Martin Grahn chose….

a selection of bottles

I have chosen a range of everyday bottles from the Victorian period. These at first glance may not appear to be very interesting but can still tell us much. They show a wide variety of ingenious designs to both close the bottle and keep the contents fizzy where necessary. These different types of closure along with the bold lettering and pictorial embossing on the latter bottles are both forms of early advertising where the producers compete with each other to make the most attractive bottle. Also they hark back to a time when goods were sourced and produced in the locality in which they were sold before the advent of mass transportation. These bottles would have been returned for refilling to the retailer - the ultimate in recycling and local sourcing, a viewpoint we are beginning to return to again.

Martin Grahn is the Herbert's Conservation Officer for objects

What the curator says:

Glass bottles, about 1860 to 1890, collected in 1967

These bottles were made by Marriott & Co of Foleshill and W Lant & Co of Coventry. Glass was a popular material for mineral water bottles in the 1800s. It was cheap, easily manufactured and reusable. A trademark, image and manufacturer's name could be embossed into the glass.

Hamilton bottles were torpedo or egg shaped and were stored flat. This kept the cork wet which meant it fitted tightly in the neck. Dry corks could shrink and become loose. They were produced from around 1860 to 1890. The Codd bottle was invented by Hiram Codd in the 1870s. The gas in the bottle forced a glass marble and rubber ring to the top and sealed the bottle. A specially made wooden bottle opener was supplied to open them. Codd bottles were popular with children because the marble inside could be used in their games!

Stoneware ink bottle, about 1890

This ink bottle has two holes, one hidden by the spout. The flow of ink was controlled by placing a thumb over one of the holes.