{ SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1}Hi Cathy and HISTARCHers,

        I have received the acceptance paperwork from Historical
Archaeology for my article on this very subject, so you might be able to cite
this as in press.  If you think that will fly, let me know, and I will send you
the bibliographic details.

        Your question does not have a simple answer.  Manganese was
gradually phased out from about 1910 to the early 1920s.  It was intimately
connected with the change from mouth-blown to machine-made bottles,
although the disruption of the usual import channels during World War I had
some effect (virtually all of the older literature blames the war – it is all
directly traceable to Grace Kendricks in 1963).  The last printed reference to
the use of manganese appeared in 1933.  Use of manganese for bottle
production in the US began by at least 1876.

        However, the story is far more complex.  Manganese (and colorless
glass) was used for different types of bottles beginning at different times.
Whitall Tatum tried colorless glass by 1870 and began using manganese by
1876.  However, there is no evidence for its use in soda bottles prior to about
1895.  Use discontinued at various times for various bottle types, as well.

        There are currently no completely accurate citations for the cessation
of manganese use.  George Miller and Catherine Sullivan’s article comes as
close as you will get, but I have some information that was not within the
scope of their article.  The Grace Kendrick publication, while good enough
research for its time (and the most widely cited source for manganese use), is
inaccurate.

        Hope this helps,

Bill Lockhart


> HISTARCHers:
>
> I'm looking for a citation for the end date of the use of manganese to
> clarify glass in the United States. Dale Berge in his still relevant
> report on the Simpson's Springs excavations in Utah tells us it was
> 1917, based on a collector's book (Ferraro and Ferraro 1964). I have
> "known" for some years now that the United States stopped importing
> manganese from Germany as early as 1915 and that is a better end date
> for glass that solarizes purple. I've used that date for some time
> now, but a reviewer on one of my reports wants a citation (*&#!*#!!!).
> I've gone through all my standard references and can't find anyone
> else who will back me up.
>
> Anyone who can help?
>
> Cathy
>
>
> Catherine Holder Spude ¨ Archeologist ¨ Cultural Resources
> Management ¨ National Park Service – Intermountain Region ¨
> 505.988.6831Voice ¨ 505.988.6876 Fax
>  The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the
>  American
>               people so that all may experience our heritage.
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>