Object Highlight: Rosa Cassel’s baby feeding bottle

This ‘Eureka’ baby feeding bottle belonged to Rosa Cassels (nee Haddad) from Ramle, Palestine. Born an orphan in 1908, she began training as a nurse and midwife in a British Church Missionary Society hospital in Gaza in 1936. In the following years, she delivered numerous babies and served as the head of an infant welfare clinic. 

The bottle was part of the midwifery bag she used for her work. ‘Banana’ shaped baby feeding bottles like this one were developed around the turn of the 20th century. Compared to previous models, they had a rubber teat on one end, which the baby could hold in their mouth by themselves. This was revolutionary because it freed up their carers’ hands to complete other tasks at the same time. The bottles also had two openings and smooth interiors, which made them easier to clean and therefore reduced the spread of germs.

Rosa married the British police officer Henry Cassels in 1944. This was rather unheard of at the time as marriages between colonial British officers and local women were restricted and required special permission. When the British Mandate rule in Palestine ended in 1947, the couple emigrated to England. There, Rosa found that her nursing qualifications were not recognized, which prevented her from continuing her career. Nevertheless, she remained active as a volunteer and translator within the Middle Eastern community.

Images: (Top left) Staff at the British Church Missionary Society hospital in Gaza, 1938; (Top right) Three nurses, with Rosa Cassels in the middle, 1938; (Bottom) Rosa and Henry Cassels on their wedding day, 1944.

Rosa Cassels will feature in our upcoming exhibition “Stories of Nursing and Migration”, opening on 5 March 2026. Book your free ticket here to join the launch.