Machine-Made Glass Containers and the End of Production for Mouth-Blown Bottles

Between 1880 and 1920 a major revolution in the production of glass containers transformed the glass industry and launched an ancient craft into a modern "mechanized engineering activity" (Meigh 1960:25). The number of patents for and improvements of semi-automatic and automatic bottle blowing machines in this period is very confusing. This discussion is an attempt to outline these developments with an emphasis on their chronology and impact on bottle and jar production. Although this discussion is limited to containers, it should be borne in mind that similar mechanization was occurring in other branches of the glass industry.