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A striking survivor from America’s World War II home front, this original 1943 Three Feathers Reserve whiskey bottle retains its colorful feather emblem and period paper labels. Red, cream, and blue plumes rise above a gold-toned V.S.R. ribbon, creating a handsome display against the bright, clean glass.
Standing approximately 10½ inches tall, this traditional 4/5-quart bottle represents Three Feathers’ “Very Special Reserve” blended whiskey. The large label names Oldetyme Distillers, Inc., Aladdin, Pennsylvania, while the smaller contents label identifies Schenley Distributors, Inc., Schenley, Pennsylvania. Schenley acquired Oldetyme’s business in 1940, bringing both names into the same corporate family.
The base carries the Owens-Illinois glassmaker’s emblem and the manufacturing code “56–43,” identifying 1943 glass production. The large paper label also carries a “9-43” printing code, supporting a late-1943 presentation.
The surviving contents label records an 86-proof blend containing 40% straight whiskey and 60% cane-products neutral spirits, with straight whiskey components aged five, six, and seven years. The prominent V.S.R. initials are explained as “Very Special Reserve,” accompanied by lavish language celebrating quality, distinction, and treasured reserves.
Three Feathers presented this whiskey as a refined choice for entertaining and special occasions. Its gold-toned labels, elaborate feather emblem, and mature whiskey components reinforced that premium image. A December 1944 newspaper advertisement priced a 4/5-quart bottle of Three Feathers at $3.50, providing a documented retail price close to this bottle’s date.
This bottle comes from a time of ration books, war bond drives, radio broadcasts, and letters arriving from overseas. American distilleries had shifted to producing industrial alcohol for the war effort, while beverage sellers drew upon existing whiskey stocks. Against that backdrop, the promise of “rare treasured reserves” offered customers a small measure of elegance during uncertain times.
Condition and details:
• Approximately 10½ inches tall.
• Embossed 4/5-quart capacity.
• Original feather emblem and paper labels.
• Glass is bright, clean, and shiny, with no chips, cracks, or haze.
• Labels retain attractive color and readable printing, with age toning, surface wear, small tears, and areas of paper loss, as photographed.
• Original closure is absent.
• Empty; offered as a collectible bottle.
An especially appealing example for collectors of Pennsylvania whiskey history, WWII-era advertising, original paper labels, and vintage bar displays—distinguished by its dated 1943 glass, surviving reserve labels, and wonderfully graphic three-feather emblem.
