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Antique CHRISTIE’S MAGNETIC FLUID Bottle
ca. 1845–1855 • Albany, New York
Open Pontil • Hand-Tooled Lip • Heavy Whittling • Attic Mint
Offered here is an exceptional early example of the classic American patent medicine CHRISTIE’S MAGNETIC FLUID, dating to approximately 1845–1855, firmly within the pre-Civil War era. This bottle stands approximately 4.75 inches tall, hand-blown in rich aqua glass and represents the earliest phase of production for this well-known magnetic remedy.
The bottle features a true open pontil, a fully hand-tooled lip, and heavy whittling with cold-mold texture throughout. The glass shows lively surface movement and depth, with no evidence of machine finishing. Straight mold seams and bold embossing further support early, small-batch manufacture typical of New York glasshouses in the mid-19th century.
Embossing reads clearly:
“CHRISTIE’S / MAGNETIC / FLUID”
Condition — Attic Mint
This example is in outstanding condition, far exceeding what is normally encountered for bottles of this age:
No chips, no cracks, no repairs
No haze, no staining, no ghosting
Bright, clean, sparkling glass
Strong, bold embossing with excellent legibility
Crisp, untouched hand-tooled lip
Heavy, attractive whittling with classic “orange-peel” cold-mold texture
Simply put, this is a best-of-class survivor.
What It Was & How It Was Used
Christie’s Magnetic Fluid was marketed as an external remedy, intended to be rubbed onto the skin to relieve rheumatism, neuralgia, sprains, bruises, headaches, and “nervous disorders.” It belonged to the mid-19th-century fascination with electro-magnetism, animal magnetism, and mesmerism, when electricity was mysterious and magnetic cures felt cutting-edge.
A bottle like this might have lived on a farmhouse shelf, an apothecary counter, or in the trunk of a traveling patent-medicine salesman, ready to be applied as a household cure-all.
Origin & Attribution
Based on documented labeled examples, period references, and long-standing dug reports, Christie’s Magnetic Fluid is attributed to Albany, New York. A known partial paper label (reported in Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, c. 1990s) reads:
“Christie’s Magnetic Fluid –
For Rheumatism, Nervous Weakness & Female Complaints
Prepared by C. Christie, Albany, NY.”
The bottle’s form, glass color, pontil type, and tooling are fully consistent with New York glasshouse production of the mid-1840s to early 1850s, predating later, more standardized versions.
Why This Bottle Matters
Early open-pontil Christie’s examples are scarcer than later variants
Hand-tooled lip and heavy whittling indicate first-generation production
Larger size with strong embossing gives excellent shelf presence
Exceptional condition elevates it well above average survivors
This is not just an old bottle — it is a pre-Civil War artifact from America’s formative era of medicine, marketing, and belief.
