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Scarce Eng-Skell Soda Fountain Syrup & Fruit Jar
San Francisco, California • Circa 1905–1910 • Original Patented Glass Lid
Before soda came from a vending machine, it came with a little theater.
The hiss of sparkling water. The clink of a long spoon against a tall glass. A fountain attendant measuring rich syrup, spooning sweet fruit over ice cream, and turning a few ingredients into the best part of someone’s afternoon.
This substantial, lavender-amethyst Eng-Skell Co. half-gallon jar belongs to that world—and its glass puts on a show of its own. Long, twisting bubbles and flowing glassmaking formations stretch for inches through the body, resembling little lightning bolts suspended in the glass.
Beautifully bright, clean, and transparent, it retains its original glass lid and surviving metal wire closure, with the lid bearing the patent date August 22, 1905.
A compelling piece for two collecting worlds: early soda-fountain advertising and antique patented-closure jars.
Scarce - Especially With Its Original Closure
This is a distinctive embossed commercial container from a named San Francisco supplier, rather than an ordinary household canning jar.
We have not located another complete example currently offered for sale with its original dated glass lid and wire closure. Historical examples are recorded, but comparable complete examples have proved difficult to locate.
Its combination of substantial half-gallon size, embossed Western advertising, attractive lavender glass, remarkable bubble formations, and surviving patented closure makes this an especially desirable example.
For the soda-fountain collector, it represents the ingredients behind the counter. For the jar collector, the fascination continues at the top: a period glass lid and unusual wire-fastening system.
Possibly From Before The Great 1906 Earthquake
This scarce Eng-Skell half-gallon soda-fountain syrup and fruit jar retains its original glass lid bearing the August 22, 1905 closure patent date. It may date to the brief interval between that patent and the devastating San Francisco earthquake and fires of April 18, 1906, which destroyed the company’s plant.
Eng-Skell rebuilt and continued trading, so manufacture shortly after the disaster also remains possible. Its precise year is unknown. Either way, this is a striking survivor of the company’s early years, made especially desirable by its surviving patented closure, beautifully transparent lavender glass, and extraordinary elongated bubbles.
Estimated manufacture: circa 1905–1910. The patent date identifies the closure patent, rather than an exact manufacturing year.
Eng-Skell: Flavoring San Francisco
Founded around 1900 by W. A. England and H. D. Skellinger, Eng-Skell took its name from the opening syllables of its founders’ surnames.
The San Francisco business supplied flavoring extracts and related goods before developing an important trade in crushed fruits, toppings, and fountain syrups. Its early fountain-fruit offerings included strawberry, pineapple, and banana.
These were the supplies behind a lively American institution: the soda fountain, where customers gathered for refreshments, ice cream, conversation, and a little everyday indulgence.
The permanent embossed advertising reads:
FULL MEASURE
½ GAL
ENG-SKELL CO.
SAN FRANCISCO
“Full Measure” reassured the customer about quantity, while the supplier’s name remained visible long after a paper label might have disappeared.
Smooth Syrup Or Deliciously Chunky Fruit?
Eng-Skell supplied both.
A jar like this could have held a concentrated fountain syrup for mixing drinks, or a thick, spoonable crushed-fruit preparation containing pulp and fruit pieces suspended in sweet syrup.
Think of the difference between syrup stirred into carbonated water and a rich fruit topping spooned over ice cream. Its generous mouth made the container practical for either pouring liquids or removing thicker preparations with a spoon.
Without the original paper label, the particular flavor and exact contents of this example remain unknown. Its connection to the soda-fountain syrup and fruit trade is the central attraction.
Destroyed By Fire—Rebuilt From The Formulas
The 1906 disaster destroyed Eng-Skell’s plant, and its insurance company went bankrupt without paying the claim.
A safe containing the company’s formulas, corporate seal, and ledger was salvaged, preserving the essential knowledge and records needed to begin again. Eng-Skell re-established business in August 1906 and moved to Valencia Street that October.
By 1907, the company was expanding its manufacture of crushed fruits, toppings, and fountain syrups.
This jar evokes that extraordinary period in San Francisco’s history: a city rebuilding its businesses, neighborhoods, and everyday pleasures after catastrophe.
The Patented Glass Lid
The lid is marked “PAT. AUG. 22 ’05.”
That date corresponds to the improved jar closure and fastener patented by Edward Abramson and Edward O. Bennett, associated with the Illinois-Pacific Everlasting jar system.
The reusable glass cover and wire clamp were designed to hold the lid against a sealing gasket. The surviving assembly adds considerable mechanical and visual interest.
Illinois-Pacific Glass Co. is a likely glass manufacturer based on the closure connection, although the jar does not carry a confirming glasshouse mark.
Lavender Glass With Lightning Inside
The transparent glass has an appealing lavender-amethyst tint, consistent with coloration that can develop in early manganese-bearing glass through sunlight exposure. Its color history cannot be established from appearance alone.
Numerous enclosed bubbles, exceptionally elongated bubble formations, and flowing glassmaking irregularities give the jar tremendous character. Light catches their edges and the raised lettering beautifully.
The thick base, square body, rounded shoulders, and surviving closure give it a substantial presence on display.
Measurements & Markings
Approximately 9½ inches tall
Approximately 4½ × 4½ inches across the body
Embossed capacity: ½ gallon
Embossed Eng-Skell Co. / San Francisco / Full Measure
Glass lid marked Pat. Aug. 22 ’05
Base embossed with the numeral clean, shiny antique glass with excellent transparency.
No chips or cracks observed.
No haze.
Original glass lid included, with surviving metal wire closure.
Age-related oxidation to the metal.
Two shallow, open air bubbles on the backside.
Numerous enclosed bubbles, elongated bubble formations, and glassmaking striations.
Light age-related wear at the base.
Please examine all photographs closely for the condition, closure, and extraordinary glass character.
For The Fountain Counter—or The Jar Cabinet
An engaging piece of early San Francisco advertising, soda-fountain history, and patented-closure glass.
Whether your collection follows syrup jars, fountain fruits, ice-cream parlors, Western bottles, or unusual antique jars, this example brings the whole package: local history, scarce commercial embossing, substantial size, beautiful lavender glass, and its original dated lid.
