Accession Number

991.008.001

Alternate Name

beer bottle

Description

One dark olive green glass bottle with a red, yellow and black printed label, the long-neck (5.8cmH) with a 1.3cm thick horizontal ridge 1.7cm below the round top opening (2.5cm dia), the bottom of the neck widening to form a 6.8cm dia shoulder, the body (17.6cmH) tapers down to a 6.2cm dia round base with a concave pontile (4.8cm dia X 1.5cmD), fragments of silver-coloured foil attached to the surface of the opening, the intact paper label (11.3cmH X 7cmL) glued to one side of the bottle, its format a vertical oval with two side by side 4.2dia circles overlapping the edge of the oval, a horizontal gold banner through the middle with a red triangle positioned in middle, inside the triangle is a gold coloured sheaf of wheat; printed on the banner in upper cases black block lettering, "PALE ALE", printed in the top half of the label: "CARTER BROS", and printed in the bottom half, "VANCOUVER BREWERY"; in the left circle printed, "ALBERT PRINCE OF WALES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.", and in the right circle, "COLONIAL AND INDIAN EXHIBITION< LONDON 1886".

Narrative

Carter Bros. operated their "Vancouver Brewery" at the corner of Herald and Government Streets in Victoria, BC when this bottle was filled. 

History of Use

This beer bottle was once used by a worker involved in the construction of the Castle in about 1888. It was found by Castle Society Curator Bruce Davies in the bottom space between two of Craigdarroch's sloping roof rafters that was accessed in the crawlspace from an elevated position about 3 metres south of the third floor water tank. The discovery was made at the same time that other Carter Bros. ale bottles and one prescription medication bottle were discovered. The bottles were lifted out of the space using a long stick with a nail embedded in the end of it. The nail was inserted into the necks of the bottles and they were pulled up to the passageway behind the dance hall wainscoting where the Curator was kneeling.   

Date

circa 1888

Dimensions

25.3 x 6.2 cm
6.2 cm

Material

Glass; Paper

Brand Name

Carter Bros. Pale Ale

Technique

Moulded; Printed

Country of Origin

Canada