Marybeth,
I found a deep purple bottle neck and rim on a mid-nineteenth century
church site last summer and have had a very difficult time finding similar
bottles in the literature. If you come across any information, please share!
Anna
On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 7:41 AM, Marybeth Tomka <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> 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)
> ***************************************************************
>
--
Anna Lunn
Independent Consultant
901.517.2783
http://www.alexandvon.com/alunn
http://annalunn.blogspot.com
<http://www.facebook.com/healthieryou1>
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