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Victor Crosby was born in 1916 and generally lived in San Diego, California and in Kirkland, Washington with his wife Aleen. He was the son of a seaman and longshoreman and grew up in the Hooverville area of Seattle. After graduating from Lincoln High he spent his main career as a botswain's mate and seaman until he retired. In retirement he started a resort at Lake Retreat and started dabbling in real estate. In his spare time, he learned to fly and purchased his own plane.

 

Over the years he learned and developed a love and a special knack for building ships and other items inside bottles. Vic was a master craftsman who brought excellence in his builds through appropriate scale and realism, while maintaining a special uniqueness for adding humor and creativity.  During an interview in 1976 workbench he quipped: ``Well, I was never any good at playing cards, and this was something to do."

 

Using an old German pocket knife his Dad gave him as a carving tool, he intricately carved wooden chains, anchors, rocking chairs and even a baseball inside bottles. He even built Chaucer's ``Canterbury Tales" stagecoach in a bottle.  You might find a parrot on a perch that suspends from the stopper on the inside the bottle. He would often make funny and unique stoppers for his bottles that fit well with the theme inside. 

 

Vic Crosby died on December 2, 1996 from congestive heart failure and pneumonia. 

 

Bottles by Vic Crosby

 

Click on a picture to view the bottle and description in the Gallery

Bottle ID: 964

 

Examples of this Artist's work - Click on a picture to enlarge