Historical information

This bottle is called a torpedo bottle. It cannot stand up but lies on its side so that the soda contents are kept in contact with the cork. This stops the cork from shrinking and the consequent loss of pressure. The bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of John Fletcher and would have held soda. The bottle has the name of both John Davis and John Fletcher on it. John Davis established a store in Warrnambool in the mid 19th century and he also established the Union Cordial Factory in Koroit Street in the mid 1860s. John Fletcher worked at that factory for John Davis and in 1885 he bought the factory from John Davis. The Fletcher business continued until 1930. As the name of Davis is on the bottle (‘late J. Davis’) it is probable that this bottle dates from the early years of the Fletcher business.

Significance

This bottle is of some considerable interest as it appears to be an early example of a John Fletcher bottle (late 19th century). Fletcher was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool for over 40 years.

Physical description

This is a green glass bottle, known as a torpedo bottle. It has a spherical-shaped body with a pointed curved end and a rounded neck with a round moulded top. There is no stopper. The details of the soda manufacturer are embedded into the glass on the side of the bottle.

Inscriptions & markings

‘John Fletcher late J. Davis Koroit St. Warrnambool’