Posted 12 years ago
Lumpy
(17 items)
Every spring my city has a free clean up day, and every spring most of the city drives around looking at the other's trash. YES, that's how I found this, on the curb with the junk.
[Pics of building and bottle from Manhattan Brewery web sites]
This is a wood crate, Property of Manhattan Brewing Co, Chicago 9 Illinois, (on both sides). On the ends it has Malt Beverages Brewed and Bottled by Manhattan Brewing Co Chicago 9 Illinois. 12-32oz. Bottles.
The wood is all intact, with the correct tin corner supports and ware for the time, with great patina.
The Manhattan Brewing Co. was started in 1893. In 1919 the brewery was bought by Johnny Torrio, (alleged mobster) and Al Capone, (Yep, that Capone), and was managed by Louis Greenberg (finance man for Al).
The brewery ran under verious names untill 1932 when Torrio and Capone sold to Frank Nitti, (from the "family"). Nitti ran the brew house as Manhattan Brewery, untill his suicide in 1943. After that it became Canadian Ace brewery, with several owners, untill it closed in 1950. The building at Emerald and 39th St. Chicago, was demolished in 1976.
This crate was for bottles, so it has to be from before 1938, when the brewery switched to all Keagland cans, for their suds. Of all the web sites I've looked at for Manhattan Brewery, I've never seen a crate pictured, but there had to be hundreds of them back then. Where did they all go?
I know where one is, in my hands!
Lumpy