THE NATIONAL BITTERS
Schlichter & Zug | Walton & Zug | J.S. Walton
08 May 2013 (R•080118) (R•090118)
One of the top figural bitters bottles, The National (ear of corn) Bitters from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stands tall with other figural bitters including the queens, fish, pigs, cabins and barrels. The bottle also comes in a stunning array of colors.
Read More: Summertime is for Corn – Great Corn Figurals
The National Bitters was compounded and manufactured by Dr. Jacob Hatman Kurtz who was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He was also an Act. Assistant Surgeon in the United States Army. Dr. Kurtz claimed to have been using his concoction for 35 years in private practice which would have been from about 1834 – 1867.
Kurtz made and sold his bitters in the ear of corn bottle at 920 Market Street in Philadelphia centering around 1867 when Patent Number 2,816 was issued to a Henry Schlichter and a Henry A. Zug (October 29, 1867) which corresponds to the embossing date on the base of the bottle. Schlicter & Zug then sold The National Bitters wholesale.
In 1869, we see that the bitters is being sold by Walton & Zug, proprietors at No. 9 North Seventh Street in Philadelphia.
In 1870, Walton & Zug obtained an important revenue decision from the Treasury Department, Office of Internal Revenue, stating that The National Bitters was a compound put up and sold as a medicine and when properly stamped, could be sold by dealers in stamped bottles. This meant that Walton & Zug would not have to pay the special tax as liquor dealers. The typical bitters scam, we’ve seen it many times before.
By 1872, Jesse S. Walton was the sole proprietor located at the same address, No. 9, North Seventh Street. Zug must have moved on.
The bottles were made and advertised from 1867 to 1872 or so. They were probably made at the Whitney Glass Works in Glassboro, New Jersey. The glass works also made Doctor Fisch’s Bitters and Drake’s Plantation Bitters.
Schlichter & Zug Proprietors. Advertisement showing a bust-length portrait of a beautiful young woman looking over her bare shoulder and holding an open book beside her face displaying the text “If you wish for perfect health use the National Bitters.” She wears her hair in pincurls and tied back with a pearl hair clip. She also wears a pearl necklace and a pearl earring. – The Library Company of Philadelphia Digital Collections
If You Wish Perfect Health, Use The National Bitters
The National Bitters was also sold wholesale and retail by Tobias Barto (Barto’s Great Gun Bitters) who had a wine and liquor store at Keystone House in Reading, Pennsylvania.
“National / Bitters” – “Patent / 1867” (on base), with 98% original label, America, 1867 – 1875. Medium golden amber, figural ear of corn, applied short tapered collar with ring – smooth base, ht. 12 ¼”, perfect. R/H #N8. Extremely rare with original bright maroon label with gold lettering, which reads in part: “THE / National Bitters / Cures Fever, Ague, Liver / Complaints … / SCHLICTER & ZUG / PROPRIETORS / 9 North 7th St / PHILAD’A.” Relatively few examples remain with a virtually complete label. – American Glass Gallery Auction #10
Just finished perusing the bottles in American Glass Gallery Auction #10 that opens today. Some real fine glass. One of the corn bitters examples jumped out to me. I really like this example because of the label (see above). You hardly ever see this complete and readable of an example on a National Bitters “ear of corn” figural bottle. These are great bottles that look spectacular in a run. The examples pictured at the top are from the Meyer collection.
What is interesting about this particular label above, is that it reads “Schlichter & Zug Proprietors, 9 North 7th Street, Philadelphia”. One would expect it to read “Walton & Co. 9 North 7th Street” like the Ring & Ham listing (see below). There is even another label reported by Frank Wicker at Bottle Pickers that reads, “The National Bitters Compounded Dr. J. H. Kurtz, Walton & Zug, Proprietors”. If you notice, the advertisement at the top of this post uses “Schlichter & Zug” with a “929 Market Street” address. The 929 Market Street adress is actually a hotel that is listed with Henry Schlichter in an 1867 Philadelphia Directory. I have made a few updates below in red.
The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:
N 8 THE NATIONAL BITTERS (Ear of Corn)
NATIONAL BITTERS // c // // b // PATENT / 1867
The National Bitters was compounded and manufactured by Dr. Jacob Hatman Kurtz who was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He was also an Act. Assistant Surgeon in the United States Army. Dr. Kurtz claimed to have been using his concoction for 35 years in private practice which would have been from about 1834 – 1867.
Patent Number 2,816 was issued to a Henry Schlichter and a Henry A. Zug (October 29, 1867).
Schlicter & Zug, Proprietors (929 Market Street), Walton & Zug Proprietors (No.9 North Seventh Street) and later J.S. Walton, Proprietor (9 North 7th St.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
12 5/8 x 2 3/4
Ear of Corn, STCR, Applied mouth, Amber – Common; Yellow and Puce – Very scarce; Aqua – Rare
C O R N F I E L D
Three yellow National Bitters in shades from citron to pale yellow to yellow gold
National Bitters in golden amber
“National / Bitters” – “Patent / 1867” (on base), with 98% original label, America, 1867 – 1875. Medium golden amber, figural ear of corn, applied short tapered collar with ring – smooth base, ht. 12 ¼”, perfect. R/H #N8. Extremely rare with original bright maroon label with gold lettering, which reads in part: “THE / National Bitters / Cures Fever, Ague, Liver / Complaints … / SCHLICTER & ZUG / PROPRIETORS / 9 North 7th St / PHILAD’A.” Relatively few examples remain with a virtually complete label. – American Glass Gallery Auction #10
National Bitters in a two-toned yellow and orange amber
National Bitters in a puce coloration
National Bitters in blue aqua
National Bitters in citron coloration (with green tone)
National Bitters in copper puce
Example of a labeled National Bitters in a dark cherry color – previous American Bottle Auctions
Select Listings:
1862: Jacob H. Kurtz, M.D. 18 N 17th – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1867: National Bitters patent (below) listing 2,816 by Henry Schlichter and Henry A. Zug, Philadelphia, Pa. – Commissioner of Patents Annual Report By United States. Patent Office – 1867
1867: The National Bitters advertisement (below), Schlichter & Zug – Reading Times, Monday, July 8 1867
1869: The National Bitters –Walton & Zug, proprietors advertisement (below) – Tyrone Herald, Friday, July 16, 1869
1870: [Announcements] Important Revenue Decision. National Bitters is a compound put up and sold as a medicine and when properly stamped, can be sold by dealers in the stamped bottles who have not paid the special tax as liquor dealers – Carlisle Weekly Herald, Thursday, January 20, 1870
1870-71: Walton & Zug (Jesse S.Walton & Henry A. Zug), bitters, 9 N 7th – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1872: The National Bitters, J. S. Walton, Proprietor, No.9 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia advertisement (below) – The Greensboro Patriot, Thursday, February 1, 1872
