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Apothecary chemist bottle Labels?
Last Post 01 Jan 2021 10:23 AM by Lummox. 8 Replies.
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04 Dec 2020 12:32 PM  

Hey All

Does anyone happen to know how these glass labels were originally stuck to these old green apothecary chemist bottles?

Was it by using some type of glue or was it by using a wax to stick it down?

I need to replace a label and I’m hoping it uses wax which I could then heat up and remove easily.

Any insights very welcome.

Cheers

 
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04 Dec 2020 12:45 PM  

With age the original fixing deteriorates & the so called 'label under glass' can fall off - resulting in the curved glass portion breaking!

On my items I've tried to re-stick to avoid them dropping off using common or garden super glue. It's invisible and works.
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04 Dec 2020 03:16 PM  
Posted By BamberBooks on 04 Dec 2020 12:45 PM

With age the original fixing deteriorates & the so called 'label under glass' can fall off - resulting in the curved glass portion breaking!

On my items I've tried to re-stick to avoid them dropping off using common or garden super glue. It's invisible and works.


Would you happen to know what the 'Original' fixing is? Is it a Wax?

I need to safely remove a stuck on 'label under glass' from a bottle that has broken and then take the removed label and stick it onto another blank label bottle I have.

If it is Wax I can try very gently heating up the wax on the back of the label and then hopefully safey lift the label away from the broken piece and stick it onto the other bottle.

That the plan anyways.
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04 Dec 2020 06:44 PM  
Not wax
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04 Dec 2020 07:51 PM  
Posted By Lummox on 04 Dec 2020 06:44 PM
Not wax

 

Cheers Ross for ruling out wax.
 
It must be some type of sticky resin paste.
 
One that I saw some time ago that had a broken glass label, you could see the original material used to secure it to the bottle. It looked like a dry paste rather than a tough hard glue and was easy to scrape off, which made me think It could be wax.
 
It was almost like a linseed oil putty used for old wood window glass frames.
 
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05 Dec 2020 10:58 AM  
I think you are right Phoneguy - I reckon they used a linseed oil putty. I have seen the same on broken gold leaf lettering glass chemist drawer labels.
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31 Dec 2020 02:34 PM  

I’ve think I’ve solved what adhesive was used on these old ‘labels under glass’ green poison apothecary bottles.

I gently heated the back (inside bottle glass) and within seconds a coloured liquid started dripping down from under the label and the ‘label under glass’ just dropped off. This liquid smelt of pine resin and within minutes began to reharden.
 
So, its looks like these ‘labels under glass’ were glued to the glass bottles using a pine tar resin to be  easily serviceable.
 
Have a happy new year!
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31 Dec 2020 05:26 PM  
Great to know this! I had always wondered.
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01 Jan 2021 10:23 AM  
Reading this again, can't believe how stupid I've been not to realise.................. Seen the sort of honeycomb colour on the back and edges of these labels many times. If you deal in a bit of scrap silver like I do you might well have bashed up an old worn Victorian Silver hand mirror or brush.

The Silver is often very thin almost like foil and filled with pitch. The Victorians used to used it for sticking and filling nearly everything !! Pine tar, pitch, with chalk dust, resin. Call it what you will I think you are spot on Phoneguy

lummox
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