The Arts

Bottle Collector Turns Trash to Treasure

South Carolina Public Radio | By Tut Underwood

Published October 2, 2015 at 6:55 AM EDT

Harvey Teal of Columbia is one of about 300 bottle collectors in South Carolina. It’s a hobby that’s centuries old, and some bottles can be very valuable, as well as being pleasing to the eye and revealing part of the history of the times they were made in. Teal tells us about the rare bottles from the South Carolina Dispensary, the state monopoly on liquor set up by Gov. Ben Tillman in 1892, and about some of the unusual places and lengths collectors can go to, to discover these relics of cultures past.

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Tut Underwood

Tut Underwood is producer of South Carolina Focus, a weekly news feature. A native of Alabama, Tut graduated from Auburn University with a BA in Speech Communication. He worked in radio in his hometown before moving to Columbia where he received a Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of South Carolina, and worked for local radio while pursuing his degree. He also worked in television. He was employed as a public information specialist for USC, and became Director of Public Information and Marketing for the South Carolina State Museum. His hobbies include reading, listening to music in a variety of styles and collecting movies and old time radio programs.

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