Toad Hollow Photography

All my life I’ve been fascinated with bottles and containers.  No, not containers like we find at the Toys ‘R Us when we buy the latest Buzz Lightyear toy for our grandchildren (did I just date myself?), but rather containers or bottles that have some form of character or interest to them.  Today’s post is a continuation of our running photoblog series “The Antiques Toad Show” which showcases items we were fortunate enough to have a chance to photograph at the Metchosin Pioneer Museum late last year.  Our best friends dad, heretofore referred as “The Curator”, allowed us complete and unfettered access to the entire facility one lovely Sunday afternoon after the museum had closed.  Needless to say, we came away with more pictures than we could have imagined…

This is a lovely bottle, apparently one which held a Canadian red wine at some point in its life.  The details in the glass are absolutely wonderful, and the color is warm and slightly reminiscent of items from an older time.  I also really loved the remnants of the label here.  A quick search online for the company “Rubyvin” turned up nothing, so I am left with the belief that this winery is now long gone.  This just adds so much further interest to the picture; you would be hard pressed to find another one like this anywhere I imagine!

This appears to be from a Toronto, Canada based distillery.  Based on the details in the label, the company was established in 1832 and this particular bottle was capped in 1887.  Could you possibly imagine how smooth this would be if the bottle was still sealed and filled today?  The label for this beauty is still partially intact, adding character to the bottle, as does the natural wear and coating of dust that lives on it.  For some reason this picture makes me instantly think of pirates on the high seas uncorking a bottle of something strong and delicious.  I’m not sure why, to be honest.

Don’t get me wrong; I have no intention of hacking off a leg or acquiring a parrot anytime soon here…

This beverage was brewed right here in the city we live in; Victoria, BC, Canada!!  It comes complete with one of those cork type stoppers from long ago, and this is a prime reason why I just love this image.  I am not sure if Ginger Beer is the same thing, or precursor to, our modern Ginger Ale that we see everywhere.  Perhaps one of our readers can share some details on this?

Our final image in today’s post is of another Ginger Beer bottle, this time from a different bottling company.  But once again, it appears to come from the city we live in!  I had no idea that Victoria at some point in its history was an industry leader in the manufacturing of Ginger Beer.  Or that it was even a presence in this market.

I really do think this is one of the things I love so much about photography in general…  it forces you to look closely at things you may have otherwise passed by without a second thought, and through this process I have learned so much about the area we live in and our rich, albeit short, history.

And on that note, my good friends, it’s been an awfully long day here at The Hollow.  I think this Toad could use a glass of Swamp Juice in one form or another.  So with those words, I take my leave and tip my hat to you!

Thanks so much for your visit today, we really do appreciate it.  As always, we encourage everyone to leave us any comments you may have, as we truly love to hear from all our visitors.