Losing your marbles?

Have you ever really wanted something and tried your utmost to get it, but were unsuccessful? Imagine if your lack of success in getting the thing you desire was captured as a moment in time that future generations could see. This is exactly what  happened with an old style Codd-bottle which we have recently processed at the Folk. On box number 20 of our glass bottle extravaganza, some wills were lost, but we discovered a glass 'codd' bottle. This a bottle that used to contain a marble in it to keep the drink fizzy. Many people wanted to get their hands on the marble afterwards and would break the bottle in order to get it. This particular bottle has a small to medium hole in the neck, possibly made to get the marble out. More interesting though is the 1930s style hat pin which is inserted into the neck, presumably used to get the marble out of the bottle. Clearly the person who tried to get the marble out did not want to smash the bottle! This hat pin is lodged inside, and instead of getting the marble out they lost a hat pin as well!  

Do you think that they missed the hat pin? Why do you think they didn't want to break the bottle?  

What is a marble stoppered bottle?  

In 1872 Hiram Codd patented (his third and final patent) of a 'globe stopper' or 'marble stopper' bottle, which was the answer to storing carbonated drink. This was a glass bottle with a pinched neck (to stop the marble falling into the main body of the bottle), a rubber washer by the lip and a glass 'marble' which fit the opening of the bottle. The pressure from the carbonated/fizzy drink ensured that the marble stayed at the lip of the bottle, acting as a stopper or lid.   

This fun-filled bottle was often broken to reveal the marble inside, in our collection we even have a glass marble from a Codd bottle that someone had successfully removed, as well as broken Codd bottles no longer with their marbles! Despite the fun of the marble these bottles did not remain popular for long, and in the 1920s companies tended to favour other types of bottles for their carbonated beverages. In 1947 the reign of the Codd bottle ended, with the last makers of the bottle in Barnsley closing their doors.  

How many Codd bottles are in our collection?  

We have over 870 bottles in our collection, many of which are the same (duplicates), of these 870 bottles we have at least 30 Codd bottles! Do you think 870 bottles is too many bottles?   

Do you think this bottle a good representation of Gloucester's social history?