Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

I love the blue one! Here are some pictures of a few I have collected over the years. Some were used in the local Bell telephone substations, The Philco provided filament voltage for an old radio, some are very small, and one is almost 2 feet tall (I wish I had the lid for it). Like you said, these batteries were used for everything back in the day. Our local Bell substation did not remove the old glass batteries until the 1990's! They were used for back-up power.
The small bottle that says Edison battery oil is interesting- it is my understanding this oil was poured over the top of the electrolyte solution to prevent evaporation

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Doug, I like all of your batteries. I started collecting Thomas Edison batteries
because I live in the area that Edison lived in and got started on all his inventions.
Also, today is Thomas Edison's Birthday as he was born on February 11, 1847.
The Edison battery oil bottles and they are 3 different styles. In 1976 when
they were digging at his boyhood home I got some of the ashes from the
burned-out house he lived in and have put them in the bottles. The top
on the bottle is the same as are beer bottles.