Topic: date for Evans 'Eclipse' glass baby feeder.

[Paul S.]

Some minutes after having washed this in fairly warm water there was the sharp sound of cracking glass - the result of which was the fracture now seen running almost end to end, round the piece - most odd, since I'd have imagined such pieces would have been annealed with care in view of their proposed use. 
Maybe such things are common and I've simply not seen them - certainly don't collect baby feeding ephemera - but couldn't recall seeing one in the recent past.
Age wise I'd have thought glass examples would be pre 1940, but that's not an educated guess, just supposition, and they might have continued for more years than I imagine.
Manufacturers are always looking for words that will imply their products are better than competitors, and 'Eclipse' has been used many times in the C20 and appears still be to a common model/brand name  -  another well know use was on tools for example.

This bottle has capacity shown in ounces and table spoons - is very emphatic in telling you it's free from lead  -  can milk cause lead to leach out of glass??  -  what about all those prized lead drinking glasses some of us use -  should we stop using them??
Also states Made in England, and was apparently given a Prov. Pat.                  Length is about 7.5" - 190 mm.

Two mould seams, so possibly made in a mould with pneumatic pressure to create the cavity, with the ends fire polished to remove rough edges etc.  -  again I'm guessing, and sure someone here will know the correct answer.

[mrs vulture]

Hi, I have one of these, mine is only 5 inches long. It says miniature feeder, the make is " hygienic" in scrolled writing, made in England. I have seen quite a few different makes around, but I love things like this. A bit of history. Not easy to clean I should imagine. Cheryl

[Paul S.]

hi Cheryl  -  it wasn't difficult to clean in fact  ..............    if you're a veteran glassie, you tend to have a collection of different sized bottle brushes etc. and I chucked some metal polish and cerium oxide into the thing and scrubbed away and it came up quite well as you can see.       The bang as it went off is a bit frightening, and a big disappointment........   only the second time this has happened to me.
And how do you think such pieces are made?

[mrs vulture]

They were mass produced in what looks like a two part mold. Must have been a nightmare to fill them and sterilise them, as a mum of four I don't think I would have wanted to use one but I suppose it's what was available at the time. Never seen one with the rubber teats on, but have seen a boxed one. I did have two but dropped one when I got it home.      Cheryl

[Ivo]

These were introduced end of the 19th ct.  to replace  the earlier bottles which were uncleanable and which were the no. 1 cause of infant death. The patent bottles with 2 openings coud at least be cleaned. When pyrex bottles came onto the market all previous glass bottles were obsolete.