Skip to main content
Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

Bottle 300 - Patriotic Mottos

Date Added: October 1, 2005
This is a bottle full of tools and hand carvings done with patriotic and WWII mottos. This bottle was made by William Anderson of Faribault, Minnesota. "WILLIAM ANDERSON Born: 26 Jun 1909 Died: July 1985 Last Residence 55021 Faribault, Rice, MN SS #472-10-9906." The bottle has a hammer and mallet, buck saw, cross saw horse, pick axe, and more. Each tool and carving has a patriotic or WWII related motto. Words and Location follows: "Hon. Judge Caswell - shaft How Dry I Am - shaft God Bless America - shaft Remember Pearl Harbor - shaft My Country Tis of Thee - long mallet W.P.A. Mallet - long mallet W.P.A. Pick Ax - long pick axe God Bless America - long pick axe W.P.A. Hammer - short hammer Not Made in Germany - inside saw buck frame Not Made in Japan - outside saw buck frame In God We Trust - middle shaft Made in USA - middle shaft Liberty or Death - middle shaft W.P.A. Saw Buck - middle shaft Also contained in the bottle is a cloth strap holding the buck saw aces, and a metal saw blade with multiple colors and words. It appears to be cut from a metal can, box, or sign. Attached to the pick axe is a piece of thread going through a hole about 2/3 down the handle of the pick axe. Loose in the bottle and probably once attached to the thread is a blue cloth cut out to resemble a flower, possibly a rose. Attached to that is a piece of paper with a label attached that says "Sold by" and "Disab..." and finally "American." The bottle is sealed with a long wooden shaft extended into the bottle with a tamper proof cross piece preventing the stopper from being removed. The top of the stopper is a carve shape. All parts are in natural wood. The WPA was a depression-era agency of the federal government that gave jobs to the unemployed. It started as Works Progress Administration but was later changed to Work Projects Administration.
Type
Tools
Maker
Anderson, William
Category
Tool
Made Where
Fairbault, Minn
Bottle Size
11" x 3"
Bottle Type
4/5 quart Unidentified

Gallery