Antique 1890s Olive Olives TOMPKINS Labeled Label Bottle Jar Elmira New York NY For Sale

• 1890s era bottle with original label! 135 years old!
• Clean!
• No chips, no cracks, no dirt, no ghosting or stains; Just some faint loss to the left side of the peppers label at bottom.
• 8 1/8" T
• I package well and ship out daily!

• Olives stuffed with sweet red peppers (like pimientos) originated in Spain, where olives were a major export crop.

• In the 1880s–1900s, Spanish exporters began supplying U.S. companies with olives already stuffed, or sold in bulk to be stuffed domestically.

• Pimiento-stuffed olives were marketed as a delicacy and became increasingly popular among the American middle class.

• The process involved using a mechanical pitting tool and manually stuffing each olive with a red pepper strip — labor-intensive, making them a premium product.

This bottle represents a snapshot of early gourmet food packaging in America, when:

• Global trade was introducing "exotic" foods like olives and peppers

• Paper labels became common for branding and ingredients

• Specialty glass shapes (like triangular bases) helped brands stand out on shelves

• Listed in the 1917 Elmira City Business Directory as a wholesale grocer at 350–358 State Street, Elmira

• Operated from at least the early 1900s, suggesting they imported and repackaged goods like olives and peppers for local distribution.

• Elmira, with rail and canal connections, was ideal for importing bulk Spanish olives and repackaging them with decorative labels for regional markets.

• Premium items like Spanish sweet pepper–stuffed olives were marketed with ornate labels and specialty bottles (like your triangular base) to appeal to upscale grocery and hotel clients.

• C. M. & R. Tompkins appear to have been a well‑established mid-size wholesale grocer, active for decades and operating from a prominent State Street address.

• Their branding (“Queen Olives, Elmira NY”) suggests they sought to build consumer recognition and pride in regional food quality.