A bottle is a narrow-necked, rigid or semirigid container for holding liquids or semiliquids. It is usually topped with a stopper or cap to protect the contents from spills or evaporation. Bottles are made from a variety of materials, including glass, metal, plastic and other synthetics. Bottles are also used for other purposes such as storing foods, condiments and pharmaceuticals. Bottles are used by people around the world in many different ways and can be found in every home.
A “bottle episode” in television production is a cost-saving idea that was developed by the industry to allow more episodes of a show to be produced each season without running out of money. Typically, a bottle episode is filmed on one set, has a minimal cast, and contains no special effects or other expensive elements. This allows more time to be spent on story development, which is often the most important part of any TV episode.
Bottles can be made from a wide variety of materials, and their shape and size can vary greatly. The most common bottles are made of glass, which has been a popular material for containers since ancient times. In the early 19th century, bottle-making technology began to improve significantly, especially with the introduction of the machine-made “cavity glass” process. This enabled glass manufacturers to produce bottles in huge quantities at relatively low cost. This led to the rapid growth of the bottle industry in America and worldwide.
The information provided on these web pages is intended to assist individuals interested in both dating and typing historic bottles. The individual bottle type categories are described on a general basis with dozens of thumbnail pictures and old glass company catalog illustrations. Each image may be clicked to view a larger version. Although there are occasional exceptions with virtually all estimated dating ranges and other bottle morphology information, the general information provided should be useful for most bottles of each category.
Please note that this website is a work in progress and that the bottle morphology data is continually being updated as new references are consulted. It is hoped that the data presented will eventually be considered an authoritative resource for bottle dating and typing. For this reason, it is recommended that each visitor review the entire site before attempting to make specific identifications on any bottle. In addition, the Bottle Bases and Body Characteristics & Mold Seams pages are often helpful when determining bottle type.