Bild Brothers


Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  Bild Brothers, 640 B Street SW, Washington DC (1886-1891)
  Bild Brothers, 204 7TH Street SW, Washington DC (1892-1904)
  Charles Bild, 204 7TH Street SW, Washington DC (1905)

Notes:
The Bild brothers consisted of Charles (b. 1858) and Franklin (b. 1855), who were both born in Washington DC.
Charles & Franklin are listed in the 1878 city directory as "Carriage Trimmers", along with their 3rd bother Rudolph. I beleive this ment they worked on upholstering carriages and maybe railroad cars too. All 3 were living at 640 B Street SW1.
In 1886, Charles & Franklin started the Bild Brothers, as bottlers and wholesale liquor dealers, from their home at 640 B Street SW. In 1891/92, the bottling busines moved to 204 7TH Street. Charles had moved to that location, while Franklin was still living at 640 B Street1.
The 1894/95 city directories described the Bild Brothers as "bottlers of Tannhaeuser beer only, also fine ale and porter". This was poorly worded, but I suspect that meant they were the only bottlers in DC who bottled Tannhauser beer (as opposed to meaning that they didn't bottle any beer other than Tannhauser).
On October 31st, 1903, the 2 brothers split up by mutual consent, and Charles took sole control of the busines, although the name of the business remained "Bild Bros"2.
It looks like after the bottling business broke up, Charles went back to being a Carriage Trimmer (and by 1915 an auto repairman), whereas Franklin bounced around between being a clerk, a watchman, and a carraige trimmer1.

Bottles:

bild_01 book # 79
This is an aqua 9" blob top bottle embossed:
in circle on shoulder: BILD BROS. 204-7TH ST S.W. / TRADE / 'BB' in shield / MARK / WASHINGTON, D.C.
front heel: REGISTERED
back heel: JOHNS BRO'S F.W.VA.
bild_02 book # 80
Left bottle is amber 9.25", middle bottle is aqua 9", and right bottle is clear 9.7". All are BIM crown tops embossed:
in circle on shoulder: BILD BROS. 204-7TH ST S.W. / TRADE / 'BB' in shield / MARK / WASHINGTON, D.C.
front heel: REGISTERED
back heel (left bottle): THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO BE SOLD
back heel (middle bottle): EHE CO
back heel (right bottle): THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD
The amber one doesn't have a "-" between "204" and "7th".


1 Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
2 Evening Star (Washington DC) Newspaper, December 23 1903, page 3




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This page last updated on August 20, 2017.