Topic: round-bottomed, flat-sided, wide-mouth jar

[jonjobriggs]

I'm a complete novice, only found this forum today, so apols if this question is naive.

I have two round-bottomed, flat-sided, wide-mouth jars (or, possibly, stoppers?) embosseed with regd No 784837.  Which, I think, dates them to the 1930s. Industrial-looking not ornate.

They came out of dredgings from a canal in Shropshire 30 years ago, close to a former fertiliser factory.

They have threaded openings for a lid but are round bottomed and flat-sided, so can't stand up unless upside-down. It is, perhaps, possible they are actually some sort of stopper for a larger vessel. But as the openings are about 4 inches across it would have to be a very much bigger vessel.

Any clues or thoughts welcome, thanks.

There is an image on imgur at https://imgur.com/aAo6301

[agincourt17]

Welcome to the GMB.

RD 784837 was registered by Jack L. Barnett Limited, 18 Basinghall Street, (Boar Lane End), Leeds, on 15 July 1933.

I think that you are probably correct in that you have 2 jars.

Barnett registered several designs for glass objects, including those in the attached photos below.

Barnett does not appear to have been a glass manufacturer, so it is likely that the actual manufacture of the glassware was contracted out elsewhere to their designs.


Fred.

[jonjobriggs]

Many thanks for the reply and info on Barnetts. A quick google suggests their products were marketed as Barnook?

The examples you posted of their products are interesting - much more ornate than the jars I have look. 

Exactly what the jars I have were for is intriguing - they can only lie on their sides or stand upsidedown so must have had a specific use. Very thick glass, so I assume industrial, but perhaps something more domestic, like, perhaps, a lamp-fitting, though that seems unlikely. 

I'm adding that picture direct (I think) to this posting to make it more accessible than before.

[jonjobriggs]

Barnett's advert in Pottery Gazette and Glass Trade Review August 1935 (online at http://www.glass-study.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134:-pggtr-1935-august-part-1-various&catid=26&Itemid=25) does show Barnetts did make some very utilitarian products - fruit preserving jars etc

[agincourt17]

Thank you for your informative reply.

May I have your permission, please, to add your a copy of your image to the GMB RD photo reference database ? - with appropriate credit, of course.

Fred.

[jonjobriggs]

Yes, please do

[agincourt17]

Thank you.

[Anne]

What interesting items, I wonder if they were meant to screw on top of something - though other than a lamp or a level indicator I can't think what...

[chopin-liszt]

I wondered if they might be laboratory glass, they are sort of petri dish shaped. 
They'd contain had a broth of some sort for growing bacteria, and they would be stackable in a subsequent oven or fridge for the correct growth temperature.

But theys don't really look right for that. The opening is too big and the glass is too thick and I can't see how you'd sterilise the mouths of openings in a flame, when using a screw top.

 

[jonjobriggs]

I wondered if they might be laboratory glass, they are sort of petri dish shaped. 
They'd contain had a broth of some sort for growing bacteria, and they would be stackable in a subsequent oven or fridge for the correct growth temperature.

But theys don't really look right for that. The opening is too big and the glass is too thick and I can't see how you'd sterilise the mouths of openings in a flame, when using a screw top.

Maybe, but as you say they are probably too big for that sort of lab use.  A standard petri dish (these days) is about 90mm across, and about 15mm deep.  These jars are 150mm across and 60 to 70mm flat side to flat side (they taper slightly) and the screw thread opening is about 100mm.
 
I've always assumed these are something to do with industrial chemistry - the only clue I've ever had is that the (demolished) fertiliser factory (aka the Bone Works) that adjoined the canal where these were found may have used acid in the manufacturing process, presumably stored in glass vessels.  For acid that would have been some type of big carboy I'd guess, not these peculiar jars, but maybe these were for some other chemical.

Or they may have no links to the adjoining factory at all.