By Matthew Bernstein
My enjoyment of history began at an early age. My grandfather, a World War II veteran, made sure I was well versed in the history of this great nation. We regularly visited historic sites and discussed how historical events shaped the locations where they took place.
Around fifteen years ago, I started collecting small artifacts from places where I have lived. Because my hometown of Hightstown, New Jersey has always been known as a farming community I started collecting antique glass dairy bottles. The bottles tell the story of a simpler time when milk was delivered to our homes and the empty bottles were returned to the supplier.
Milk bottles from Bernstein’s collection. Left to right: Hy Vita Milk Company, Barnegat Light, NJ, 1940s; James Anzese Columbia Dairy, Manahawkin, NJ, 1900s; Decker’s and Conover’s Dairies, Hightstown, NJ, 1940s.
I first learned about the Hy Vita Milk Company bottle from a 2015 edition of Echoes of LBI Magazine in an article that featured Frank Klein, a pioneer of commerce from Ship Bottom. Founded by Klein in 1941, the company ran a milk delivery service and operated a dairy bar. The article contained a photograph of a Hy Vita Milk Company bottle.
It took four years for me to find a Hy Vita Milk Company bottle for my collection. Hy Vita Milk Company bottles are considered extremely rare by bottle collectors and depending on the condition they command remarkably high prices. But to me, the bottle’s true value is its history. The Hy Vita Milk Company bottle tells a story about Ship Bottom’s past. I plan to keep mine to preserve a little bit of that history.
