This month: Bottles Philip Pearson About the Collection: The collection totals between 2,000 and 3,000 bottles in all shapes, sizes and colours. He keeps it in showcases in the basement of his Warwick Park home, and divided into different types of bottles - inkwells, soda water bottles, minerals, marbles, milks, mason's flasks, wine bottles, snuff bottles, lime juice bottles, olive and castor oil bottles, case gin bottles, ceramic and pottery bottles, demi-johns used for wine, and perfume bottles, which are the smallest.

He has about 20 different mineral bottles from the 40 or so mineral water factories which existed in Bermuda from 1838 until the mid-1900s. The mineral bottles come in many different colours, including amethyst, aqua, green, cobalt blue, honey amber and clear. Pearson also has the only known black Hiram Codd soda water bottle in the world. "That's the most valuable one I have. It was patented in 1873 and it says "Winthrop & Co., 107 Paul Street, Finsbury'' on the front of it. It was dug up in England in 1981 and I bought it about two years ago.'' Pearson says he knows of four types of Bermuda embossed bottles - milk, medicine, soda and liquor. He considers those bottles the most important part of his collection.

He has 23 different milk bottles from different dairies, including H.E. Young in Somerset, Fairfield Dairy in St. George's, Tudor Dairy owned by the Terceira family in Southampton, Rural Hill Dairy in Paget, Devonshire Dairy, Dunkley's Dairy, and Zuill's Dairy and Poultry Farm in Smith's Parish. "There was even a dairy on Hinson's Island,'' Pearson says.

He has nine different medicine bottles from pharmacies J.W.P. Outerbridge, Standard Pharmacy, which "actually started on Queen Street, although people think it started on Front Street'', Higinbotham Brothers in St. George's, J.H.

Bradley at The Rexall Store in Hamilton, F.W. Grantham, J.B. Heyl's on Apothecary Corner (now Heyl's corner), and Davis Lawrence Co. Ltd. which started in St. George's in 1839.

A favourite is a clear soda water bottle with "Charles C. Keane, Chemist, Hamilton, Bermuda'' embossed on it. "Keane came to Bermuda in 1838 from England. He started Medical Hall on Front Street and he used to give weekly talks on chemistry,'' Pearson says. "He was also a Member of Parliament.'' Pearson's latest addition, bought in March, is an amber-coloured "Bermuda Bitters'' bottle with two bumble bees on the front, and while he does not know when it was made he estimates about 1870 or 1880. "It got it from an auction in Philadelphia. I've checked with the Archives and at the Library - I've been through all the books but I can't seem to find any information that will tell me more about the bottle.'' His oldest is a ceramic olive jar, which he says dates back to the early 1700s and which he found intact at Pembroke Dump. His oldest dated bottle is a large black wine bottle from 1777. How it Started: Pearson, who now has his own construction company, found hisfirst bottle while working construction for Burland, Conyers and Marirea in 1985. "It was in Middletown, where we were working on a housing complex. I wasn't really interested then. When everyone had knocked off I went into the hole we had dug, and that's where I found it - it was a John Barritt marble bottle. It was clean and in immaculate condition.

That's how I got interested - it was my stimulus, and from there my collection grew and grew and grew.'' He adds to his collection by buying them at auction, in antique stores, and digging for them and, he says, a lot of swapping goes on.

Pearson also considers himself an historian because of the research he's done on bottles over the years. He also plans to write a book on Bermuda embossed bottles.

"I've given talks at the Agricultural Exhibition, and I've had people around to my house to see the collection and to learn about it. I've given talks to students and senior citizens. I think it's important that people know about this - it tells something about the history of the Island. Value: "I couldn't put a value on it. I've worked very hard to get the collection that I have,'' Pearson says. "Plus it's of interest to me. To put a value on it wouldn't justify it. It's really the sentimental value and the fact that most of them are Bermuda embossed. I consider the room where I keep them my private museum.

I personally enjoy it and I love to share it.'' 1. Honey amber-coloured Bermuda Bitters bottle, circa 1870-1880. 2. Pitman Brothers Dairy, pasteurised milk and cream bottle, no date. 3. Emerald green tea kettle ink well, mid 1800s. 4. Black Codd soda water bottle from Winthrop & Co. 107 Paul Street, Finsbury, dated 1873. 5. Cobalt-blue bottle from druggist F.W. Grantham, Phoenix Drug Store, Hamilton, Bermuda, early 1900.

RG MAGAZINE JULY 1993