'Turnback Tuesday' features history of milk bottle caps

Turnback Tuesday explores the world of Milk Caps. The first patented milk bottle was in 1878. It was a glass jar with a tin lid.

In 1889, a seated cap bottle was patented. Called the “Common Sense Milk Bottle,” it had a ledge built inside the mouth which held a fiber disc used for closure. This fiber disc was created in 1892. These early discs needed a metal pick to remove them from the bottle.

In 1908, H. Bradley of Kings County, N.Y., designed the two layer cap with a flexible thumb tab from the top layer to make removal less difficult.

These caps were used to seal the glass bottle to ensure freshness of the milk. The caps were also a form of advertising with varied colors and designs. Children made games and played with these caps.

Milk caps are still collected and sought after today. Many of the dairies are not in existence anymore, so these caps are a glimpse into our past.

Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week.