Samuel C. Palmer
Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  Palmer & Green, 57 Greene Georgetown (1872-1874)
  S. C. Palmer, 57 Greene Georgetown (1875-1880)
  S. C. Palmer, 1224 29th NW (1881-1892)
  S. C. Palmer, 615 D SW (1888-1898)
  Samuel C Palmer agent for Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co, 615 D SW (1892-1897)
  Samuel C. Palmer, 1066 32d street NW (1899-1907)
  Samuel C. Palmer, 1066 Wis Ave NW (1908-1911)
  S.C. Palmer Co, 1066 Wis Ave NW (1912-1940)
  Palmer Brand, Washington DC
Notes:
Samuel Claxton Palmer was born 1839 in Washington DC.
He started as a clerk in May 1861 working for Arny & Shinn's bottling company at
57 Greene Street in Georgetown. In 1871 he and Robert M. Green purchased the
bottling company from Riley Shinn. In February 1874, Green withdrew from the
company and moved to Philadelphia, leaving Palmer as the sole proprietor.2
In 1884, Palmer bottled lemon soda, sarsaparilla, ginger ale, and other carbonated
beverages, and was also an agent for both the Wm. Massey Brewing Company and the
Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. He employed 35 to 50 men and boys and had 12 to
15 wagons to deliver goods in that year. 2
I assume that his address of 57 Greene Street in Georgetown changed
to 1224 29th Street in 1881 (i.e. that wasn't a different building,
but was a re-numbering due to the renaming of "Greene street" to
"29th street").
Palmer's bottling plant at 1066 32nd street NW, which was later
designated as 1066 Wisconsin Avenue after a street name change,
had previously been a fire house.
Palmer & Green Bottles:
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This is one bottle (front & back pictured).
It's a 7.2" aqua blob top embossed: front: PALMER & GREEN / GEORGETOWN, D.C. back: P & G / THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD |
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This is a 7" squat blob top bottle embossed: front in block letters: S.C. PALMER front in regular letters: GEORGETOWN / D.C. back in block letters: P back in regular letters: THIS BOTTLE IS / NEVER SOLD |
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These are 7.3" bottles with gravitating stopper tops, similar to above except
they say GEORGETOWN instead of WASHINGTON. The one on the left is dark aqua,
and the one on the right is amber. They're embossed: front: S.C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / D.C. back: THIS BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD bottom: GRAVITATING STOPPER / MADE BY / JOHN MATHEWS / PAT / OCT 11 / 1864 / NEW YORK |
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These are 7"/7.5" bottles with gravitating stopper tops.
The one on the right still has the glass stopper inside of it.
The one in the center is amber, the other 2 are aqua.
All 3 are embossed: front: S.C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / D.C. back: THIS BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD |
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This is a 9.3" aqua baltimore-loop top bottle embossed: round slug plate: S.C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / D.C. / REGISTERED |
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This the same as the bottle above, except the "D.C." and the "REGISTERED" are reversed.
It's a 9" aqua baltimore-loop top bottle embossed: round slug plate: S.C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / REGISTERED / D.C. |
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This is a 9.5" amber blob top bottle embossed: round slug plate: S.C. PALMER / GEORGETOWN / D.C. back: THIS / BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD bottom: A&DHC |
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This is identical to the bottle above, except it's aqua and still has the metal stopper.
It's embossed: round slug plate: S.C. PALMER / GEORGETOWN / D.C. back: THIS / BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD |
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This is a 9.3" aqua blob top (front & back views shown), embossed: front: S. C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / D C back in fancy intertwined letters: SCP |
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This is a 7.5" aqua blob top top bottle embossed: vertical on front: S.C. PALMER / GEORGETOWN, D.C. vertical on back: THIS BOTTLE / IS / NEVER SOLD |
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These are a 7.4" aqua short blob top bottles embossed: round slug plate: SAML C. PALMER / WASHINGTON, D.C. bottom: F The one on the right is identical to the one on the left, except it has a metal ring with a metal lever that swivels. |
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This bottle is the same as the 2 above, except that it has the stopper intact.
The stopper was patented on March 3rd, 1885 by Frederick B. Thatcher.
It's patent # 313253. I photographed it without backlighting so you can
see the stopper more clearly. round slug plate: SAML C. PALMER / WASHINGTON, D.C. bottom: F |
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These are a 9.5" and 9.3" crown top bottles. Left is sun colored amethyst,
and the right one is aqua. They are both embossed: round slug plate: S. C. PALMER / WASHINGTON / D.C. / REGISTERED |
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This is similar to the bottles above, but with a different arrangement in the slug plate.
It's a 7.8" sun colored amethyst crown top bottle embossed: round slug plate: S. C. PALMER / WASHINGTON D.C. below slug plate: REGISTERED / THIS BOTTLE / IS NEVER SOLD |
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This has yet another different arrangement in the slug plate.
It's an 8.5" aqua crown top bottle (with cap), embossed: shoulder: REGISTERED round slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER / WASHINGTON, / D.C. below slug plate: THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD bottom: C384 |
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This one has an oval shaped slug plate, with a large empty area in the middle (possibly
to hold a label?). It's a 9" aqua crown top embossed: above slug plate: REGISTERED oval slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER CO./ WASHINGTON, D.C. bottom: S.C.P. |
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These bottles are embossed the same, except that the left one
has an upside-down slug plate! They're 7.5" aqua crown top bottles embossed: oval slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER / WASHINGTON, / D.C. / REGISTERED below slug plate: THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD |
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These 7.5" aqua crown top bottles are similar to the above ones, but with minor differences.
left one is embossed: shoulder: CONTENTS 8 OZ. oval slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER / CO / WASHINGTON, / D.C. / REGISTERED below slug plate: THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD bottom: S.C.P. The right one is identical except that it doesn't say "CONTENTS 8 OZ." on the shoulder. |
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This is identical to the bottle on the right above, except for the color.
It is a 7.5" sun colored amethyst crown top bottle embossed: oval slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER / CO / WASHINGTON, / D.C. / REGISTERED below slug plate: 8 OUNCES / THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD bottom: S.C.P. |
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These are 8" machine-made crown top bottles. Left one is aqua, right one is clear.
They are both embossed: front & back shoulders: Palmer / BRAND front near bottom: 8 FLU. OZS. / WASHINGTON, D.C. back near bottom: PROPERTY OF / S.C. PALMER CO INC bottom: S.C.P. |
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This is a 9.9" clear machine-made crown top bottle with bottle cap still on it
and liquid still in it, with white & red markings: front: PALMER BEST SINCE 1843 / SPARKLING SODA / Purified by Ultra-Violet Rays / SAMUEL C. PALMER CO., INC./ WASHINGTON, D.C. back: CONTAINS: / Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, / Hearts of Fruit, Essential Oils, / Extract and Compound, / Herbs, Citric Acid, Ginger, / Vegetable Color and Caramel./ CONTENTS 15 FL. OZS. bottom: 239 B 8 It also has a paper label on top that says: SERVE SELTZER ICE COLD / Pure filtered Carbonated Water/ Bottled under the supervision of / RABBI Manuel M. Poliakoff / California Beverage Co., Baltimore Md. |
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This is an 11.5" (picnic sized) blue-aqua machine-made crown top embossed: round slug plate: SAML. C. PALMER / CO. / WASHINGTON DC below slug plate: REGISTERED bottom: SCP |
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This is an 11.9" (picnic sized) clear machine-made crown top embossed: round slug plate: S.C.PALMER / WASHINGTON / D.C. / REGISTERED |
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This is an 11.8" (picnic-sized) aqua machine-made crown top embossed: front: Palmer / FULL QUART 32 OZ back: Palmer / FULL QUART 32 OZ bottom: PROPERTY OF S C PALMER CO INC / WASH DC |
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This is identical to the bottle above, except it's clear glass, and it has a label: label: CONTENTS 1 QUART / PALMER / SINCE 1843 / (picture of man in top hat holding glass) / STRAWBERRY / ... / WASHINGTON DC |
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This is an 11.3" (picnic-sized) green machine-made crown top embossed: front & back shoulders: Palmer / BRAND front near bottom: ONE PINT 8 OUNCES / WASHINGTON, D.C. back near bottom: PROPERTY OF / S.C. PALMER CO INC bottom in script: Palmer |
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Like the bottle above, this is an 11.3" machine-made crown top, but this one is aqua, and it's embossed: front & back shoulders: Palmer / BRAND front near bottom: ONE PINT 8 OUNCES / WASHINGTON, D.C. back near bottom: PROPERTY OF / S.C. PALMER CO INC bottom in script: Palmer |
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This is a 9.5" (11.2" with the metal top) syphon seltzer bottle embossed: front: SAM'L. C. PALMER CO. INC / REGISTERED 1914 / WASHINGTON,D.C. / CONTENTS-26-0Z. metal top: SAM'L C PALMER CO INC. |
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This is a bottle cap from a Palmer Brand soda bottle. From what I can make out,
it says something like "Palmer Brand Washington DC" around the edges.
In the center, I can make out: Palmer / BRAND / ARTIFICIAL / GRAPE / ARTIFICIAL COLOR / --- 11 --- / MIN CONTS ?? |
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This is another bottle cap. It has a picture of a dapper gentleman with a tall hat.
It's marked: PALMER / SINCE 1843 / PALE DRY GINGER ALE |
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This is another bottle cap. It's marked: S.C. PALMER COMPANY INC / Palmer / LEMON / SODA / MIN CONTS 6 OZ. / WASHINGTON DC |
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This is another bottle cap. It's marked: S.C. PALMER CO. INC / ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR / AND / COLOR / Palmer / BRAND / IMITATION / ORANGE / WASHINGTON D.C. |
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This is another bottle cap. It's marked: S.C. PALMER CO. INC. / Palmer / BRAND / GINGER ALE / COLORED WITH CARAMEL / MIN. CONTS. 7 OZ. / WASHINGTON, D.C. |
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This is a letter written on a printed receipt. The letterhead says: letterhead: DEPOTS, 615 to 621 D Street, S.W., and 1224 29th Street, N.W. / Washington, D.C. ____ 188 / Bought of SAMUEL C. PALMER, / SODA AND MINERAL WATER MANUFACTURER / Agent for WM. MASSEY BREWING CO.'S Philadelphia Draught Ale, Porter and Brown Stout, / And JOS. SCHLITZ BREWING CO.'S MILWAUKEE LAGER BEER / TERMS, CASH. CASKS AND BOTTLES TO BE RETURNED (in square on left): BOTTLER / OF / PORTER, ALE, CIDER, AND MINERAL WATERS, / DEALER IN / CLARIFIED CIDER, VINEGAR, / Imported Ale, Brown Stout, / BELFAST GINGER ALE The letter is from a son to a Father, asking for an estimate to build a porch. I beleive it was written by Samuel Palmer to his father, because it was signed "yours, Sam". Also, the 1850 Census lists Palmer's father's occupation as "Merchant & Carpenter". |
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The center bottle shown to the far left was made from a mold that had the word "GEORGETOWN" peened out
and the word "WASHINGTON" engraved above it. It doesn't show up too well in the photo, so I took a
rubbing of the bottle (shown to the immediate left).
I photographed the 3 bottles to compare them.
The word "GEORGETOWN" on the left bottle is lower than the word "WASHINGTON" on the
right bottle. Georgetown was assimilated into Washington DC about 1880, and Palmer opened up a 2nd bottling location that was outside of Georgetown about 1888 - so this bottle was probably from about that time period. |