Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2020.FIC.009.A |
Object Name |
Cap, Bottle |
Title |
E.L. Kerns Company Birch Beer Bottle Cap |
Description |
The bottle cap is dark blue and circular, primarily made of metal. It features a white inscription on the front that reads, "E.L. KERNS BIRCH BEER BEVERAGE. CONTENTS 8 FL. OZ. TRENTON. N.J." This inscription is enclosed in a white circle. The edges of the bottle cap are dark silver and serrated. The front of the cap is elevated, creating a caved-in back. The bottom of the back is made of brown cardboard. According to pre-pro.com and findagrave.com, E.L. Kerns founded the E.L. Kerns Company in 1889. Originally a coal miner in Pennsylvania, Edgar (E.L.) Kerns moved to Trenton, NJ, to learn the art of soda making. By the 1890s, Kerns began selling alcoholic beverages, and by 1896, the company was so successful that it acquired a four-story building on North Broad Street. Around this time, Kerns began using the initials "E.L.K." for his company and adopted an elk's head as the company mascot, which appeared on many of their bottles. Kerns was known for his motto, "quality wins," and after more than thirty-five years in the bottling business, he passed away in 1925. Citations THE E L KERNS CO. pre-pro.com. (n.d.). https://www.pre-pro.com/midacore/view_vendor.php?vid=TRT11838 Edgar L. Kerns (1861-1925) - find a grave... Find a Grave. (n.d.). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/261079128/edgar-l.-kerns |
Year Range from |
1889 |
Year Range to |
1980 |
Material |
Metal, Cardboard |
Artist |
E.L. Kerns Company |
Diameter (in) |
1.000 |
Condition |
Okay |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Corrosion throughout. Front: There is paint chipping all over the blue portion of the bottom. Also, there is corrosion all over the metal. Back: There is corrosion all over the metal. Also, there are creases all over the cardboard. |
Inscription Type |
Manufacturer's Mark |
Inscription Location |
Front, Top to Bottom, Left to Right |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"E.L. KERNS" Line 1 "BIRCH BEER" Line 2 "BEVERAGE" Line 3 "CONTENT" Line 4 "8 FL. OZ." Line 5 "TRENTON. N.J" Line 6 |
People |
Edgar L. Kerns |
Classification |
Business & Commerce Domestic Life/Household Goods |
Subjects |
Bottle industry Bottles Bottling industry Soda industry Drinking vessels Water |
Search Terms |
Bottle Cap Bottles Metal Cardboard E.L. Kerns Edgar L. Kerns E.L. Kerns Company North Broad Street 1889 1980 1925 19th Century 20th Century Birch Beer Soda 8 Ounces OZ Trenton New Jersey NJ Beverage Blue Silver Brown E.L. Kerns Company Birch Beer Beverage Bottle Cap |
Provenance |
Found in collection |