This small green bottle has been handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a carbonated soda or mineral water bottle. It was made from 1840s-1870s. The bottle was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is part of the John Chance Collection. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing air through a long pipe and into molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the cylindrical dip mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another ponty tool to push up and form the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be wrapped around the top of the neck and shaped to finish the lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, held in place with a ball-wire fitting attached between the upper and lower parts of the neck finish. This style of handmade bottles usually had thick glass so that it could be heat-sterilised, then re-filled. The bottles would often have horizontal bubbles in the applied finish, caused by twisting the glass, and vertical bubbles and diagonal lines in the body from it being blown, and a pontil mark in the base where the ponty tool had been attached. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; green glass, soda or mineral water style, handmade. Applied finish, blob double ring collar; upper is wide and rounded, lower is a narrow ring. Diagonal lines in glass on neck and shoulder. Low shoulder mould seam. Body is matt with ripples in glass, tapers inward towards base. Shoulder and neck are shiny. Push-up base with pontil mark, visible through glass. Marks on heel. Uneven base. Bubble on side and top of lip. Sediment on inside surfaces. Two score lines, one half way down body, one near base. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, 19th century bottle, collectable, soda bottle, mineral water bottle, green glass, blob finish, push-up base

This small green bottle has been handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a carbonated soda or mineral water bottle. It was made from 1840s-1870s. The bottle was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is part of the John Chance Collection. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing air through a long pipe and into molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the cylindrical dip mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another ponty tool to push up and form the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be wrapped around the top of the neck and shaped to finish the lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, held in place with a ball-wire fitting attached between the upper and lower parts of the neck finish. This style of handmade bottles usually had thick glass so that it could be heat-sterilised, then re-filled. The bottles would often have horizontal bubbles in the applied finish, caused by twisting the glass, and vertical bubbles and diagonal lines in the body from it being blown, and a pontil mark in the base where the ponty tool had been attached. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; green glass, soda or mineral water style, handmade. Rough applied finish, blob double ring collar; upper is wide and rounded, lower is a narrow ring. Diagonal lines in glass on neck. Low shoulder mould seam. Body is matt, tapers inward towards base. Shoulder and neck are shiny. Push-up base with pontil mark, visible through glass. Marks on heel, glass thickness varies. Uneven base. Bubble in glass. Sediment on inside surfaces. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, handmade, dip mould, mouth blown, pontil mark, 19th century bottle, collectable, soda bottle, mineral water bottle, green glass, blob finish, push-up base

This olive green bottle was handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle, which has the capacity of one-sixth of an imperial gallon, about 750ml. It was made around the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle was recovered from an unnamed shipwreck in the coastal water of Victoria. It is part of the John Chance Collection. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing into a long metal pipe or reed with a blob of molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another tool to finish the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be added to the top to form the mouth and lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, often held in place with tape. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal water in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, dark olive green glass, tall thin Gallon type. Lip is straight, deep, with thin horizontal lines in glass. Neck has gradual flare, body has side seams, heel has uneven thickness, and base is concave, without pontil mark. No inscriptions. Glass has imperfections. Handmade in mould. Body has score marks and is worn down one side. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, olive glass, green glass, mould, 1800s bottle

This olive green bottle was handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle, which has the capacity of one-sixth of an imperial gallon, about 750ml. It was made around the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle was recovered from an unnamed shipwreck in the coastal water of Victoria. It is part of the John Chance Collection. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing into a long metal pipe or reed with a blob of molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another tool to finish the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be added to the top to form the mouth and lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, often held in place with tape. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal water in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, dark olive green glass, tall thin Gallon type. Lip is double; rounded upper, flared lower. Neck is slightly bulbous. Body has shoulder seam, then tapers inwards to base. Concave base with small pontil mark. No inscriptions. Handmade in mould. Body has sediment inside, top to bottom. Glass is worn down one side. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, olive glass, green glass, mould, 1800s bottle, bulbous neck

This olive green bottle was handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle, which has the capacity of one-sixth of an imperial gallon, about 750ml. It was made around the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle was recovered from an unnamed shipwreck in the coastal water of Victoria. It is part of the John Chance Collection. The elongated bubbles in the glass are likely from the glass being blown into a mould. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing into a long metal pipe or reed with a blob of molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another tool to finish the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be added to the top to form the mouth and lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, often held in place with tape. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal water in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, dark olive green glass, tall thin Gallon type. Mouth is applied roughly, lip is straight and narrow. Body has no visible seams; tapers gently inwards to base. Concave base is deep and has a pontil mark. No inscriptions. Handmade bottle has elongated air bubbles and imperfections in glass.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, olive glass, green glass, mould, 1800s bottle

This olive green bottle was handmade by a glassblower and is the typical shape of a ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle, which has the capacity of one-sixth of an imperial gallon, about 750ml. It was made around the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle was recovered from an unnamed shipwreck in the coastal water of Victoria. It is part of the John Chance Collection. This bottle has a pontil mark in the centre of the base and four pontil marks around the heel. It also has tape around its mouth and lip, adding a little more interest to its history. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing into a long metal pipe or reed with a blob of molten glass at the end of it. The shape of the glass would be blown out to fit into the shape of the mould. Once it set, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck and another tool to finish the base. The tool that the glassblower or his assistant used to steady the bottle left four marks in the heel of the bottle. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be added to the top to form the mouth and lip of the bottle. The seal was usually a cork, often held in place with tape. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. This bottle is a little more significant than other similar bottles in our collection because it has multiple pontil marks, four around the heel of the base as well as one in the centre of the base. These marks were left by the tool or tools used to hold or steady the bottle as the maker completed the process. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal water in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, dark olive green glass, tall thin Gallon type. Applied mouth with remnants of tape around lip. Lip is straight and narrow. Low shoulder seam; glass above seam has more shine than below seam. Body tapers gently inwards to base. Rim of heel has four equidistant pontil marks. Base is concave with central pontil mark. No inscriptions. Handmade bottle. Sediment inside bottle on one side, top to bottom. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, olive glass, green glass, mould, 1800s bottle, multiple pontil marks

This clear, green tinged, Half Whirley (or Whirly) salad oil bottle has been handmade by a glassblower from 1870s-1910s. A bottle with such elaborate decoration would have been sought after as there was no need to decant the sauce into another jug or bottle to make it acceptable for table service. It is possible that this bottle was recovered from the Loch Ard, wrecked in 1878. A diver found the bottle on a shipwreck in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. The diver who found this bottle has recovered objects from several different shipwrecks between the late 1950s and early 1970s. A sizeable proportion of those objects was from the wreck of the famous clipper ship Loch Ard. This salad oil bottle may very well have been amongst that ship’s cargo. It is part of the John Chance Collection. A paper titled ‘Glass Bottles from the Loch Ard Shipwreck (1878): A Preliminary Study’ by Iain Stuart, (published in Australian Historical Archaeology, 9, 1991) included a study of twelve salad oil bottles from the wreck of the Loch Ard. The bottles were of this same Half Whirley design (half meaning that it was Whirley on the upper half but not on the lower half of the body), as well as the same colour and size. A diagram of one of these twelve bottles matches the bottle in our collection. The paper mentions that eleven of the twelve bottles have a number on their base, just as this one has. It is estimated that foreign and salad oil bottles totalled four percent of all of the bottles carried as cargo on the ship. The Half Whirley bottle has side seams from below the lip to the base, indicating that the bottle was made in a two-piece mould that included the heel, body, shoulder and neck. The fancy ‘whirly’ twist pattern and panelled sides would have been cut into the mould’s inner surface. The uneven thickness of the ridge around the base comes from adding a separately moulded and embossed base after the bottle was removed from the mould. The applied finish (mouth and lip) was also added to the bottle. The elongated bubbles in the glass are evidence of the glass being mouth blown into the mould, thus forming the shape and pattern from the inside shape of the mould. The bottle probably had a glass stopper with a round top and wedge-shaped shank with a ground surface, allowing the bottle to be re-sealed. The ring between upper and lower lip allows the closure to be sealed and anchored. The embossed numbers are either “133” or “833” and may represent a particular bottle pattern, manufacturer or filler. Although the bottle is not currently linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 19th century. This whirley salad oil bottle is matches the whirley salad oil bottles recovered from the Loch Ard in the 1990s, adding depth of interpretation to the array of salvaged Loch Ard artefacts in Flagstaff Hill’s collection. The salad oil bottle is an example of the type of food condiment containers that were used in Victoria’s early days. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks, including the Loch Ard, have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; glass Half Whirley salad oil bottle, green-tinged, with some opalescence. Handmade, elaborately decorated bottle with round neck and base, and five-sided body. Applied double lip; straight upper, flared lower. The lower neck and shoulder have twisted spiral whirley patterns in the glass. The body tapers slightly inwards towards the base. It has five plain panels, one wider than the others. Side seams run from below the lip to the heel. The heel of the bottle is uneven in width, height and density where it joins the body of the bottle. The base is not level. Embossed characters on base. Glass has elongated bubbles towards the base and orange-brown sediment inside, on one side. Embossed "133" or “833” (the first character may be an “8”) flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, handmade, mouth blown, blown bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, bottle, green glass, tinged green, two piece mould, food bottle, oil bottle, salad oil bottle, whirley, whirly, half whirley, condiment bottle

This teal coloured bottle (blue-green, non-olive) has been handmade from about the 1840s-1870s. The bottle, possibly used to store soda or mineral water, was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is part of the John Chance Collection. The teal, or blue-green, colour of this bottle’s glass is reasonably rare. The colour is probably the result of a combination of cobalt (blue), iron (yellow-orange) and chromium (green) that may have been in the raw silica, or perhaps added to the glass sand before making the glass. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing air through a long pipe into the molten glass blob at the end of the pipe. The glass was blown out to fit into the shape of the cylindrical dip mould. Once it hardened, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck while carefully using a tool to hold the base. A ponty tool was used to complete the shape of the base. The bottle would be cracked off the end of the glassblower’s pipe and a blob of molten glass would be wrapped around the top of the neck and shaped to finish the lip of the bottle, sometimes using a tool to do this. The seal was usually a cork, often held in place with wax or wire with tape over it to seal the aerated drink inside. The gutter between the upper and lower lip was used to anchor the seal. This style of handmade bottles would often have horizontal bubbles in the applied finish, caused by twisting the glass, and vertical bubbles and diagonal lines in the neck and body from it being blown, and a mark in the base where the ponty tool had been attached. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of handmade, mid-19th century bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is significant for its rarity, as its teal, blue-green colour is unusual. It is a valuable addition to our collection of 1800s handmade bottles. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; unusual dark teal (blue-green, non-olive) opaque glass, medium size, cork-top style. Handmade with applied double-collar lip with straight side upper and a ring lower. The edge of the mouth is uneven. Neck is slightly bulbous. Body has shoulder seam, then tapers inwards to base, shallow base. Heel is uneven width. Base is shallow with glass of different density. Bubbles in the body and an elongated bubble at base of neck. Sediment inside bottle. Chip in lip. Scratched surface.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, handmade, mouth blown, blown bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, bottle, green glass, blue-green glass, teal glass, non-olive green glass, dip mould, soda bottle

This clear ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle has been handmade by a glassblower from 1840s-1870s. The bottle was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is part of the John Chance Collection. This bottle was made in a three part mould. The lower part was cylindrical, gently tapering to the base, which allowed for ease of removing. The upperpart was in two pieces, one each side of the neck. The moth-blown glass formed the shape of the inside of the mould. The bottle was broken off the end of the glassblower’s pipe. Once removed from the mould the base was shaped at the heel using a pontil tool, or ‘ponty’. Often this was used for form a ‘push-up’ base. The tool would leave a ‘ponty’ mark. The mouth was then finished with the lip – there were many different styles of ‘applied’ lips, depending on the glassblower or his customer’s needs. This bottle was sealed with a cork, which has fallen into the bottle. The surface of the bottle is a little bumpy due to the blowing process. Also, the vertical bubbles in the bottle were formed as the glass was blown into the bottle. The bottle’s shape was referred to a ‘gallon’; six of these bottles would contain a total of a gallon of liquid. The bottle holds approximately 750 ml. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; clear glass with opalescence, tall, cork-top style, handmade. Roughly applied square lip band. Neck tapers slightly outwards to shoulder, seams on neck, seam between shoulder and body. Body tapers inwards towards base. Heel is thick and uneven. Concave base with pontil mark and air bubble. Bubbles and imperfections in glass. Cork has fallen into base of bottle. Sediment on outer surface. Bottle has polystyrene balls inside. Mouth is chipped.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, bottle, clear glass, three piece mould

This clear ‘gallon’ type liquor bottle has been handmade by a glassblower from 1840s-1870s. The bottle was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is part of the John Chance Collection. This bottle was made in a three part mould. The lower part was cylindrical, with a post in the centre that had an interchangeable mould with the embossed number in it. The sides of the mould gently tapering to the base, which allowed for ease of removing. The upperpart was in two pieces, one each side of the neck. The moth-blown glass formed the shape of the inside of the mould. The bottle was broken off the end of the glassblower’s pipe. Once removed from the mould the base was trimmed smooth. The mouth was then finished with the lip – there were many different styles of ‘applied’ lips, depending on the glassblower or his customer’s needs. This bottle would have been sealed with a cork. The surface of the bottle is a little bumpy and has bubbles, due to the blowing process. The meaning of the inscription is unclear. Perhaps it is a code for the bottle’s design, the date made or the maker. The bottle’s shape was referred to a ‘gallon’; six of these bottles would contain a total of a gallon of liquid. The bottle holds approximately 750 ml. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle; clear glass, tall, cork-top style, handmade. Applied slightly tapered lip band. Bulbous neck, seams on neck, seam between shoulder and body. Neck and body have faint horizontal in the glass. Body tapers inwards towards base. Heel is thick and uneven. Shallow base with pontil mark and air bubbles. Inscription embossed into base. Bubbles and imperfections in glass. Sediment on surface. Mouth is chipped, surface is scratched. Bottle has polystyrene balls inside. Embossed into base “118”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, gallon bottle, handmade, mouth blown, pontil mark, blown bottle, liquor bottle, 19th century bottle, collectable, bottle, clear glass, three piece mould

This brown glass bottle has been handmade from about the 1870s-1910s. The bottle, possibly used to store ale or soda or mineral water, was found in the coastal waters of Victoria. It is part of the John Chance Collection. Glassblowers made bottles like this one by blowing air through a long pipe into the molten glass blob at the end of the pipe. The glass was blown out to fit into the shape of the cylindrical dip mould. Once it hardened, the glass was removed from the mould and the glassblower would continue using the pipe to create the neck while carefully using a tool to hold the base. A 'ponty' (pontil) tool would been used to complete the shape, pushing up the base. A tool would have been used to cut off the bottle from the blowpipe and apply and form the ring band on the neck. Bottles like this would usually be sealed with a cork, which may have been held in place with wax or wire and tape. Although this bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as a historically significant example of handmade, late 19th to early 20th century beverage bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria. The bottle is also significant for its association with John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several shipwrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value.Bottle, brown glass, tall and slim, cork-top style. Tooled finish on mouth with applied ring, shoulder seam, body tapers inwards towards base. Concave base has pontil mark. Sediment inside bottle. Glass has shiny surface and diagonal rings from shoulder to mouth, then is less shiny and has an slightly undulating surface from shoulder to base. The surface is markedly raised where base and shoulder meet. Glass has many scratches.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, glass bottle, antique bottle, handmade, mouth blown, blown bottle, collectable, bottle, dip mould, soda bottle, brown glass, ale bottle, beverage bottle

This broken, handmade black glass bottle was made around the mid 1800s. The bottle was found in the coastal waters of Victoria about 100 years from when it was made. It is now part of the John Chance collection. Black glass is one of the oldest bottle colours and dates back to the early 17th century. In the 1840s to late-1870s black glass bottles were mainly used for liquor and ale. All glass is made from silica, which is found in quartz sand. The naturally occurring sand has impurities, such as iron, that determine the colour of the glass. Residual iron leads to green or amber coloured glass, and carbon in the sand makes that glass appear as ‘black’. A strong light behind the glass will show its colour as dark green or dark amber. This handmade bottle appears to be made in a dip mould, with the molten glass blown into a seamless shoulder-height mould to give the body a uniform symmetrical shape and size. After the body was blown, the glass blower continued blowing free-form (without the mould) to form the shoulder and neck, then the base was pushed up with a pontil tool, and the finish for the mouth was added. The dip mould gives the body a slightly textured surface, with the free blown shoulders and neck usually looking smoother and shinier. A horizontal line can often be seen around the shoulder where the mould of the body meets the free-blown shoulder. A lump or mark in the centre of the base, called a 'ponty' mark (named after the pontil tool), is also common on this type of bottle. Although the bottle is not linked to a particular shipwreck, it is recognised as being historically significant as an example of bottles imported for use in Colonial Victoria in the mid-to-late 1800s. (Similar bottles were recovered from the 'Loch Ard' shipwreck, lost in 1898.) The bottle is also significant as it was recovered by John Chance, a diver in Victoria’s coastal waters in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Items that come from several wrecks have since been donated to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village’s museum collection by his family, illustrating this item’s level of historical value. Bottle, thick black glass (dark olive) with matt surface. Mouth has been broken off, leaving sharp edges. Short neck, wide shoulders, body tapers slightly inwards towards base. Wide uneven heel and deep concave base with a fold line in glass. No visible seams.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck artefact, john chance, bottle, black glass, antique bottle, handmade, mouth blown, blown bottle, liquor bottle, ale bottle, 19th century bottle

This crate of bottles may have come from a wholesaler, business, stationer or school. The design of the bottles is sometimes called a ‘cottage’ or ‘boat’ shape. Each of the 70 Caldwell’s handmade glass ink bottles was mouth-blown into a two-piece mould, a method often used in the mid-to-late 19th century. The glass blower burst the bottle off the end of his blowpipe with a tool, leaving an uneven mouth and sharp edge on the bottle, which was usually filed. The bottle was then filled with ink and sealed with a cork. More expensive bottles would have a lip added, which was more time-consuming and costly to produce. The capacity for a bottle such as this was about 3 ½ oz (ounces) equal to about 100 ml. Pen and ink have been in use for handwriting since about the seventh century. A quill pen made from a bird’s feather was used up until around the mid-19th century. In the 1850s a steel point nib for the dip pen was invented and could be manufactured on machines in large quantities. The nis only held a small amount of ink so users had to frequently dip the nib into an ink well for more ink. Handwriting left wet ink on the paper, so the blotting paper was carefully used to absorb the excess ink and prevent smudging. Ink could be purchased as a ready-to-use liquid or in powdered form, which needed to be mixed with water. In the 1880s a successful, portable fountain pen gave smooth-flowing ink and was easy to use. In the mid-20th century, the modern ballpoint pen was readily available and inexpensive, so the fountain pen lost its popularity. However, artisans continue to use nib pens to create beautiful calligraphy. Caldwell’s Ink Co. – F.R. Caldwell established Caldwell’s Ink Company in Australia around 1902. In Victoria, he operated from a factory at Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, until about 1911, then from Yarra Bank Road in South Melbourne. Newspaper offices were appointed as agencies to sell his inks, for example, in 1904 the New Zealand Evening Star sold Caldwell’s Flo-Eesi blue black ink in various bottle sizes, and Murchison Advocate (Victoria) stocked Caldwell’s ink in crimson, green, blue black, violet, and blue. Caldwell’s ink was stated to be “non-corrosive and unaffected by steel pens”. A motto used in advertising in 1904-1908 reads ‘Makes Writing a Pleasure’. Stationers stocked Caldwell’s products and hawkers sold Caldwell’s ink stands from door to door in Sydney in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1911 Caldwell promised cash for returned ink bottles and warned of prosecution for anyone found refilling his bottles. Caldwell’s Ink Stands were given as gifts. The company encouraged all forms of writing with their Australian-made Flo-Eesi writing inks and bottles at their impressive booth in the ‘All Australian Exhibition’ in 1913. It advertised its other products, which included Caldwell’s Gum, Caldwell’s Stencil Ink (copy ink) and Caldwell’s Quicksticker as well as Caldwell’s ‘Zac’ Cough Mixture. Caldwell stated in a 1920 article that his inks were made from a formula that was over a century old, and were scientifically tested and quality controlled. The formula included gallic and tannic acids and high-quality dyes to ensure that they did not fade. They were “free from all injurious chemicals”. The permanent quality of the ink was important for legal reasons, particularly to banks, accountants, commerce, municipal councils and lawyers. The Caldwell’s Ink Company also exported crates of its ink bottles and ink stands overseas. Newspaper advertisements can be found for Caldwell’s Ink Company up until 1934 when the company said they were the Best in the business for 40 years.This large collection of similar ink bottles is of particular significance as the bottles have come from the same source, most have their original corks and some retain their original labels, which is rare. The method of manufacture of these bottles is also representative of a 19th-century handcraft industry that is now been largely replaced by mass production. The bottles and their contents are of state significance for being produced by an early Melbourne industry and exported overseas. This case of ink bottles is historically significant as it represents methods of handwritten communication that were still common up until the mid-20th century when fountain pens and modern ballpoint pens became popular and convenient and typewriters were becoming part of standard office equipment.Ink bottles in a wooden crate; 70 rectangular, hand-blown clear glass ink bottles. They have side seams, uneven thickness, especially at the bases, and rough, burst-off mouths. The shoulders on the long sides have horizontal grooves used for pen rests. The bottles vary; some have labels, some contain remnants of blue-black ink, and many have their original corks. The glass has bubbles and imperfections. The remnants of printed labels are on white paper with a swirly border and black text. The bottles contained Caldwell’s blend of blue black ‘Flo-Eesi’ ink.Printed on label; “CALDWELL FLO-EESI BLUE BLACK INK” “ - - - - “ Printed script signature “F.R. 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