BOTTLE

Description: ETCHED ON BOTTLE "THE LETHBRIDGE BREWING & MALTING CO. LTD. LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA", "HIGH CLASS CARBONATED WATER", "BRITISH SYPHON CO. LONDON". STAMPED ON PUMP: "LETHBRIDGE BREWING CO. LTD.". PUMP IS FED FROM WITHIN BOTTLE BY A GLASS TUBE. CUP ON TOP IS MARRED. LARGE CRACK RUNNING DIAGONALLY THROUGH ETCHING ON FRONT. SMALL AMOUNT OF LIQUID STILL IN BOTTLE. BOTTOM HAS REMNANTS OF RUBBER CALKING.

History: PURCHASED BY DONOR IN A VICTORIA B.C. ANTIQUE SHOP. MADE FOR LETHBRIDGE BREWERY, FOUNDED IN 1901 BY FRITZ SICK. ALSO CALLED SYPHON BOTTLES, THESE CONTAINERS WERE USED IN HOMES, HOTELS, BARS, AND CORNER SODA FOUNTAINS TO SPRITZ CARBONATED WATER. THE UNIQUE SYPHON TOP ALLOWED A PORTION OF THE BOTTLE’S CONTENTS TO BE DISPENSED WHILE PRESERVING THE REST FOR ANOTHER TIME. IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY THIS TYPE OF BOTTLE WAS ALSO PROMOTED AS BEING A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND SOME USED THE SELTZER AS A CURE FOR HEARTBURN (ULTIMATELY THE ORIGIN OF ALKA-SELTZER). SELTZER WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR IN THE 1920S AND 30S, BUT HAD ALMOST DISAPPEARED BY THE 1940S. THE LETHBRIDGE BREWERY CLOSED & DEMOLISHED IN 1990.