Foreword
This website is a ‘slimmed down’ online
version of my Chemists – Plymouth & Cornwall CD-ROM which itself was a
logical progression from my previous ‘Three Towns Bottles’ CD which first
addressed the area of chemist bottles from the area. These publications draw
heavily on the information compiled for that work but builds on it with
additional items from the three towns, a wealth of items from Cornish chemists
and an insight into what they were actually supplying in the bottles and pots
shown. It is intended to be a further stage in recording some of the fruits of
around 30 years of bottle collecting by enthusiasts in
It is hoped that, again, it will appeal not
just to the avid bottle collector but also to those with an interest in local
history, bridging a gap between very specialized bottle collecting books and very
detailed local history publications. The knowledge accumulated by the bottle
collecting fraternity is all too often overlooked by those involved in the
fields of local history and archaeology, perhaps this website and the CD-ROM’s
may draw their attention to this untapped resource in their midst. Also,
without a written record such as this much of the knowledge gained may once
again be lost to future generations of collectors.
Whoever reads this website, I hope you find it
an enjoyable experience. I wholly expect that there will be some criticism from
pedants on the subject but it is far easier to criticize than to do. Please
visit www.wgbottles.co.uk to purchase the
CD-ROM that this site is based upon or any of my other publications or www.wgantiques.co.uk to purchase Victorian
/ Edwardian bottles and advertising antiques.
