The advances of glassmaking are directly responsible fo the prevalence and low cost of glasswares. In the perfume industry, the technological and mechanical advances have resulted in the mass production and commercialization of the scent industry. Before 1906, scent had only been available in hand made bottles which were much more to expensive to manufacture than it's contents (Percy, 1977:93)

The origins of glass lack consensus in the literature, which carry an almost mythical aura. It is believed that it originated in either Asia around 3000BC and the technique was later brought to Egypt, or in Egypt (Douglas and Frank, 1972:2) There are three components to common glass are silica, limestone and soda (Douglas and Frank, 1972:1). Glass itself is a curious compound. It is technically a liquid; a slow moving extremely dense liquid. After the Exposition of 1851, glass use increased as windows for buildings (Douglas and Frank, 1972:35). Old churches or homes with stained glass windows reflect this property. Glass is constantly moving, and the bottom of the window panes of these old buildings appear thicker resulting in warped images in the stained glass. I expect that extremely old vessels or scent bottles similarly reflect their age.

Glass blowing was probably discovered around 50BC in the Phoenician area (Douglas and Frank, 1972:3). The first glass was shaped by molds though. The oldest documented method, the millifiori process involved the production of a core and an outer mold wherein sections of monochrome or polychrome glass rods were laid out on the core and loosely fixed together with some adhesive materials ((Douglas and Frank, 1972:3). This method was used to make perfume bottles for the Greeks, Romans as well as Egyptians(Douglas and Frank, 1972:3). The literature is not consistent to attribute ownership of this technique to one particular civilization.

Glass making or bottle making technology did not advance in any revolutionary form until 1865 with the advent of the first glass making machine. The rise in technological advancement can be chronicled via : -1865-the first glass making machine is patented in Glasgow -1886-first machine for narrow mouthed bottles -1893-first glass making machine based on steps currently in use for modern glass manufacture -1903-design of fuel feeder to consistently keep glass in a molten state(Douglas and Frank, 1972:174-178).

The long period in between the discovery of glass blowing and mechanization encompassed changes in glass composition. It included advances in blowing techniques, mold making, heating or fuel choice as well as furnace construction. This period marked the specialization of finishes, artistry, uses and the creation of glasses to resemble jewels and other precious substances. The crown was a major producer of glass in each of the countries where glass making occured. It was highly valued for aesthetic and practical purposes. Toward the end of the fourteenth century there was a large output of serviceable glass in Europe for common used (Haynes, 1943:44). Glass was universally used, but aesthetically pleasing vessels were still the bastion of the upper classes. By the end of the 18th century, the glass houses which had flourished at one time under local rulers were no longer economically viable (Douglas and Frank, 1972:19). Private glass manufacturers were gaining popular acceptance and glass making techniques, once so closely guarded had creapt out into the public sphere. At the beginning of the 19th century glass was commonly made in 'forest industry', wherein a glass maker would literally set up shop in the middle of the forest using the potash from charred trees as a source of lime (Douglas and Frank, 1972:22). Fine glassmakers were still revered, but they were not the sole keepers of the secrets.

The American glass industry did not flourish until the advent of pressed glass, which was produced in a massive scale by the mid 17th century(Douglas and Frank, 1972:37). Container production was mainly a craft industry until technological advancements occurred(Douglas and Frank, 1972:41). Glass scent containers, while being more fragile indicate the quality of a perfume as well as protect the contents (Ellis, 1960:194). Bottles were not limited to glass, but were made of a variety of substances both precious and mundane. Small glass bottles were used during the 17th century as scent and smelling salt containers, but the advent of mechanical pressing techniques in glass manufacture made it possible to produce elaborate bottles at a much reduced cost (Douglas and Frank, 1972:173).

Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, perfume became one of the leading trades resulting in alliances between perfume makers and jewelers or goldsmiths who were equipped to make the bottles (Foster, 1966:13). The commercialization of scent and mass production of bottles has similarly forged corporate alliances between glass manufactures like Lalique and perfumers. Bottle design and choice are consequently no longer reflect individual choice or uniqueness but corporate image and allegiance.