New York City's dairy distribution ran through the Milk Bottlers Federation for much of the twentieth century, and this half-pint bottle carried its public health slogan — Milk for Health — across the front. The bottle was built to be returned: DEPOSIT is embossed front and back, and the base carries NY CITY, PROP OF THE MILK BOTTLERS FED. as an explicit statement of ownership. This one wasn't returned. It ended up on a New York City beach instead, and decades in the ocean frosted the glass completely, so the embossing now glows through the sea-worn surface rather than reading as plain lettering. The Owens-Illinois maker's mark and DURAGLAS designation date the glass to 1953.
Embossing: MILK FOR HEALTH on the front, DEPOSIT on front and back, and NY CITY, PROP OF THE MILK BOTTLERS FED. on the base, alongside the Owens-Illinois DURAGLAS mark confirming 1953 manufacture.
Condition is excellent for a sea-worn bottle. Full frosting across the entire surface. No chips or cracks.
Dimensions: 5.25" H × 2.5" W | Frosted glass | Excellent sea-worn condition
This bottle sits at the intersection of two collecting categories at once — a genuinely sea-worn piece of sea glass and a documented artifact of New York City dairy history. Best displayed where morning or afternoon light can pass directly through the frosted glass.
Recovered from New York City's historic shorelines and landfill sites by Brooklyn Sea Glass. Ships carefully packed.
