Victorian 'Gasogene' - Unique Early Seltzer Dispenser 1897-98

UnderMiner

Silver Member
Jul 27, 2014
3,769
9,594
New York City
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Found this strange looking seltzer dispenser at the dump today, it has patent dates on it from July 20th 1897 and 1898.
Research indicates it is called a 'Gasogene'. It should have a small glass bottle, but that has been lost to time. According to Wikipedia it was not uncommon for the glass bottle on the bottom to explode due to being over-pressurized, a fate that may have befallen this example:

Image1.jpg

20170905_133649 2.jpg

20170905_133706 2.jpg

A gasogene is mentioned as a residential fixture at 221B Baker Street in Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. "A Scandal in Bohemia": "With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair, threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner."

What it should look like:
4c7d4ec6f2b10a61ace8083be1d2500b.jpg

"A Gasogene is a late Victorian device for producing carbonated water. It consists of two linked globes: the lower contained water or other drink to be made sparkling, the upper a mixture of tartaric acid and sodium bicarbonate that reacts to produce carbon dioxide. The produced gas pushes the liquid in the lower container up a tube and out of the device. The glass globe is surrounded by a wicker or wire protective mesh, as they have a tendency to explode." -Wikipedia
 

Upvote 8

GB1

Gold Member
Jul 12, 2017
7,428
21,863
East TX
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Teknectics eurotek pro
bounty hunter time ranger
bounty hunter quick draw 2
used a teroso compadre.
Primary Interest:
Other
sweet find
 

Argentium

Gold Member
Feb 2, 2008
9,058
5,574
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Detector(s) used
Whites, MXT.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Excellent find , and if not unique , close to it !! I've never seen one here (or anywhere else )
 

Relicific

Silver Member
Feb 2, 2017
3,425
4,425
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS
X terra 705
Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Very original find.
Nice
 

sutphin

Gold Member
Oct 2, 2013
8,344
4,466
brunswick md
Detector(s) used
WHITES 5900, MXT 300, MXT PRO, MXT ALL PRO/ 8X6 SEF COIL
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
MAN A ONE OF A KIND DUMPSTER FIND...
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top