Bristol-style Glazed Bottle

Click photo to enlarge Photo: Bristol-style ginger beer bottle used by Felix J. Quinn

• Type: Coarse earthenware
• Date range: 1835-1900
• Place of origin: Developed in Bristol, England but produced elsewhere as well

The Bristol-style glazed bottles were developed by the Powell family in Bristol in 1835. The texture of the ware was coarse to moderately coarse. The ware was characterized by a buff-coloured fabric and a clear, glossy glaze. The upper part of the vessel was dipped in an iron oxide glaze, producing a caramel colour on the upper part of the vessel. The most common vessel forms were beverage bottles and preserve/condiment jars.

Felix J. Quinn produced bottles in Halifax between 1888 and 1914. Toward the end of this range, the bottles were often made of glass. The bottles were primarily imported from British bottle makers, but the contents were produced in Nova Scotia.

See Vieneau 1969: 36-37.

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