Vintage Amber Glass Chemist's Bottle — 'Sodii Benzoas B.P.', Wright, Layman & Umney Ltd, Original Label & Lid

A lovely vintage amber glass chemist's bottle, complete with its original screw lid and label — Sodii Benzoas B.P. (Sodium Benzoate, British Pharmacopoeia grade), supplied by Wright, Layman & Umney Ltd of London. Sodium Benzoate was widely used in pharmacy as a preservative and expectorant, and B.P. designation indicates it met the exacting standards of the British Pharmacopoeia. The amber glass is the classic dispensary colour, chosen to protect light-sensitive pharmaceutical compounds. A beautifully characterful piece of British pharmacy history.

Condition

• Glass: Good condition — one very small flea bite on the screw thread, not noticeable.
• Label: Original paper label present — yellowing with age, a couple of small areas of loss along the top edge.
• Lid: Original screw lid present and complete — tarnished, lettering faded. A handwritten ‘11’ in pen on the lid, likely a dispensary stock number.

Provenance

• Manufacturer: Wright, Layman & Umney Ltd, London — one of Britain's most respected pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers, best known for Wright's Coal Tar Soap and a wide range of antiseptic and pharmaceutical preparations supplied to hospitals, pharmacies, and households across the British Empire.
• Contents: Sodii Benzoas B.P. (Sodium Benzoate, British Pharmacopoeia) — a pharmaceutical-grade preservative and expectorant widely used in dispensary practice throughout the early-to-mid 20th century.
• Glass: Amber — the standard dispensary colour for light-sensitive pharmaceutical compounds, giving these bottles their distinctive warm glow when displayed.
• Era: Early-to-mid 20th century.
• Appeal: A complete and characterful example of a British dispensary bottle — original label, original lid, and Wright, Layman & Umney provenance make this a particularly desirable piece for collectors of apothecary and pharmaceutical ephemera, interior stylists, and prop buyers.