Sold for A$25,000
Old English / Style / Since 1849 / J. Ladd / Brewed / Magnet (Magnet) Brand / Ginger / Beer / Brewed at College Park / This bottle remains the / property of / J. Ladd / College Park. Potters stamp: W. C. Bennett / Magill Pottery. Demijohn Ginger Beer Blue top and neck pottery demijohn with internal thread, spigot hole for tap to reverse. 2 or 3 gallon. 505 mm. 1920s
Near Mint. A superb and imposing piece. This is the only pictorial blue top internal thread demijohn in Australia, and is the only one known at that! Some extremely minor wear to the thread internally, this could also be simply a glaze miss? A few scuffs and scratches to the glaze on the upper body at the rear. A couple of scratches down near the base as well. The spigot hole at the rear has a flake to the left outer side, 5 x 6 mm, with a short horseshoe hairline from this. There are a couple of dints on the inner spigot hole, these seem to be from manufacture. The right side base has a shallow flake as well, 9 x 2 mm, looking at the pottery marks, it would seem that this is from manufacture! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a one only, coloured top, internal thread, pictorial demijohn from Australia that has never been shown! In Hal Schueard's book Brewers and Aerated Water Manufacturers of SA on page 117 there is a photo of a horse and delivery wagon. Under the driver's seat is a large demijohn, which appears similar to the one on offer here. The demijohn would date no earlier than the College Park ginger beers, which were made up to 1927. Grade: 9.2 Estimate: $22500 - 25000
