Glass bottle produced on the Ashley bottle machine, which was invented by Howard Matravers Ashley Esq. in 1886, used for aerated water

Glass bottle produced on the Ashley bottle machine, which was invented by Howard Matravers Ashley Esq. in 1886. English factories produced vast numbers of bottles for the domestic and Continental markets.In the nineteenth century a degree of automation was introduced. Necks became shorter, bodies wider and bottles became more cylindrical. Interest lies mainly in the rarity of their details for example dates, crests and initials which tell the story of drinking habits.