At the Great Exhibition of 1897, a demonstration as made of a gas lamp that also included an automatic machine which could dispense a gallon of hot water, or a halfpennies worth of Beef tea essence, Cocoa, Milk, Sugar, Tea or Coffee.
These “Pluto Lamps” were developed by a company founded in 1896 by Mr. H M Robinson variously known as either the “Hot Water Supply Syndicate” or the “Refreshment Lamp Syndicate” and they installed a number of these vending machines around the city before seemingly vanishing with barely a memory of their existence.
Full story here:
http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2012/10/01/the-victorian-gas-lamps-that-sold-cups-of-hot-coffee/
Because then people wouldn’t need to go to CovoaJava?
Fascinating. I had no idea these ever exisited. They clearly had high hopes for these lamps and I see they also dispensed cigarettes, postcards, and one had a telegraph recorder for police use. But I must say that the mention of “fluid beef” makes me cringe.
Ying Industries is missing an opportunity here. I should form a syndicate.
Perhaps we can corner the market for Jerky-Aide?
Is it like hot-dog water?
Drippings?
Pot likker?
Gravy?
we got ones that dispense petite pirate fleets… that’s almost as good as hot water.
Mmmm… fluid beef…
http://www.pkdiet.com/pages/recipes/recipeiweb/recipe/Beef_Tea.html
That has an oddly alluring sound to it…
I’d heard of beef tea before, but I didn’t know how it was actually made. Interesting!
It’s like a distillate!
Beef liquor!
*considers a few new menu items for the Gangplank*
This year’s Iron Bay Chef is going to be fun.
It’s very good when yer ill, an yes, i have had it! :-) Bovril is how most of us know it, and it is of period!
That’s wonderful. I just added it to my Coffee History links at cocoajava.com (yes, your cafe IS named after a website.)