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Upright Feeders

Upright feeders have being around since the early 20th century. Many of the early models were crude affairs made in low quality glass and were mainly the narrow neck type with pullover nipples.

The narrow neck bottles were not that easy to keep clean unlike the banana shape bottles that they were competing with at the time. The upright bottles were also notorious for colic because of their design, they were later to be improved when the anti-colic nipple was invented.

Wide neck upright bottles did not appear until the 1950's in the UK. However they had been around in the USA since the early part of the 20 century. The early US models were the very wide cylinder type incorporating a large pull over nipple, that simulated the breast. These models later evolved into the slightly narrower bottles with a screw thread and retaining ring to hold the nipple in place. Many of the modern bottles still follow this basic design. 

When in the early 1900's, the bottle became cylindrical to fit into newly invented sterilizers. Automation lowered prices, permitting a mother to have several nursers  prepared for use and stored in the refrigerator. Portability with bottle holders, reheating with bottle warmers, nipple guards, bottle proppers, and a myriad of appliances to aid the mother and create industrial fortunes, seemed to continue unabated.

In the United States, Dr. William Decker of Kingston, N.Y., introduced the first wide-mouth glass nurser in 1894. His invention resulted in a bottle that was easier to clean. He named the new feeder, with corresponding wide nipple, Hygeia, after the Greek goddess of health.

The era of plastic and the age of disposability are the most recent advances in the saga of artificial feeding. Resurgence of breast feeding appears to have diminished this activity somewhat, but new products appear on the market with almost predictable frequency.

More images of upright baby feeders

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Rexall screw thread bottle complete with rubber protection cap.

Early Hygeia wide neck bottle with pullover nipple

The glass nursing bottles of yesteryear were often nicknamed "the pocket wet nurse"