Wine Bottle Dryers
With regard to wine bottles and those containing food or spirits, recycling is not a new factor. Bottles were expensive to make, and many were hand blown by glassblowers. The bottle dryer was in use by the beginning of the 19th century. They were made of metal and wood and in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs. Some dryers were stationary units, and some were hanging fixtures. Mostly they were plain, however, there are those with fancy embellishments. Other larger ones were expandable. Bottles would first be cleaned by a variety of mechanical “bottle cleaners” and then they would be set upright and angled onto a met-al or wood peg or set into a pocket for drying and to be reused.