The MOOseum has around 400 milk bottles in its collection, the best of which are here in this three-cabinet display above which is found on the right side of the main aisle at the back of the King Barn.
For generations milk was delivered to market in cans or earthen crocks and doled out to the consumer, who carried it home in his own pail or bucket. Late- 19th century milk containers were made in a variety of sizes, styles, and finishes. There were, gallon, half gallon, quart, pint, half pint or gill bottles.
Early in the 1920s the milk bottle industry was standardized.
From the 1960’s onward in the United States, with improvements in shipping and storage materials, glass bottles have almost completely been replaced with plastic or coated paper cartons. Despite their advantages over glass bottles (they were much lower in cost, weighed less and took up less space), the industry and customers were reluctant to give up the bottles. Most dairies preferred glass containers at least unit the mid 1950’s.
Bottles from milk processing plants in the District of Columbia, most of which received milk from Montgomery County dairy farms.
Also on display are bottles from Maryland counties outside Montgomery County with a few from Virginia.
The crown jewel of the collection is the cabinet in the middle which houses bottles from Montgomery County farmers who bottled their own milk and from Montgomery County creameries.
Of the 40 dairy farmers who once bottled their own milk, the MOOseum has one or more bottles from 31 of them. We believe some of the other farmers used blank bottles and therefore they would not be represented here. Three other bottles known to exist are owned by bottle collectors. Of the 20 historic creameries, the MOOseum has bottles from five of them. It is not known if the other creameries bottled milk/cream or not or simply used blank bottles.
The oldest bottle in the Montgomery County collection is from Clean Drinking Dairy Farm in Chevy Chase. It is dated 1911.Also, look at the two bottles that have a purplish tint. That is caused by manganese dioxide in the glass interacting with UV light. The Clean Drinking bottle is one of them.
