COLLECTION ALL BOTTLED UP ASSORTMENT OF ANTIQUE GLASS ON DISPLAY IN SIMI VALLEY.

Byline: Angela Randazzo Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - A friend suggested that John Szabados start collecting old bottles when the free-lance carpenter found himself with time on his hands after suffering a work-related injury.

Szabados began digging around Simi Valley but didn't have much luck finding any bottles considered antique.

His efforts in the Moorpark area were more fruitful, however, and he found a medicine bottle and a cologne flask dating back to the 1880s.

``At first it was just trying to find something made of old glass in the area, then I started looking in antique stores and thrift stores,'' Szabados said. ``I wasn't much interested in history in school, but now I find the history part of collecting bottles fascinating.''

Szabados' collection has grown to over 200 bottles, 173 of which will be on display through September at Strathearn Historical Park, 137 Strathearn Place, Simi Valley.

``The main interest is the vast variety of the bottles,'' said Pat Havens, Simi Valley city historian. ``They give you a sense of age, and each one is unique.''

The bottles come in such colors as amber, emerald green, cobalt blue and clear glass. Some are embossed with letters to commemorate a special event or company, such as one bottle of corn whiskey that was used to promote the California Railroad.

Some bottles are in the shape of decorative figures, while others are tall and sleek. Each bottle has an individual shape and most are made of thicker glass than today's standard.

The 37-year-old Simi Valley resident is most interested in collecting bitters bottles that were popular in the mid-1800s.

``The manufacturers labeled the bottles as medicine to get around the tax on alcohol,'' Szabados said. ``The contents were mostly alcohol with a few herbs and bitters added.''

Making bottles in the 19th century was a risky business, according to Szabados.

``The manufacturing buildings were made of wood, and the glass had to be fired and shaped in a 24-hour process that produced a lot of heat,'' Szabados said. ``Sometimes the buildings would go up in flames along with the bottles.''

Strathearn Historical Park is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with docent-led tours at 1 p.m. Wednesdays. Admission is $2. Call [phone].

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(1 -- 4) John Szabados antique bottle collection is on display at the Strathearn Historical Park. Above right, two excelsor glasswork French Canadian figural bottles.