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April 11, 2011

Bechtel Beer Bottle Collection

BechtelBreweryOn left: Bechtel beer bottle from  Rick’s Bottle Room; on right: photo of the Bechtel Brewery in 1890 from the Staten Island Advance

If you are a collector of historic bottles, it is vitally important that your collection be housed and displayed in way that signifies its historic significance.

This became abundantly clear to me a while back when I attended a festive community meeting at a historic house in our neighborhood—a house that was built by the Staten Island brewer, George Bechtel and given to his daughter, Annie as a wedding present in 1888.

The current owner now collects rare Bechtel Beer bottles and, knowing that I was interested in vintage packaging, he led me to the table where he had set up his collection for display. When we reached the table, however, it was empty and there were no bottles to be found. It turned out that his collection was not adequately signified in that particular location.

To the folks, serving and clearing food that day, these were just more bottles that need clearing. His entire collection of historic bottles had been efficiently swept up and put into the recycling bin along with the contemporary beer bottles!

Fortunately none of the historic bottles were broken that day and he was able to rescue them.

AnnaBechtelHouse-bottle

Above, left: George Bechtel’s daughter’s house as it looks today (via: The Forgotten Borough); on right: a trio of Bechtel “blob-top” bottles (Note: these bottles are actually from Bruce Mobley’s Beer Bottle library) and were not the bottles mentioned above that were almost recycled.)

BreweryWorkersWorkers of the Bechtel Brewery

The Bechtel Brewery was the earliest business to convert to electricity on the Island, with owner George Bechtel installing electricity in 1885. It also was one of the first businesses to employ refrigeration, using compression pumps and ammonia to cool the beer.

The offshoot of the brewing industry during its prime was social activity. Bechtel’s in Stapleton provided picnic grounds and dancing during the summer..

S.I. Advance

More about George Bechtel and his daughter’s house, tomorrow…

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

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