I know - it seems like such an insignificant thing - but I am fascinated by the various household glass items that are continuously making their way down the Marys River, onto our farm every year. Without fail, I find at least one new piece of glassware in the shallow section of "beach" at the north corner of the property. Yesterday was the first time I have had access to this area (we are close to the summer low water level already), and immediately I spotted this jar, half submerged in the sandy river bottom.
I'm showing the clear side of the jar - the opposite side is deeply stained with an Iron patina from all the dissolved Iron in the river. It's almost black around the rim and on one side. My search suggests that this was a jar of "Table Garden Relish Spread" by the Wheatley Mayonnaise Co. in Kentucky. (See: <a href="https://www.northernkentuckyauction.com/auctions/20285/lot/56474-labeled-table-garden-relish-spread-wheatley-mayonnaise-company-louisville-kentucky-and-jacksonville-florida?tab=details" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.northernkentuckyauction.com/auctions/20285/lot/56474-...</a>)
That link is the ONLY reference I found on the Web that had a photo of this jar. It likely dates to between 1920 and 1940.
When I find one of these relics I start to wonder - where (and when) did it start its journey in the Marys River? It's been in the river for about 80 years, and probably moves some distance every year. How far, I cannot imagine - maybe a few feet per year, maybe some years some of these objects travel hundreds of feet. Did these kitchen items all come from one household, or many? Did they come from the original house here on the farm, and have only traveled 3/4 of a mile around the hairpin curve of river that frames our farm? I have no idea. But I sure do wonder.
Photographed on Kodak Tmax 400 film, developed with Crawley's FX-55 Ascorbate developer (1:9, 12 minutes).
Rolleiflex 2.8E Planar with the Rolleinar II close-up lens.
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