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Bottle Cap Inn, Miami

Miami
Miami's Bottle Cap Inn, before an addition on the right side
Miami's Bottle Cap Inn, before an addition on the right side
The expanded Bottle Cap Inn, with a package store addition
The Bottle Cap Inn in all its colored glory. By this point the bar was owned by a Steve Viscount
The piano is a centerpiece of the bar, nicely framed by the circular patterns on either side
Not satisfied with creating bottle cap murals for his walls, owner Joe Wiser and his wife created draperies for the windows as well. MIAMI, FLA: DEC-00-1940: The patience of Job, the friendliness of hundreds of delivery truck drivers as collectors and contributors has enabled Joe Wiser and his wife to build "Bottle Cap Inn" a bar in Miami at 1290 N. W. 119th St., whose walls and ceilings are decorated with over a million bottle caps. It took three years, a ton of nails and a ton of cement to do the job. Bottle caps are everywhere, on the floor, ceiling, bar, clock, lights, chairs, cash register, curtains, and even on the driveway. It's the most unique rendevous in Florida. Caps have been sent by admirers from the four corners of the world. This Photo Gratis for the City of Miami. From Hamilton Wright, Miami News Service
Vintage press photo: Practical Use for Used Bottle Caps MIAMI, FLA: Joe Wiser, a disabled World War veteran operating his own inn here, as the unique distinction of having found a use for used bottle caps. As can be seen, he has some fancy interior decorating with them. ACME 4/25/39
Vintage press photo: MIAMI, FLA: DEC-00-1940: The patience of Job, the friendliness of hundreds of delivery truck drivers as collectors and contributors has enabled Joe Wiser and his wife to build “Bottle Cap Inn” a bar in Miami at 1290 N. 119th St., whose walls and ceilings are decorated with over a million bottle caps. It took three years, a ton of nails and a ton of cement to do the job. Bottle caps are everywhere, on the floor, ceiling, bar, clock, lights, chairs, cash register, curtains, and even on the driveway. It’s the most unique rendezvous in Florida. Caps have been sent by admirers from the four corners of the world. Bottle tops, over the bar, and under it too, in the table tops, the ceiling and everywhere. Here’s the proud proprietor serving his guest. This photo gratis for the City of Miami. Miami New Service, Hamilton Wright Jr., Executive Editor.
Vintage press photo: MIAMI, FLA: DEC-00-1940: The patience of Job, the friendliness of hundreds of delivery truck drivers as collectors and contributors has enabled Joe Wiser and his wife to build “Bottle Cap Inn” a bar in Miami at 1290 N. 119th St., whose walls and ceilings are decorated with over a million bottle caps. It took three years, a ton of nails and a ton of cement to do the job. Bottle caps are everywhere, on the floor, ceiling, bar, clock, lights, chairs, cash register, curtains, and even on the driveway. It’s the most unique rendezvous in Florida. Caps have been sent by admirers from the four corners of the world. Bottle tops, over the bar, and under it too, in the table tops, the ceiling and everywhere. Here’s the proud proprietor serving his guest. This photo gratis for the City of Miami. Miami New Service, Hamilton Wright Jr., Executive Editor.
Vintage press photo: MIAMI, FLA: DEC-00-1940: The patience of Job, the friendliness of hundreds of delivery truck drivers as collectors and contributors has enabled Joe Wiser and his wife to build “Bottle Cap Inn” a bar in Miami at 1290 N. 119th St., whose walls and ceilings are decorated with over a million bottle caps. It took three years, a ton of nails and a ton of cement to do the job. Bottle caps are everywhere, on the floor, ceiling, bar, clock, lights, chairs, cash register, curtains, and even on the driveway. It’s the most unique rendezvous in Florida. Caps have been sent by admirers from the four corners of the world. Joe Wiser and his wife miss no opportunity to add to their collection. New bottle caps are as exciting to them as rare stamps to a philatelist. Here they are adding to their collection. This photo gratis for the City of Miami. Miami New Service, Hamilton Wright Jr., Executive Editor.
Vintage press photo: MIAMI, FLA: DEC-00-1940: The patience of Job, the friendliness of hundreds of delivery truck drivers as collectors and contributors has enabled Joe Wiser ad his wife to build “Bottle Cap Inn” a bar in Miami at 1290 N. 119th St., whose walls and ceilings are decorated with over a million bottle caps. It took three years, a ton of nails and a ton of cement to do the job. Bottle caps are everywhere, on the floor, ceiling, bar, clock, lights, chairs, cash register, curtains, and even on the driveway. It’s the most unique rendezvous in Florida. Caps have been sent by admirers from the four corners of the world. Here’s a clock at the Inn that has been decorated with bottle tops. This photo gratis for the City of Miami. Miami New Service, Hamilton Wright Jr., Executive Editor.
All those bottle caps, and Dorothy and Joe Wiser too
Joe and Dorothy Wiser in their Bottle Cap Inn
Bottle Cap Inn: I
The bottle-cap-encrusted piano can be seen on the right. From a message on the back, it looks like this card was being used in 1953
The bar at the Bottle Cap Inn. The wall behind it was gone by the end of 1940
The wall beind the bar at the Bottle Cap Inn has been removed
The Bottle Cap Inn bar during Ruth
Same view along the Bottle Cap Inn bar, but now identified as "Famous Bottle Cap Inn" rather than Ruth
No dancing at the Bottle Cap Inn.
BottleCapInnRegister
"Ruth
Another Bottle Cap Inn bar view. From a message on the back, it looks like this card was being used in 1953
Lovely wall patterns at the Bottle Cap Inn
Along the Bottle Cap Inn
The same outside wall at the Bottle Cap Inn, now under Ruth
Even the coat tree was encrusted with bottle caps at the Bottle Cap Inn
Most of the postcards only claim "more than a million" bottle caps vs. this one's four. Joe Wiser and Ruth were presumably out of the picture by the early 1950s
Most of the postcards only claim "more than a million" bottle caps vs. this one
The table-and-chairs shot is one of the oddball conventions of commercial postcards. Did they really expect anyone to say, "Get a load of those tables, we
A color shot of the Bottle Cap Inn
So besides Joe Wiser, who built it, the Bottle Cap Inn back in the day was owned by "Ruth" and, at some point, Sam and Fred, and later Steve Viscount
Famous Bottle Cap Inn matchbook
Famous Bottle Cap Inn matchbook
Ruth's Bottle Cap Inn matchbook
An ultra-classy place for what appears to be a celebrity photo. I
The Bottle Cap Inn, back in the day
Bottle Cap Inn sign, circa 1995
Tombstone for Joe Wiser, creator of the Bottle Cap Inn. It seems like he sold out long before his death in 1964

[Show slideshow]
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