​FOREWORD
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David Kyle Rakes is not only a friend but also a fellow collector of Southern antique soda bottles and a researcher/author of the histories of the various personalities that bottled soda waters throughout the South. In this publication, he delves into the world of the early bottlers of soda water in Alabama. Back in the 1980s, I self-published a guide for collectors going after blob sodas, Hutchinson sodas, and the various other patented closures used with Alabama. My efforts pale in comparison to David’s. 
 
David’s work focuses just on the early blob sodas, pontiled and smooth base. The detailed histories of these bottlers incorporate not only the years of operation and business locations but also the people behind these enterprises. This publication is bound to become the go-to reference for collectors within the state of Alabama, across the South, and throughout the hobby. 
 
Tom Lines, Auburn, Alabama.