19th C. Murray &. Lanman Florida Water Bottle with Original Silver Painted Neck

Regular price $28.00

I just though this was a great looking bottle, for its pale aqua color and proportions and embossed text but especially for its silvery neck, which, from what I've found, was a type of paint used on early versions of this bottle, and which it is pretty rare to find example. Florida Water, developed in the 1830s or so, was a commercially-prepared water blending floral essential oils in a water-alcohol base, with its name referring to the fabled Fountain of Youth said to have been located in Florida, and with uses including headaches, nervousness, Insect bites, and all sorts of other things. The earliest iteration of this Murray and Lanman bottle seems to date to the 1850s; I believe this one, with text reading: "Florida Water / Murray &. Lanman / Druggists / New York"  and the number 16 embossed on its base I believe dates to several decades later in the 19th c. There is a lot written about these out there, they seem to be quite a source of fascination.

9 1/8" t x 2 3/16" in diameter and in good condition, no chips or cracks or other issues.