, sheared mouth – unusual double pontil scar, pint; (7/8 inch by 3/16 inch hole near base corner). GV-2 Extremely rare and beautiful color. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company

Support Images: Auction Lot 47: “Success To The Railroad” And Locomotive Historical Flask, Lancaster Glass Works, Lancaster, New York, 1849-1860. Aquamarine, sheared mouth – pontil scar, pint; (light exterior high point wear). GV-2 Partial embossed letters and numbers on the base make this an interesting and rare mold. Fine condition. Timothy and Christine Hill collection. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler & Company, Auction #184

Support Image: Auction Lot 1: “SUCCESS TO THE RAILROAD” / LOCOMOTIVE – (reverse is identical), (GV-2), Lancaster Glass Works, Lancaster, New York, ca. 1835 – 1845, medium smoky moss green pint, tubular open pontil, sheared and tooled lip. Some of the embossing is weak, but easily legible. An extremely rare unlisted color for this mould, that has no auction record! This train may never pass by the ‘Auction Station’ again! Joan Tyler Collection. – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions, Auction #147

Support Image: Auction Lot 332: “SUCCESS TO THE RAILROAD” / LOCOMOTIVE – (reverse is identical), (GV-2), Lancaster Glass Works, Lancaster, New York, ca. 1835 – 1845, golden yellowish amber pint, tubular open pontil, sheared and tooled lip. Normally seen in aqua, but exist in a number of eye-appealing and desirable colors with this being one of them. An exceptional example with an extremely bold impression, rare color, and in perfect condition. One of the best and a strong addition to any color run of this mould! – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions, Auction #147

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