c. 1880s

Poison Bottle

The first patent for "poison bottles" in the United States was applied for in Philadelphia in 1871, although many glass firms were already making bottles specifically for poisons. In 1829 New York State made it mandatory that the word "poison" be placed on bottles containing harmful substances. These bottles have been found in various forms, with the coffin shape most notable. The fact that a bottle contained poison was variously signified by: pointed surfaces, the inclusion of skull and crossbones, odd shapes, and by making the bottle the color cobalt blue.