Bust of Michael J. Owens
Manufacturer: Probably A. H. Heisey and Company (American, 1893-1953)
Date: 1924
Dimensions:
H: 12.3 cm (4 27/32 in.); Base L: 13.2 cm (5 3/16 in.); Base W: 7.1 cm (2 25/32 in.)
Medium: Colorless glass.
Classification: Glass
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Melvin B. Lee
Object number: 1977.59
Label Text:In 1903 Michael J. Owens patented the first automated bottle machine in Toledo, Ohio. This machine brought on a technological revolution that changed the way products were made and consumed. Beverages, foods, pharmaceuticals, and numerous other goods could be packaged in glass containers of standardized sizes manufactured through high-speed production lines and brought into American homes. Thanks to Owens invention, products like soft-drinks and ketchup that were once considered luxuries became the ordinary necessities we purchase today. This cast-glass bust was made in tribute to Owens a year after his death and it stands as a testament to his impact as an inventor.
DescriptionPressed, probably upside down, in a female mold of three sections by a plain male plunger that formed a hollow up to the shoulders, leaving the head solid. Acid-etched all over, inside and out, to produce a matte surface.
Not on view
In Collection(s)