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The Web Childhood Museum Submarine and Siphonia Bottles |
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Dating from the mid to late 1700’s submarine bottles were very popular until the mid 1800’s when they were largely superseded by Siphonia bottles, though glass examples were still available up to the First World War. Early examples were made of earthenware, porcelain and even silver. Nearly all the famous Staffordshire potteries produced beautifully printed blue and white examples.
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Submarine bottles. Above Lovely blue and white bottle c1795 again any help dating would be gratefully received. Left. Willow pattern c1780’s. Middle. c1810. Right. glass c1890’s.
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Until rubber teats became available in the 1850’s artificial teats were made of all manner of things such as cloth, chamois, parchment, rags, fine linen and leather in fact anything that could be sewn into a nipple shape. A very popular artificial teat was pickled calves teats. All these teats were sewn in place, often stuffed with natural sponge and were left in place until they needed to be replaced. |
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Estonian Submarine Bottle, of a later date than British examples.
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Siphonia Bottles. This type of bottle was first patented in the UK in 1855 and though originally known as ‘Siphonia Bottles’, they later became known as ‘Murder Bottles’ with just cause! They had a long rubber tube to which the teat was attached, this tube proved to be impossible to keep clean and many infants became ill and some even died as a result of the gastric problems caused by the bacteria that bred in the tubes. Unfortunately for the hapless infant the tube proved very popular with the Victorians who believed that holding an infant too often spoiled them, the tube meant that they could be left in their cot or pram whilst being fed. I have recently heard of a case of a child being strangled to death with such a tube!!
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A selection of ceramic tops that fitted onto the bottle with a cork stopper.
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Selection of clear glass bottles dating from the 1870’s to the 1900’s.
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Complete boxed ‘Infants Companion Bassinette Feeder’ c1870.
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Selection of green glass bottles dating from the 1860’s to the 1890’s.
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‘Siphonia Bottles’ being moulded, enabled them to be embossed with the manufactures or retailers names and logos such as ‘Maws’, others were given names such as ‘The Popular’, ‘The Cherub’, Cornicopia’ and ‘The Toothsome Titbit’. |
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Copyright for text and photographs J. Oakes, strictly no reproduction without prior permission, please email. |
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Blown glass bottles began to appear around 1825 and quickly became popular though pottery examples didn’t go completely out of use until the 1840’s. |
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These bottles had a hole in the top through which they were filled. The holes differ in size and many would have had stoppers (at an extra cost) made of boxwood, cork, ivory, bone, porcelain, pewter or glass. Others, with smaller holes, had no stopper and were designed so that the thumb could cover the hole and thereby control the flow of milk; some stoppers also have a hole in them for the same purpose. |
