Featured Help with antique water cooler

I have an antique water cooler. It has writing that is mostly rubbed off but still visible. It shows Golden Orange and the metal cooler appears to maybe have been orange but faded over time to more of a yellow. The cooler is square in shape with a white porcelain center for water the water to cool in. It has a glass jug with a purple glass lid with great detail. Not sure if jug is original or not but fits onto cooler snug. It has an antique wooden stand that is on wheels but that may not be original but appears to have definite been used with it as it has a hole for the ice drain.

 

Welcome!
Can we see it?

 

I have a picture but it was too large to upload so I will have to take another.

 

Resize it to 480xwhatever number is given. Always do this and you'll never have trouble with photos.
Then always use the full image button for all your photos always.

 

This might help
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/making-a-post-and-uploading-pictures.16038/

 

I uploaded a couple of pics to the original post.

 

I am guessing EAPG (early american pattern glass) sun purple (which means damaged by sitting in the sun) what pattern, I don't know... there are those who collect it. any chance to get a closer shot of the top itself? is the pattern on the lid the same as on the body of the glass? (i am attempting to refresh my memory, (accident) so can't guarantee I am positive about EAPG but I know sun purple) as far as golden orange, hopefully this will start you on your way..Vess is the name of the company https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea...MDc2M-?p=golden+orange+whistle+soda&fr=mcafee

 

dates back to 1916.

 

I was not sure about the glass. The pattern that is on the lid is not on the body of the jug. As for the water cooler itself I was able to find that information. However I could not find anything related to Vess or Golden Orange having a water cooler and definitely not anything that looked like this.

Thanks for the info!

 

Not a water cooler but an antique drink dispenser. These often had glass globes shaped like fruit but yours could be original as it seems to fit well and is decorative. I was unable to find another example like yours. I was also not able to find reference to your Golden Orange drink brand. Both Vess/Whistle and Fanta had Golden Orange soda but I think yours pre-dates either of these. I suppose that your brand could have been bought by one of these companies and the name incorporated.

 

Care to share that?

 

sales display to get people interested in buying the product? my guess.

 

I just meant that I was able to find information on Golden Orange and that the company was Vess. I had seen something about drink dispensers even one made by Vess but it looked much different. I will get a couple other pictures of the ice box design itself. Definitely very unique.

 

I agree with Brad, much earlier than Vess. Try J. Hungerford Smith.
https://www.google.com/search?biw=3...obile-gws-serp..8.6.653...30i10k1.pVTKGaLw-lk

 

Thanks that helped! I found one identical to it for Green River. It showed it as being a soda fountain syrup dispenser dating to 1919 based on the label. Obviously advertising for the soda but not sure about the manufacturer of the dispenser.

https://picclick.com/RARE-Green-River-Countertop-Soda-Fountain-Syrup-Dispenser-221561607902.html

 

Might be earlier than 1919.
Manganese is what makes glass turn purple in the sun. I believe they quit using manganese during WWI, lime soda was substituted. @Cherryhill will be able to give better details than me.

Although this is made during the EAPG period, it is not EAPG. Pattern glass usually refers to table patterns, not accessories. Again Tom can explain this better.

As to who made the glass jar itself, it may not be as important as the fact that it is an early drink dispenser. It's a shame the name doesn't stand out more.

 

What an amazing item! Super cool. Agree that the date would be 1910-1915. The glass jug reminds me of a giant Mr. Peanut jar. Just sayin'

 

Clutterd's right about EAPG the PG refers to families of glass sharing the same patterns of designs on the surface. It does refer to a time period, ca. 1845 to 1905 or so, but the glass must belong to one of the many 'families'.
Sun colored color is the result of sunlight affecting magnesium oxide in the glass, makes the glass appear slightly purple. MnO was not used during WWI, but continued for some time after that.

 

Does the pattern on the top depict an orange?
Many of the early dispensers had something to represent what was being sold. So the lid might not have exactly matched.

A better picture of the lid would be nice.

 

maybe not as early as you thought

Mikey

"Sylvester Jones was the principal founder, who developed the VESS trademark from his nickname. Whistle Orange Soda was introduced in 1925, with the Vess logo on the other soda flavors. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 left the company in bad financial shape. The business was sold to Donald Schneebarger. Schneebarger was considered a genius at marketing and added several new flavors to the line, many of which are still produced today"