Chemist’s Shop Sign

This enamel sign advertising ‘high class aerated waters’ belonged to an Edwardian chemist’s shop that was situated on North Berwick High Street.

After the invention of soda machines in America in the nineteenth century, British companies manufactured soda pumps which carbonated water using carbonic acid.

Local chemists bought these pumps to create fizzy soda water, or ‘aerated water’ and they experimented with creating different flavours using syrups made from natural ingredients such as raspberry, lemon and ginger.

Flavoured soda water soon became popular as it was believed to be good for you and an alternative to alcohol.

In 1872 Hiram Codd of London invented a distinctive glass bottle with glass marble stopper to keep the fizz in carbonated water. To drink the fizzy liquid you had to hit the marble stopper to release it from the neck of the bottle – this became known as ‘Codd’s Wallop’.

Do you recognise any present day East Lothian shop fronts from these photographs?