Identification
 Bottle:
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History of
MGBW Co - A G M
Melbourne Glass Bottle Works Company and
Australian Glass Manufacturing Company Limited



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Amethyst Glass



People do ask me about the different colors of glass bottles, and they are all colored that way at the time of manufacture by adding some kind of chemical or other coloring agent, except for one!

These bottles started out their lives as a clear glass bottle.
Glass in it's natural state is not clear, it can be all kinds of different colors depending on the mixture the glass maker was using at the time, but is usually an aqua colour. One of the chemicals used to make the glass clear which are referred to as neutralising agents is Manganese Oxide and depending on how crude the glass mixture was determined how much Manganese was used to make it turn clear. Now the reason this glass turns purple is that the manganese ionizes due to exposure to ultraviolet light, from the sun, and is turned amethyst or purple.

The amount of manganese used to make the glass clear will determine how dark a shade of amethyst it will turn i.e., the more manganese in the glass mixture the darker the color the less manganese the lighter most of these bottles have only a small amount of manganese in them and don’t change color, but some of them have a lot and will turn a very a dark amethyst.
Because of this hit and miss method of glass making an amethyst bottle is rare and most collectors like to have them in their collections.

Manganese was first introduced to glass making in the late 1870’s and used up to about 1915, the reason why glass makers stopped using manganese is very simple, about 90% of the manganese used by Australia glass makers came from Germany and due to the first world war all trade with Germany ceased. After that another chemical called Selenium Oxide was used to make glass clear but alas bottles made with selenium don’t change color in the sun, so if you find a clear bottle from around 1880 to 1915 hold it up to the light you might see a very faint tinge of pink, sit it on your window sill. In a full sun position and in around 6 months you may get a pleasant surprise.

Any bottle that will turn amethyst can also be what we refer to as 'Zapped', this is when people expose the bottles to high levels of radiation by Gamma Rays, X-rays and Mercury arc radiation. Because they have not changed colour naturaly they are always a little more on the black of purple and they are not prized by collectors who look apone them the same as a repaired or polished bottle.

Milking Moments


Gone are the days when you could hear the rattle of the horse drawn milk cart, and the clang of quarts of milk as they were placed on the front steps of your home, next to a loaf of fresh bread, and the Melbourne Argus newspaper. The good old days! A time of leisure and tranquility, now you have to fight long supermarket queues to buy milk in a cardboard box; it doesn't have the same charm does it!

Some people choose to remember this time by collecting milk bottles. This is one of the most popular categories in the bottle collecting world, with some of the early milks becoming very hard to come by. Most collect what we call the wide mouth milk bottle in the Pint, ½ Pint and Quart size.

Most of the Melbourne metropolitan dairies had this style of bottle in use by 1912 and the outer suburbs and country towns by 1920.
At the time it was believed that these wide mouthed bottles were more hygienic. Dairies had a choice of four different ways to sell their milk the first was ‘Raw Milk’, which was straight from the cow. The second was ‘Brine Cooled Milk’, which had been cooled over brine filled steel sheets. Third was ‘Homogenized Milk’, which was passed through very fine filters, which stopped the cream from separating from the milk. And finally ‘Pasteurized’, when milk was heated to a certain temperature and held there for a set amount of time, this killed any bacteria in the milk and this method is still in use today.

By the late 1940’s most Councils were actively discouraging the use of the wide mouth milk, because there was a design flaw. The wad (cardboard cap) which sat just below the rim of the bottle, and with milk being delivered on unsealed roads there was a problem with dust and road grim settling on top of the wad. The only way to open the bottle was to push the wad into the bottle, thus contaminating the milk. By 1955 the use of these bottles had been outlawed.

The new foil capped bottle was the next in line. A lot of the dairies that used the wide mouth milk had an identifying number on the base of the bottle, which some collectors try to collect them by the numbers, there are 625 different numbers so this can be quite challenging. Another favorite with collectors are the ceramic labeled milk bottles, some of these milk bottles had advertising on the back of them and are highly sought after by collectors. Some of these advertisements included, Kellogg's Cornflakes, one calling for more conductors on Melbourne's trams, ad's for Car Makes, White's Shoes from Kew even Warrnambool Blankets, etc.

Aerated Water Trade Advertising



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As all you good bottle collectors out there know, the key to finding new bottles for your collection is research, research, research, and every time you head off to the state library or public records office or where ever, you don't just find great digging sites but all kinds of interesting odds and ends.
Here you will find mostly advertisments for Aerated Water and Cordial Makers Gazzette also some Newspapers as well as advertisments for makers of Aerated Water and Brewery plant machinery, and other things I found of intrest when researching for digging sites.
Pictures are set out in a slide show format and are a little big however I have reduced them as small as I could before you could not read the text.
Pictures will be added here often, and as soon as I have enough information on any particular company I will write a tutorial on them.

Source; Victorian State Library & Victorian Public Records Office.

How to Date Australian Bottles, Glassmakers and their stamps

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Peter Ellis Fruit Jar Patent


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Victorian Patent, Application Number 11733
Dated 2nd October 1894.

I, Peter Ellis of Bendigo in country Victoria, Engineer, do herby declare the nature of my invention for "Improvments in Fruit preserving Jars" to be as follows;
The invention is intended to provide a jar or vessel with an air tight stopper for the purpose of preserving the contents from deterioration or decay for an indefinite time.
This effected by making the mouth of the jar or vessel and the stopper there of such a shape that when an elastic band of indian rubber or other elastic substance is sprung around them as shown in the drawing accompanying this specification, the stopper will be held down on the mouth of the jar or vessel by the elastic band which will also cover the joint between the stopper and jar or vessel and so exclude air there from.

Figure 1. on the aforesaid drawing shows a vertical section of the empty jar or vessel with the stopper A. and elastic band B. in place.
Figure 2. on the same drawing shows a section of the elastic band before being fixed on the jar.
Figure 3. shows a plan of the jar or vessel with the stopper and band in place.
The jar or vessel may be made of glass or other substances found suitable.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Peter Ellis.

One of the more interesting Victorian Patent Applications, I have never seen one of these fruit jars yet, but I'm sure one will turn up eventually, if anyone out there has seen one of these Ellis Patent Jars please email me or send me Picture, I sure would like to add one of these to my collection.

this information was sourced by friend David Bruce

The Bottle Widows View

My wife Thinks that all us bottle collectors are nuts! Check this out.
One night quite a few years ago my new boyfriend had an idea that he would start collecting old bottles. Being young and innocent, I encouraged him in this new venture, thinking everyone needs a hobby.
What a FOOL!! Little did I know that my house, once the average suburban dwelling was soon to become the equivalent to the R.S.P.C.A. In the last few years every stray piece of glass, pottery and sometimes metal, once thoughtlessly discarded into tips or creeks around the countryside, has been adopted into my household.
You see bottle collecting isn’t just a hobby, it’s a sickness!! It takes the average Joe Blow off the street and transforms him into a bottle JUNKIE!- always after the next fix and never happy until every shelf, cupboard and bookcase is overflowing with orphans from the tip.
For all of you bottle widows out there who have accepted ‘The Bottle’ into your habitat, and learnt the rules- I salute you. For those of you who haven’t, I’ll give you a few tips I've picked up along the way.

So There you have it, my rules for survival.
Once I also thought a Seal was a furry creature that lived at the zoo; a torpedo was something fired from a submarine and a bottle was something to be taken lightly.

Elizabeth Thornton (Ed's Wife).

Lamont Patent

John Lamont introduced his “ledge-mouth” bottle in England during 1874, patenting the bottle in Victoria by 1876, where his patent application stated, “...The nature of the invention consists in forming the internal neck or mouth of the bottle or vessel with a bearing narrow annular flange or rim near the outer end and having the neck part within widening slightly towards the inside, or it might be with a beveled or grooved part to form the said rim, against which the elastic or flexible part of the stopper is pressed when in the position of stoppering the vessel:

“First: The forming of the necks of bottles with the new or improved rim or groove, in each for a bearing surface for stoppering the same...

Second: The construction and use of hand tool ...for forming the said rim or groove in the necks of the bottles...

Thirdly: The construction of stoppers for stoppering bottles or other vessels with a bearing rim or groove...

Lamonts patent, being granted with exception to those parts resembling the patents of:-

1. Edward Hogben, Melbourne “An improved stopper for bottles containing aerated or gaseous liquids.” 6th April 1870.

2. George Glendhill, Auckland “Improvements in the bottling of aerated waters by dispensing with the corking and wiring thereof to be called Gledhill’s patent aerated water bottle and stopper.” 3rd July 1873.

3. Hirman Codd, Camberwell near London “Improvements in bottles for containing aerated liquids and in apparatus for making and filling such bottles.” 1st September 1873. Lamonts bottles became very popular in Australia with hundreds of companies using them particularly during the 1890’s after Lamont’s first patent had lapsed and a royalty could no longer be charged for it’s use.

The bottles were quite cheap and relatively easy to make however their disadvantage was in the time consuming task of replacing the rubber rings on the stoppers as they became perished. (This had to be done with a special tool while the stopper was still in the bottle).

Most Lamont bottles found in Australia have a “bullet” shaped ebonite or wooden stopper which were patented by Lamont in 1881 as shown in the accompanying diagram. Later patents such as that of Vallet’s super weighted stopper used in ledge-mouth bottles with their own stoppering device. “Lamonts” continued to be used in Australia until the 1910’s by which time they had become outdated by the improvements in Codd’s bottles and the development of the internal thread and of course the crown seal.

McCrackens City Brewery, Melbourne.

In 1851 brothers Peter and Robert McCracken, in partnership with James Robertson purchased an allotment from the Crown in Little Collins Street, West, close to Williams Street. Where they built a small brewery, at first the output of the brewery was only four barrels at each brew, but after steady patronage the brewery was able to expand their premises.

In 1888 the brewery had frontage on Collins Street and covered almost four acres. James Robertson retired in 1861 selling his share of the business to the McCrackens brothers. In 1873 a brewer by the name of Robert Montgomerie gained employment with the brewery, which proved to be very good for the McCracken brothers, as Montgomerie’s experience with brewing from colonial malt almost tripled the sales and in the mid 1880’s the business was one of the most successful breweries in Melbourne.

Montgomerie, who was from Tasmania originally, left the company in 1884 to establish his own brewery in West Melbourne. This move proved to be quit bad for McCrackens and their sales dropped considerably. After Montgomery left, Robert Brinkley of Bow brewery in London took on the position of head brewer, Brinkley’s assistant was a William Tulloch , son of one of the founders of the Standard Brewery in Ballarat.

Alexander and Colier McCracken joined the company as junior partners in 1884. In 1888 the firm became a public company and doing very well. But it all started to go wrong in the early 1890’s, property speculation sent prices skyrocketing in Melbourne and most businesses were relying on credit to stay in business. When speculators couldn’t meet their debts and many Banks failed. Victoria was hit with an economic collapse and a rise in unemployment, with this most people could not afford to spend money on beer.

The company continued to operate at great losses and just made it into the 1900’s but after numerous bank loans to try to kick start the brewery again, and large sums of money pumped back into the brewery by the McCrackens family failed by 1906 the brewery was on the verge of collapse, the brewery was purchased by the now rapidly growing Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd. in early 1907.

Rowland & Lewis, Ballarat.

       

Almost a hundred and fifty years ago Mr. Evan Rowlands and Mr. Robert Lewis started the manufacture of mineral and aerated waters, bitters, cordials and liqueurs in Ballarat, Victoria, and laid the foundation for a colossal fortune.
They began their business in a canvas tent on the banks of Yuille’s Swamp (or Youl’s Swamp), now known as Lake Wendouree in 1854 and commenced to supply the thirst oppressed gold diggers ‘on Ballarat’ with refreshing aerated beverages, which they produced by the means of what is known as a Taylors No.1 machine. At the time they had no idea that in the course of time reap splendid results and build up three of the largest factories in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mr. Evan Rowlands was a pioneer in the aerated water trade in Australia. He was born on August 2, 1826, at Corris, Merionethshire, North Wales. In 1852, during the gold fever, he emigrated to Melbourne. In 1854 he went to Ballarat and formed a partnership with Mr. Lewis, the firm being called ‘Rowlands & Lewis’. One of the earliest type of bottles used by the company was the ‘Dump Shape’ stone ginger beer and there are examples of impressed on the side at the base bottles.
Their first step was to secure a supply of pure water. They felt that this was indispensable for the production of a superior article. They had read a great deal about the history of Mineral Waters of Seltzers, Pyrmont and other places and believed that natural spring water existed in Victoria. With the aid of experts they at last found a natural spring at Warrenheip, the analysis of which proved that the spring contained valuable medicinal ingredients, in addition it was free of any organic matter.

From the outset, the beverages made from this water sprang into repute, and were in great demand by invalids and others. Their business prospered so well that in 1858 they were able to build a commodious factory at the corner of Sturt and Dawson Streets, and fit it with the most improved machinery then in use at a cost of £1000. By 1870 their business had increased so much and demand had grown to such an extent that Mr. Rowlands erected a modal factory, covering over an acre of ground at the corner of Dana and Doveton Streets, and costing £13,000. The factory was fitted up with the most modern improvements in the cordial and aerated water trade. In 1873 Rowlands established an agency at 116 Collins St, Melbourne, because the demand for the products of the Melbourne factory became so large.
Success followed this enterprise and he went to Sydney where he laid the foundations of a prosperous trade. The firm did well and resulted in his building a large factory at a cost of £15,000, at the corner of Burns and Little Hay Streets, Darling Harbour. In the preparation of the commodities sold by Mr. Rowlands the most important factor was the purity of the water, and with the hope of finding a natural springs, he spent much time with experts analyzing springs.

Eventually a very fine spring of water was discovered at Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, and the site was leased from the government. The water was brought to Sydney by rail.
In the meantime the Melbourne concern had progressed rapidly and in 1888 a magnificent factory embodying all the latest ideas was built in King Street and the business moved their from Collins Street. The factory was one of the most complete of it’s kind and unsurpassed in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mr. Rowlands competed at the exhibitions at London, Paris, Philadelphia, and the Indian and Colonial Exposition and carried off gold medals. It is impossible to consider the rapid and unparalleled growth of the cordial trade without Mr. Rowlands who was one of the top promoters. Ten years before Mr. Rowlands arrived most cordials were imported from other countries.

In the Sands & Kenny’s Melbourne Directory for 1897 the firm is listed as ‘E Rowlands late Rowlands & Lewis, manufacturer of all kinds of aerated waters, cordials and bitters, proprietor of Vigorine, Ballarat, Sydney, Newcastle, 266 King Street. and 281 Collins Street, Melbourne. An entry in the Australian Cordial Maker of July 1904 reads, ‘We have received from Messers E. Rowlands, the well known aerated water manufacturer of Ballarat, Melbourne, Sydney and Katoomba, a natty little advertising devise in the shape of a match box with the firms name and address on one side , and a miniature reproduction label of their well known soda water label on the other.’.
Due to the lengthy period the firm was in business they made use of a great number of various patent bottles for their drinks, and many of these are being discovered now. Codd’s Patent, stone ginger beers and Hamilton Patents bearing the Rowlands trade mark seem to be the most popular types although various others were used for a specific drink, Ginger Ale for example. As the company was particularly large the later bottles are not difficult to come by and being attractively embossed, are very popular with collectors. However, the little dump stone Ginger Beer impressed with ‘Rowlands & Lewis’ or the Rowlands Patent marble bottle are fairly scarce.

The Black Horse

This attractively embossed black glass bottle has always been much sought after prize with collectors, commonly referred to as the black horse ale bottle it is from Tooth's Brewery in Kent England. The center motif is a rearing horse representing the ‘White Horse of Kent’, the significance of which dates back as far as the fifth century.
The Saxon chiefs Hengist and Horsa used this emblem on their battle standards when they lead their invading hordes across the channel to conquer Cantwarra Land or Kent.

Surrounding the horse on the front of the bottle is a frame of hop vines and barley heads and on the shoulder is the familiar British Registration Mark. In most examples the indicated date of registration at the patent office is the 9th of November 1855. Other marks exist with different dates of registration as do some bottles with the mark omitted.

The design registered in 1855 is listed as No.102519 at the Patent Office and was submitted by Alfred Tooth of 14 Mincing Lane, City of London. At this address, Alfred Tooth and his brother Robert are recorded as partners of the firm Tooth & Co., Merchants, in the London directories from 1853 to 1858.
In 1857 and 1858 they are further listed as principles in another firm, Tooth Bros., Ale stores, at the same Mincing Lane address and also at 76 Freeschool Street, Horselydowns, which is one of Robert Tooth's former addresses.

The Tooth family originally came from Cranbrook, which is the center of a Hops and grain growing district in Kent, and as early as 1841, Robert Tooth is recorded in business as a hop merchant at 12 Little Tower Street, London.
It is interesting to note that another brother, John Tooth , emigrated to Australia in the early 1830’s and was the co-founder of Tooth’s Kent Brewery in Sydney in 1835. Hence the identical trade mark motif, the ‘White Horse of Kent’.

Robert Tooth’s three sons, Robert, Edwin, Frederick, are also recorded as hop merchants and general merchants with other London companies at various periods between 1848 and 1868. They could not have been to actively engaged with these companies, at this time they were each busily carving a niche for themselves in Australian History.
With the retirement of their uncle John Tooth, Robert and Edwin and later Frederick, leased the Kent Brewery in Sydney. Apart from their brewing interests, the Tooth’s were also closely involved in political affairs and pastoral interests in New South Wales. The Black Horse Bottle is therefore a relic more closely associated with the pioneering days of Australia than is generally thought.