Thanks for the help and comments.
Bill, following your reasoning:
1) The current bottle color is a deep amethyst; it's a deeper color than
an intentional amethyst bottle would be (comparing to the bottle website
and what bottles I've seen), but still could be. It definitely isn't
the purpled color you get from a sun reaction.
2) The dried contents of the bottle are covering it inside and out which
is why my hands got stained. I guess I didn't explain well enough.
3) If the bottle was originally colorless, are you saying the contents
could have stained the bottle?
4) I am going to get in touch with our chemistry department and see if
they can identify the contents for me.
Again, thanks for the help.
Marybeth
Marybeth S.F. Tomka, M.A.
Laboratory Director and Curator
Center for Archaeological Research
The University of Texas at San Antonio
State Certified Curatorial Repository
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, Texas 78249
(210) 458-7822
(210) 458-4397 Fax
http://car.utsa.edu/
. . . herding cats in a forest of catnip . . .
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of HISTARCH automatic digest
system
Sent: Thu 6/28/2012 2:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: HISTARCH Digest - 26 Jun 2012 to 27 Jun 2012 (#2012-146)
4. bottles for gentian violet solutions (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:31:10 -0600
From: "Lockhart, Bill" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: bottles for gentian violet solutions
Marybeth,
There are three possible explanations for the purple color:
1. The color might be the result of the contents of the bottle.
2. The bottle may have been intentionally made of purple glass.
3. The bottle was originally colorless and turned purple due to infrared
solar radiation.
The first would be unusual, and I only mention it because you discussed
stains from the bottle. Nothing in the bottle's manufacture would
account for staining of your hands.
The second is unlikely; few bottles were intentionally made of purple
glass, although several types of tableware were intentionally purple.
Solar radiation creates an amethyst color in glass that was originally
colorless if the formula contained manganese dioxide. The volume of
manganese in the glass mixture determines how long the solarization
takes. Manganese was used as a decolorant at least as early as 1812,
although it was not common in U.S. glass until ca. 1880. Manganese use
was at its peak between ca. 1890 and ca. 1920, although some use
extended until at least 1933.
Bill
Bill Lockhart
Professor of Sociology
New Mexico State University
Alamogordo, NM
(575) 439-3732
>>> Marybeth Tomka <[log in to unmask]> 6/27/2012 2:33 PM >>>
Hey Folks,
We are working on cataloguing materials from a privy on the edge of the
red light district in San Antonio, Texas. We have a small purple bottle
that stains our hands when touched. The bottle is only missing the neck
and lip, has turned completely purple and there is still some dried
material in it. I was hoping someone out there would know what color
bottles they would have used for this material and if the bottles would
have discolored over time. Also, does anyone know a test we can perform
to find out if this is really gentian violet.
Thanks in advance.
Marybeth
Marybeth S.F. Tomka, M.A.
Laboratory Director and Curator
Center for Archaeological Research
The University of Texas at San Antonio
State Certified Curatorial Repository
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, Texas 78249
(210) 458-7822
(210) 458-4397 Fax
http://car.utsa.edu/
. . . herding cats in a forest of catnip . . .
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:35:27 -0700
From: Mark Howe <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: bottles for gentian violet solutions
Might also want to shoot this with a pXRF to see what it is.
Mark Howe
"Life is how you make it, the future is how you leave your past."
> Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:31:10 -0600
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: bottles for gentian violet solutions
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Marybeth,
>
> There are three possible explanations for the purple color:
>
> 1. The color might be the result of the contents of the bottle.
> 2. The bottle may have been intentionally made of purple glass.
> 3. The bottle was originally colorless and turned purple due to
infrared solar radiation.
>
> The first would be unusual, and I only mention it because you
discussed stains from the bottle. Nothing in the bottle's manufacture
would account for staining of your hands.
>
> The second is unlikely; few bottles were intentionally made of purple
glass, although several types of tableware were intentionally purple.
>
> Solar radiation creates an amethyst color in glass that was originally
colorless if the formula contained manganese dioxide. The volume of
manganese in the glass mixture determines how long the solarization
takes. Manganese was used as a decolorant at least as early as 1812,
although it was not common in U.S. glass until ca. 1880. Manganese use
was at its peak between ca. 1890 and ca. 1920, although some use
extended until at least 1933.
>
> Bill
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Bill Lockhart
> Professor of Sociology
> New Mexico State University
> Alamogordo, NM
> (575) 439-3732
> >>> Marybeth Tomka <[log in to unmask]> 6/27/2012 2:33 PM >>>
> Hey Folks,
>
> We are working on cataloguing materials from a privy on the edge of
the
> red light district in San Antonio, Texas. We have a small purple
bottle
> that stains our hands when touched. The bottle is only missing the
neck
> and lip, has turned completely purple and there is still some dried
> material in it. I was hoping someone out there would know what color
> bottles they would have used for this material and if the bottles
would
> have discolored over time. Also, does anyone know a test we can
perform
> to find out if this is really gentian violet.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Marybeth
>
> Marybeth S.F. Tomka, M.A.
> Laboratory Director and Curator
> Center for Archaeological Research
> The University of Texas at San Antonio
> State Certified Curatorial Repository
> One UTSA Circle
> San Antonio, Texas 78249
> (210) 458-7822
> (210) 458-4397 Fax
> http://car.utsa.edu/
> . . . herding cats in a forest of catnip . . .
End of HISTARCH Digest - 26 Jun 2012 to 27 Jun 2012 (#2012-146)
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