Q:I have an old bottle that has an embossed knight's glove encircled by the words "E.R. Durkee & Co., New York." It's pale lavender glass and is 8 1/2 inches tall. Embossed on the bottom of the bottle are the words, "Bottle Patented April 17, 1877." Can you tell me something about this bottle?

A:The original color of your sauce bottle has changed over the years by exposure to sunlight. Clear glass made before 1910 sometimes turns purple when left in the sun for a long time. Glass made between 1910 and about 1930 turns amber, not purple, because the formula for making glass changed. More recently, artificial means have been used to turn clear glass deep purple. Durkee Spices was founded by Eugene R. Durkee in 1850. The company introduced Durkee Famous Sauce, the first bottled or packaged salad dressing, in 1857. In 1918 Durkee became the first company to package spices in tins instead of cardboard containers. The company has changed hands a couple of times and became part of Associated British Foods in 2005. Durkee has a manufacturing plant in Ankeny, Iowa. Your bottle is not rare and sells for about $15.