Page 15 - Pharmacy History 29 July 2006

So significant orders were still being sent to distant shores despite the savings (in time particularly) that could be achieved by ordering locally. Chemist and medicine bottles in particular required precise sizes and finishing to the lip because of the accurate measurements and consistent seals required for some of the more volatile concoctions available at the time. Therefore despite a distinct rise in the use of bottles from the local firms between the 1870s and 1890s, prescription bottles still largely came from overseas. The most common base mark seen in the later part of this period is the W in a flattened octagon used by Wood Brothers of Yorkshire. By the end of the 1890s Wood Brothers bottles were falling out
of favour and being replaced by an American company, Whitall, Tatum and Co. (WT). WT had been making bottles since the 1850s at their Millville factory in New Jersey, USA, a factory that had its origins in the very early 1800s. From an early period WT invested heavily in finding ways to produce better and more consistent glass. Their chief production became flint glass – a very clear, non-reactive glass that was ideally suited to the pharmaceutical industry. They also made aqua glass (known as greenware) but in a much smaller range and given less prominence in their catalogues. Indeed during the period when WT were doing its best business in Australia the Melbourne Glass Works (MGW) produced most of the aqua coloured chemist bottles.
The quality of the WT glass can clearly be seen if you pick up their clear bottles, there are usually very few (if any) air bubbles and the glass is generally exceptionally clear.
Some WT bottles have a slight hint of amethyst but again it is highly unusual for any to turn dark amethyst (at least by natural means). In addition to this, WT had ensured that the glass they produced was easily workable and thus when blown into moulds produced very fine and sharp embossing, much more so than other glass makers of the time. Of course this can cause some problems to the novice collector, as many of WT’s bottles look ‘modern’ despite the fact that nearly all the Australian embossed examples date to before 1915.
WT opened a sales office in Sydney during 1905 when its Australian
business was at its peak and continued to sell large quantities of bottles for at least the next 10 years. Around 1915 however, a combination of factors was working against WT in selling into the Australian market. The MELBOURNE GLASS WORKS (MGW)
aggressively pursued technological
and economic improvements,
buying several glassworks around
the country thus creating a new company – AUSTRALIAN GLASS MANUFACTURERS (AGM). AGM now had enormous economies of scale and with the introduction of modern machinery was approaching the quality of overseas product.
World War II presented WT with two problems. The first was that the simple practicalities of shipping had become more hazardous even across the Pacific, and secondly the natural patriotic mood created by wartime meant that customers were more likely to place their orders with Australian companies. Lastly, the automation of the bottle making process meant that glassworks began offering a smaller, cheaper range of bottles. Fancy shapes were gradually removed from sales catalogues and embossing became less prominent and when offered, far more standardised. All of this meant that the bottles
from one company were virtually the same as bottles from another and so WT’s competitive advantage had disappeared.
Base marks
As noted above the Millville glassworks began in the early 1800s with the firm becoming Whitall Tatum & Co in the 1850s. The WT & Co. base mark is thought to have started being used on bottles around 1875 and continues until 1901 when the business name was changed to the Whitall Tatum Company and the base mark became W.T. Co.
No doubt these marks overlap slightly so approximate dates for Whitall Tatum bottles in Australia would be: W.T. & Co., up to 1902 and W.T. Co from 1901 onwards. Both these marks are seen regularly on Australian bottles and this distinction gives a little help to dating them.
Bottle shapes
The names of all the different styles of bottles are given in the WT catalogue of 1902 and most, if not all, of the
shapes will be familiar to collectors. All the bottles described seem to have been made both in a ‘flat’ form and with a sunken panel. Black and white diagrams are from the 1902 WT catalogue.
The phenix
Described as being the latest prescription bottle in the 1902 catalogue, this shape was also used extensively by the Melbourne Glass Works
(and later
Australian Glass
Manufacturers).
This shape
also became
more prominent in the late 1900s and 1910s often seen with a sunken panel at the front for the embossing. Available in 11 sizes: 1⁄2 oz – 32 oz.
Philadelphia oval
This shape is also regularly seen in Australian prescription bottles and again a shape that was also used by MGW. It became less prominent later in the decade. This bottle was also produced with metric measurements embossed on the shoulder with 6 sizes available between 30cc and 250cc. It is worth noting that this range of metric bottles was actually larger in 1880, suggesting that they were never really very popular. 18 sizes: 1/8 oz-32 oz, including two wide mouth sizes.
Knickerbocker
(Patented Dec 11 1894) – The patent date is usually embossed on the base as well. Most often (always?) seen in coloured glass examples. 11 sizes: 1/2 oz-32 oz.
Manhattan
oval
(Patented Jan 5,
1892) – Another commonly seen shape probably best described as a rounded rectangle, often in very clear or slightly amethyst glass. Also comes in a variation with sunken panel at the front (as seen in the example shown at the below). 10 sizes: 1⁄2 oz. – 32 oz.
volume 3 ■ no 30 ■ NOVEMBER 2006
Pharmacy History Australia ■ 15
S. Rundle Pharmaceutical Chemist,Wangaratta, 6 oz. Aqua Phenix type prescription bottle. Base Mark W.T. & Co/I/U.S.A. Circa 1900-1902.
FC Marshall, Chemist, Bundaberg, Not to be Taken. 4 oz. Cobalt Blue Knickerbocker style bottle with raised diamond points. Base Mark – W.T. CO/1/U.S.A./PAT. DEC 11 1894. Circa 1901+.