Display carboy with stopper and stand

Display carboy with stopper and stand, flint glass, mahogany stand, English, 1840-1890

Filled with brightly coloured windows, large glass flasks with ornate stoppers often sat in the windows of pharmacy shops to advertise their services to passers-by. This had the added benefit of not relying on people’s ability to read to attract customers. Carboys could also be used to store liquid preparations, labelled with their contents.

The word carboy is from a Persian word qarāba and Arabic word qarrāba for a large flask protected by a wicker or wooden frame.

This carboy advertised Norman Tyler’s pharmacy in Abingdon Road, Kensington, London which closed in 1962. The contents of the shop were purchased by Sir Henry Wellcome’s Museum Collection after Tyler closed his shop after 20 years.