JOHN S. BOWMAN & CO'S JEWEL OLD BOURBON Decanter 1 OF A KIND Fine Crystal 1884

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

JOHN S. BOWMAN & CO'S JEWEL OLD BOURBON Decanter 1 OF A KIND Fine Crystal 1884 :
$9900.00

JOHN S. BOWMAN & CO'S JEWEL OLD BOURBONHand cut Crystal Decanter custom made in 1884.
The Oldest, The RAREST of the RAREST in old west liquor bottles. This is the only example to have been produced for John S. Bowman & Co.
San Francisco, CA.
Provenance:Phillip Rimer Collection
Acquired in Las Vegas at an Antique sale in 1982.
All John S. Bowman Co'sJewel Old Bourbon bottles were made in the late 1800's, ca. 1877 to 1890, and areEXTREMELY RARE!Bowman also had his name on two Variants of Jewel Bitters. You can see those examples in the Bitters Gallery.
Mentioned in "Whiskey Bottles of the Old West", Thomasnotes that the FIRST KNOWN JOHN S. BOWMAN bottle found in the past century was dug near Silver Peak, Nevada in 1969. Only a few bottle examples of the amber bottle, have been discovered since. I am not aware if any of the stock bottles produced in the late 1800's exist in private collectors hands. If you know anyone that has one, I would appreciate if you would collaborate with me.JOHN S. BOWMAN & CO. JEWEL, OLD BOURBON LIQUOR,SOLE AGENTS S.F.
John S. Bowman & Company, San Francisco, California liquor was short lived with very low production. That is why any liquor bottles made by his company are EXTREMELY RARE.

HISTORY:The Jewel Old Bourbon amber stock bottle made by John S. Bowman is extremely rare. John L. Thomas inWhiskey Bottles of the Old Westnotes that the first known John S. Bowman bottle was dug near Silver Peak, Nevada in 1969. Not many examples if any have shown up since. The stock amber bottle is a fifth and has an applied mouth. The museum example is in extraordinary condition and begs to tell a story.Provenance:Richard T. Siri Collection

In 1868, John S. Bowman's partnership began with Louis Liebes. While in partnership with Louis Liebes, he chose to honor the San Francisco philanthropist, James Lick, with a cigar in his name, receiving California Trade-Mark No. 276 on July 30, 1874. The partnership with Liebes was soon dissolved a few months later in November of 1874. Bowman then became a prolific brand designator in his cigar business and trade-marked a number of different names for his cigars.

The cigar label for Bowman’s James Lick cigars

On January 1, 1877, Joseph Coblentz, formerly of the partnership of Levy & Coblentz of Los Angeles, was admitted to John S. Bowman & Co. as a partner. He undoubtedly brought his expertise in the LIQUOR business with him, which added a new layer to Bowman's trade business activities.

Five years later, Bowman filed another California trade-mark (No. 808) on February 14, 1882, for his cigar trade. With this trade-mark, he chose to honor Lieutenant George W. DeLong. The shipJeannetteleft San Francisco on July 8, 1879, on its quest to find a passage to the North Pole. The ship was captained by George W. DeLong, a seasoned Naval Academy graduate. Many of the expedition’s thirty-three members were lost, as theJeannettebecame ice-bound and sank on June 13, 1880. The men moved to three smaller on-board boats, and the boat containing Capt. DeLong landed at the northern mouth of the Lena River in Siberia, with most of them suffering from severe frostbite. They were not heard from again. A relief party located the graves of DeLong and shipmates which were excavated in March 1883 and returned to New York on February 13, 1884.

Bowman’s cigar label depicting the ship Jeannette and the bust of her commander, George W. DeLong, who headed the ill-fated voyage to find a passage to the North Pole.Lieutenant DeLong’s Long Funeral –Daily Alta California(San Francisco, California) April 25, 1884ThisJohn S. Bowman Co. Jewel Crystal Decanter is the only example of its kind known and was most likely made for the private bar of John S. Bowman in 1884.There is an engraved number at the bottom of the decanter "84" which is the same year of Commander George DeLong's funeral.
Support:Primary research by Eric McGuire.Support:Reference toWhiskey Bottles of the Old Westby John L. Thomas, 2002
John S. Bowman's obituary photo:
John S. Bowman illustration from his obituary.The San Francisco Call(San Francisco, Ca.) February 24, 1899
You can find more history on John S. Bowman by doing a small amount of keywording. John S. Bowman & Co's, Jewel. Credits toSupport:Primary research by Eric McGuire.Support:Reference toWhiskey Bottles of the Old Westby John L. Thomas, 2002