gift from the dirt under my feet, blue bottle

 I was in the basement when I saw a small, round reflective shape poking  through the packed earth floor.  I got curious and alternately gently dug around  with a sharp plastic implement and

swept around brushing away the loosed soil kinda like an archaeologist on a dig.

 

The photos in the background are color photocopies of photos from my parents' album. 

Underneath I wrote stories from their lives.  These 4 are part of a 12-pieces series.

Project was inspired by Tony Mendoza, a Cuban American photographer, who paired moving stories and photographs about his family and going back to visit Cuba. 

 

I was tickled and delighted to find this intact bromide medicine bottle. 

I remember reading that people buried their own trash on their own properties. 

 

 As a child I found marbles in my mother's garden left behind by the children who live there.

 

Another time several years ago I found a larger, light blue bottle neck sticking

 up out of the soil on a site that houses had been torn down. 

The neck was broken on that one.

 

The little clothes pin girl hanging from the light cord is wearing a crocheted dress.

 

 

It must have had a bottle stopper at one time. I like the shape of the mouth.  It washed up pretty well the first time. The encrusted soil on the inside came out after additional soaking and suds. 

The little outdent (opposite of indent) is a droplet of water hanging out.

Holding it different ways in a attempt to read the raised printing.

Pretty hard to make out from the photos: the lettering says

 BROMO-SELZER

EMERSON

DRUG CO.

BALTIMORE, MD

 

http://www.ehow.com/about_5461048_much-bromo-seltzer-bottle-worth.html

 

According to information in the article above it was made prior to 1915 when the Maryland Glass Company started making threaded necks for metal caps to screw on.

So happy to get a treasure from the past.   And cobalt blue too!  Jinkies! 

 

Also found a vintage porcelain glazed wash basin (white with a black rim),

 aqua tool box or cash box, and mail box. 

Not underground but in piles left in a "junk" room.

 

Thank you to the unknown people from the past for leaving traces and treasures behind.