GORGEOUS 1934 DR. PEPPER SUMMER OF 42 SELTZER BOTTLE

Description

We live in a disposable world. Virtually the same moment a new device is introduced to the marketplace, manufacturers promote a new and better version coming out in the near future. Built in obsolescence has become the norm – but it wasn't always this way.
Back in depression era America, most people were happy to have almost any creature comfort available, and they used and reused most everything, and valued what they had. That was true of everything from diapers to soda pop. During that time period, and before, right up to the post-WWII era boom that ushered in a new and burgeoning more fickle middle class looking for new and better things, most were relatively content to own functional items that were meant to endure.
Before the advent of disposable plastic bottles and disposable aluminum cans, that clutter the landfill in the interest of convenience, decades ago, soda and seltzer bottles were made of thick glass that were meant to be used and reused to satisfy the needs of consumers, not just for the moment, but for generations to follow.
They were created in the time when people had to return thick and heavy glass bottles of soda to the stores. For convenience, since about 1860, in America, there were men and occasionally women who dispensed seltzer and soda from either places of business, sometimes known as package stores, or delivered to homes and businesses is these very heavy, but enjoyable products.
In the larger metropolitan areas seltzer bottles were generally delivered in cases of 10, in a wooden box which weighed on average 70 pounds filled. Up until the 1950s , a few diehard older seltzer man still use horses and wagons, but generally deliveryman employed special trucks set up to contain 72 cases in the bay on the bottom, and 60 cases in returnable soda on top. Major soda companies like Coke, Pepsi, 7-Up, Dr Pepper, etc., all use heavy returnable glass delivered in a wooden box. And these major soda companies ,on rare occasion , used seltzer bottles as a vessel to contain their proprietary ingredients. Seltzer bottles were used in every state in the union, and remarkable examples still survive – a testament to their enduring nature. Most seltzer bottles were the more common round ones, but fancy and more ornate examples survive. They were larger in size and more heavy, and were generally sold in wooden sixpacks.
I AM DELIGHTED TO OFFER A VERY UNUSUAL 1934 SELTZER BOTTLE FROM  DR. PEPPER OF TAMPA FLORIDA. IT'S A RARE SELTZER BOTTLE WITH A VERY STORIED PAST AND IS CROWNED WITH A  VERY ORNATE AND UNUSUAL PEWTER TOP FROM 1934 FROM J.D. FOX. IT IS SIGNED BY JENNIFER O'NEILL.
In the Summer of 1971 I was an 18 year old college student coming of age looking forward to the future. It was around that time I saw the quintessential movie for young men  of my generation who were of that certain age, called, “The Summer of ’42” , and fell in love with the fantasy world that Jennifer O’ Neill  conjured up.
This movie was based on the reflections  of a middle aged man recounting one of his youthful indiscretions. Strange how I look back at my life 50 years later,and  I am now middle aged and beyond, as I look back at my youthful indiscretions, and the things I dreamed about doing,  and how they really turn out in the real world.
As it world turn out Jennifer O’Neill was actually born in Rio De  Janeiro to Irish, Spanish, and English parents-kind of a exotic combination  from a very exotic country.
One day at the gym, when I was in my late 30’s and in the best physical condition of my life, while taking an aerobics class at peek level out in Nassau County, I spotted someone across the room and couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her sister lived nearby and she was a stewardess from Varig Airlines visiting. The gym in my area was closed  for renovation, and I went there that one time, and would never have met her otherwise, because she was from Brazil. I’ve often wondered if we all have a destiny to fulfill, or is life just some random experience.
I had bought a house and was finally living the fantasy life I had always dreamed about, and had wanted to wait till I was 40 to settle down, but we did get married when I was just 39, and I tell my wife she robbed the cradle.
When I finally met Jennifer O’ Neill it was nice but I was happier with my wife. Besides Jennifer had 9 husbands, and I’d rather being number one than number 10.
This auction is for the very rare and beautiful 1934 Dr. Pepper bottling co of Tampa Florida. I’ve included a picture of a rare add for this company that shows how period-cool it is.The top is a very
This bottle is signed by Jennifer O’Neill who still looks lovely.
It is also pictured with my wife and Mark Walberg of Antiques Roadshow who liked it as well.
It is also pictured with me and Lee Meriweather who still looks as nice as when she was Miss America. We are posed together with a photo of her with Leonard Nimoy. I take the position of Leonard Nimoy in appreciation for the time he played Walter the Seltzerman in a skit that my customer wrote.
I have included the story of my meeting him.
And since it’s a quiet night I have also included the story of meeting William Shatner too.
With resounding optimism and an eye to the future, President Kennedy announced on September 12, 1962 at Rice University in Houston Texas, that "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win." The ensuing years were destined to be an era of heartbreaking tragedy and profound challenges, as well as political and racial turmoil, but ultimately on July 21, 1969, we would achieve the goal that President Kennedy had articulated, before the decade was was over.
The 1960s would prove to be a decade characterized by the soaring belief that mankind tethered to its terrestrial domain since time immemorial, could break free of their earthly restraints. With an eye to the heavens, and the ethereal domain illuminated by the zillions of stars in the night sky, just beyond our reaches, the brilliant writer, Gene Roddenberry, created the science fiction television series that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise, and its crew, called Star Trek. Capt. Kirk(William Shatner) intones in his epic voice-over introduction during each episode's opening credits that the purpose of the starship is:
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It's five – year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Star Trek's vision epitomized the quality of futuristic drama that inspired this young teen to dream about what lay beyond our terrestrial existence. By today's standards, for the high-tech special-effects that the entertainment industry now has at its disposal, the rather simple devices though cutting-edge in that era, seem somewhat quaint. And though the only TV set we owned was located in the living room and was black and white, my entire family was mesmerized by the show. As a treat I occasionally snuck into the local department store's TV viewing room with a friend or two and quietly enjoyed episodes of Star Trek on a color TV, until the very patient salesman asked us to leave.
There were a colorful mix of crew members and myriad other outer worldly beings and extraterrestrial encounters, that subtley and paradoxically reflect on the realities of our earthly existence. Of all the memorable characters that the series Star Trek spawned,first officer and science officer Spock(Leonard Nimoy) stands out as certainly one of the most memorable.At a time when the concept of a "Modern Family" was a distant thought for tv audiences, having Mr Spock who was half human and half Vulcan presented a revolutionary social statement.
The role of Mr. Spock is something Leonard Nimoy is probably most associated with, but beyond the character is a very real person,and someone I had the pleasure to meet slightly more than two years ago.
Bitten by the acting bug when he was just 8 years old, he would cultivate his passion that continues even now that he is in his 80's: a career that would garner accolades including being nominated for an Emmy several times. His creativity is not limited to his dramatic portrayals.He is a director,writer, photographer, musical vocalist, and a philanthropist.
His impressive dramatic resume dates back to 1951 in such films as
Queen For A Day
and
Rhubarb
. His next role was the main character in the boxing drama
Kid Monk Baroni
.
Then he appeared in a bunch of science fiction movies. By the mid-1950s he started making regular appearances on some of the major TV shows of the era: Dragnet, Sea Hunt, Wagon Train, The tall Man, Outlaws, The Rebel, Rawhide, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, The Untouchables, The Outer Limits, The Virginian, The Man Fom U.N.C.L.E. In 1963 Leonard Nimoy got a role on The Lieutenant, starring Gary Lockwood, that was created by Gene Roddenberry. It was here that Mr. Roddenberry who was developing the science fiction story Star Trek, took notice of this fine actor who he thought would be a perfect fit for his series. And so one of the the more memorable pairings in entertainment history was created. Though this first series was canceled in 1969, Leonard Nimoy appeared in all 79 episodes of the series. He was the only actor to earn this distinction.
Soon after Star Trek was canceled, Leonard Nimoy became a regular on the hit show Mission: Impossible, playing the character of Paris for two seasons(1969 to 1971). He continued acting and then moved to the other side of the camera as the director of an episode of Night Gallery in 1973. Versatility and creativity would characterize his lengthy and productive career. He appeared on Broadway, and had a formidable voice over career. His commanding pitch perfect narration as the host of the series In Search Of... was something I found particularly pleasant, soothing and unforgettable. Yet despite all of Mr. Nimoy's creative endeavors, his career has been inextricably intertwined with the Star trek legacy, appearing in several Star Trek movies, Star Trek conventions, and TV shows reflecting his iconic portrayal of Mr. Spock-on May 9, 2009 in an episode of Saturday Night Live and even as recently as 2012 in an episode of the Big Bang theory.
At a time in his life, without any additional financial needs, when most men would opt for retirement, despite his many proclamations of being retired, Leonard Nimoy continues to be very active indeed. He continues to act and is a proficient photographer, and along with his wife,the actress Sandra Bay, continues to support the arts generously from the platform of the Nimoy Foundation.
Mr. Nimoy is a frequent and popular reader for "Selected Shorts", which is one of the programs at Symphony Space in New York City. In 2002, the theater was reopened after a impressive renovation that was funded generously by the Nimoy foundation. In fact Mr. Nimoy was honored by Symphony Space by re- naming the Thalia Theater as the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. Isaiah Sheffer, artistic director, who cocreated the theater 30+ years ago, was my seltzer customer and friend who I had the pleasure to see every two weeks for a delivery. He was good friends with Leonard Nimoy, and it was no secret that I wanted to meet him one day.
On a beautiful Spring evening in May 2012, Mr. Sheffer invited me, my wife, and two boys to be part of the audience at Symphony Space at 95th St. and Broadway in Manhattan to hear a recital of "Selected Shorts" performed by Leonard Nimoy. And I was thrilled to find out I would be allowed to meet him personally backstage. Regrettably Mr. Nimoy wasn't feeling well that day,but as the old axiom goes"the show must go on", and so this veteran trooper would not disappoint his waiting fans. When I explained to the staff that Mr. Sheffer was expecting me to go backstage, I was told no one!No one would be allowed backstage, and that Mr. Nimoy would be leaving unceremoniously after his performance scheduled for 7 PM. At 6:56 PM I saw my friend Isaiah Sheffer working his way through the crowd, and I called out his name. He grabbed me by my hand stating emphatically that Leonard Nimoy was waiting backstage to meet me. I was whisked away beyond the stage to the rehearsal room and there before me, was the almost surreal image of a man I had always admired since childhood. I was introduced by my customer to Leonard Nimoy as "Leonard this is Walter The Seltzerman", and to my amazement as implausible as it would seem, Leonard seemed to be as pleased to meet me as I was to meet him, and I was absolutely dumbfounded by the fact he knew exactly who I was. It would appear that my customer who was a playwright of sorts and had created a character based on me with my name that Mr. Nimoy was familiar with.I did give a gift of a seltzer bottle to" Leonard" as a momento of our meeting brief as it was, because in a minute or two he went on stage, and that was the last time we would meet.
I did get to see him perform, and just as importantly did see my customer Isaiah Sheffer in all his glory hosting the show. Ironically several weeks later Mr. Sheffer had a stroke and was in rehabilitation for a couple of months. His wife would tell me how much he missed his seltzer, and he was absolutely filled with joy to return home and drink a glass of two. Regrettably he had a setback and passed away soon after. Leonard Nimoy delivered the eulogy and returned a year later for the "unveiling"and once again made a speech acknowledging their friendship. Mr. Sheffer's widow is still in contact with Leonard Nimoy and his wife,and they still remain friends with her.
Another friendship that Leonard Nimoy still maintains is with co-star William Shatner(Captain Kirk) Coincidentally both were born within five days of each other, and both are of Ukrainian – Jewish ancestry. Leonard Nimoy says "We were like brothers."
Mr. Spock's Vulcan salute which became a symbol of the show and his character, was a creation of Leonard Nimoy's earliest childhood memories.
Kohanim(Jewish priests) held their hands when giving blessings in a similar manner.
During an interview Leonard Nimoy who is fluent in Hebrew translated the accompanying Priestly Blessing:
May the Lord bless and keep you and may the Lord cause' his countenance to shine upon you.
May the Lord be gracious unto you and grant you peace.
"Live long and prosper."
I   wish that for Leonard Nimoy and you.
FRIENDS LIKE US
The first time I saw William Shatner, a moment I still remember vividly till today, was in an episode of "Twilight Zone" in which he is stranded with mechanical problems with his girlfriend in a small town and they go inside a diner to wait for their car to be fixed. There they encounter a table top fortune telling machine and they begin putting dimes in to find out their future.In vague but uncanny predictions this mechanical soothsayer begins controlling their future.Finally their car is fixed but he's spellbound and wants to stay, but is convinced to leave by his girlfriend, and they go on to let their lives unfold naturally as it should.I watched a repeat of this episode one week before I actually had the priviledge to meet William Shatner in February 2016 at a booksigning for his latest book, and thought to myself  would have liked to have known his future or just to let it unveil itself in time.In his wildest imaginings could he have foreseen how his life would unfold? The first time I can actually say I remember seeing Leonard Nimoy was as Mr. Spock a man of stoic logic and someone I was strangely drawn to. Back in the 1960's as a preteen I could never have believed that one day I'd meet them both and share what was for me an unforgettable moment in time. Life is always filled with suprises and changing relationships-some that are ephermal while others that last for what seems forever.
On the set of
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
in 1964 these two men who appeared in an episode together met briefly without notice or lingering significance,nor any vivid recollection by either participant.There were  no thunderbolts,  no way to know how dramatically  these two men's lives would become  intertwined, nor that they would become best friends for more than 50 years .
Ironically their lives mirrored each others- an eerie coincidence orchestrated in a domain perhaps beyond these earthly bonds. Born both in March 1931, only four days apart with a similar ethnicity and parentage they were like fraternal twins sprung forth from separate mothers. Leonard Nimoy was a product of the Boston's West End while William Shatner's family grew up in the west end of Montreal.
When they were both eight years old they discovered acting and though they lived separate lives they followed almost precisely the same path to fame. Despite their total commitment to their craft of acting  their dreams were somewhat restrained and modest.Leonard had a goal of someday  earning  ,000 a year as an actor while William would have been happy to  someday earn 0 a week. Of course that was in the 1950's when that meager amount of money meant something to starving actors who would have deemed success the simply act of paying their rent on time. As William Shatner states in his recent homage to his late friend called  "Leonard" based on his 50 year friendship they enjoyed,"I'm quite sure we shared that trait most common among young actors, an unshakable belief that no matter how impossible it seemed at times, whatever it took, we were going to be successful."
The  early 1960's were characterized for both as a period of "being out of work and looking for the next job." as voiced by Leonard. As a means to pay  their bills they took on a variety of roles which honed their skills and formed valuable ultimately life-altering connections.Like many other underemployed actors both worked at non-acting jobs to pay the bills. Leonard referred to this period as "character building years." In the 1980's in NYC James Gandolfini and Bruce Willis were among other underemployed actors who delivered seltzer in Manhattan per diem just to have some money to eat.My customers are often amazed to hear this.
In the 1960's when both actors worked it was for no more than -0 a day and on some major shows of that era.TV was still in its infancy, and many nascent notable names were gaining their footings at this time and forging friendships.It was no huge stretch to imagine both future friends crossing paths unremarkably as they did in 1964. But of course things would change dramatically when both would be cast in their seminal roles as Captain Kirk and Mr Spock in 1965 in Star Trek.This avant garde production which dealt with the subtext of complex social issues of that era, cleverly hidden in a futuristic setting, appealed to their cult following but never had enough broader appeal to satisfy the network brass or justify the pricey costs of production.  Remarkably after only 79 regular broadcast productions this ground breaking show was canceled in 1969.Though Leonard was paid ,250 an episode and William slighty more they never got paid for residuals from the original series nor any per centage of the profits from the lucrative merchanising rights that Paramount  enjoyed from using  their images and characters.
According to William Shatner," when the show ended the entire cast made all the usual promises of long-lasting friendship, but with a few exceptions, we saw little of each other."   Both men would continue on their professional paths in artistic vehicles that parted from their typecast characters made famous on Star Trek. Paramount was happy to sell Star Trek to any local station that would buy it, and they ran and reran it when young people were there to watch it, and then something peculiar happened-it mushroomed and gained an unprecedeted reemergence in popularity.Rabid fans acquired a new name called "Trekkies" .There were even Star Trek  conventions that  grew in to a multibillion dollar business, where  devotees met to revel in their collective interest.Fortuitously while the original series provided no future revenue stream, nor life-sustaining income for the stars, these conventions did.Eventually this lead to major motion pictures and spinoffs to the original series, and ultimately the financial stability that had eluded them initially.
As William would realistically acknowledge most actors friendships are deep yet temporary.During the closing party there is this closeness of working together and this feeling of never forgetting each other, yet you move on to a new role filled with new and equally wonderful people and you never see each other again.Due to the improbable reincarnation of the Star Trek franchise these men forged a life long interwoven friendship.Their union was more like brothers, filled with sibling rivalries and embued with love-than just a simple pairing of two workers.Brilliant men, complex and flawed figures-just human beings who were there for each other.Leonard battled an addition to alcohol and when William fell in love with a woman who shared his problem he tried to warn off  his friend,but life and love are never that simple, and they were wed.His wife's drinking escalated and one day he came home to find her lifeless  body in the deep end of the swimming pool."Leonard enveloped me in his arms as his brother, and we cried together."
As with most relationships involving people with strong personalities there's the distinct possibility that there can be petty squabbles that for no real reason lead to  a transitory period when these headstrong participants distance themselves from each other.On February 27, 2015 when Leonard passed on these two "brothers" were embroiled in such a moment, and one can't help but  take away the feeling that this fact breaks William's heart as he reveals so much in his book dedicated to his friend simply called" Leonard".As he touchingly  writes in the end "Fifty years is a lifetime that passes in an instant."and he also poignantly adds,"Death ends a life,but it does not end a relationship"And for those of us who have had the profound pleasure to have seen the body of work these men leave behind, and for me personally who have had the pleasure to meet both men, their friendship will always live on.
THESE ARE IN FABULOUS CONDITION CONSIDERING THEIR AGE AND THAT THEY'VE BEEN USED FOR GENERATIONS. WHEN YOU DELIVER THESE BOTTLES IN WOODEN CASES OF TEN WEIGHING 70 POUNDS THEY DO GET HANDLED ROUGHLY.
AND THEY DO SHOW THEIR SIGNS OF AGE BUT THAT ONLY ADDS TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY AND DESIRABILITY..
THESE BOTTLES HAVE BEEN CLEANED THOUGHLY BY MY WIFE AND THESE ARE HER AUCTIONS.
THEY ARE MEANT FOR DISPLAY AND DECORATION..
THESE ARE VINTAGE COLLECTIBLES AND WERE IN USE TILL RECENTLY..THEY ALL HAVE A LONG AND MAGNIFIENT HISTORY OF PLEASING MANY FOR GENERATIONS. THEY ARE TIME-WORN WHICH ONLY ADDS TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY AND SENSE OF CONTINUITY WITH THE PAST FOR THOSE WHO LOOK FOR THINGS THAT ARE MEANT TO BE USED FOR A MOMENT THEN DISPOSED OF JUST AS QUICKLY.
THANK YOU.
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