Feeding
A silver pap boat of 1735 is the earliest dated item in the group, contrasting with an 18th century American feeding vessel of pressed tin. The 19th century feeding items include a silver nipple shield of 1812 . There are further examples from the 1900s to the present day, including two breast pumps (one from 1905 and the other from 1986).
Ceramic Feeding Bottle
This is a ceramic feeding bottle made by Davenport & Co in 1840. Until the 1850s, industrially produced feeding vessels for babies in the UK were mostly earthenware like this one, or metal.
Glass Feeding Bottle
The introduction of clear glass feeding bottles in the 1840s began to make feeding a more hygienic process. It was at least possible to see when traces of food had become stuck inside the bottle, which had not been the case with the earlier ceramic ones.
Chafing Dish
This is a chafing dish made by the English manufacturer John Aynsley & Sons Ltd between 1912 and 1918. It is made from glazed porcelain set in a tin-plated copper base. When filled with hot water the metal base kept the child's food warm.
Thermos Flask
Flasks like this are based on an invention of the scientist Sir James Dewar in 1892. Because it is insulated it can keep your cold drinks chilled, but it was the revolutionary new idea of keeping things hot which really appealed to the public back then.
