l: 6.5 cm x w: 3.5 cm x h: 14 cm
This is a shoe polish bottle. It is aquamarine in colour. It is a moulded panel bottle with a rectangular base and rounded edges. It has a straight neck, and a rounded lip. There is embossed lettering on the front panel which reads, "WHITTEMORE // BOSTON // U.S.A." A partial cork is in the mouth of bottle. A partial swab brush (cloth maybe) with a metal shaft inside bottle.
The idea of carrying shoe polish was a relatively new idea at the end of the 19th century. Until this point people would pay street shoe shiners, typically young boys, to do the task whenever needed. However, with approximately 80 “shines” per bottle, owning one's own bottle and brush became more economical. A good pair of leather shoes would cost around $2.50 a pair (approx. $100 in today’s currency) and, with urban streets covered in animal and industrial waste, men had a vested interest in preserving their footwear.
This bottle of shoe polish was produced by a Boston company called, Whittemore Bros. And Co. During this time period, Massachusetts was a major center for the production of shoes and shoe dressings. The bottle may have arrived in Kingston because of the Grand Trunk Railway's expansion, which linked Kingston to Boston beginning in 1882.
