A. Vogeler & Company, Baltimore, Md. March 1881 Scientific American Illustrations

AMERICAN INDUSTRIES – No. 68

PROPRIETARY SPECIALTIES

13 January 2014

Yesterday, while working on the post for the wholesale druggist, A. C. Meyer & Company in Baltimore, Maryland, I became pretty impressed and interested in the company that Adolph C. Meyer joined, partnered with and eventually took over, that being A. Vogeler & Company.

August Vogeler was born in Minden, Germany in 1819, and emigrated to the United States to Baltimore when 20 years old and entered the employ of the wholesale drug firm Smith & Atkinson. Five years later he established the firm of A. Vogeler & Company manufacturing drugs and chemicals and eventually built up a drug business and manufactured products such as St. Jacob’s Oil, Dr. August Koenig’s Hamburg Drops, Koenig’s Hamburg Breast Tea, Diamond Vera-Cura and Dr. Bull’s Family Medicines.

Vogeler & Company was located for a long period of time at Liberty and German Streets in Baltimore City and had an impressive multi-block operation. Charles A. Vogeler, August’s son, grew the business and was one of the pioneers of progressive patent medicine advertising and employed many novel schemes. Another son, Jerome Vogeler was also engaged in the drug business. Previously, in 1873, August Vogeler acquired the medicinal compounds of Reverend Dr. Bull (not the Dr. Bull in Louisville). Eventually in 1877, with the help of his partner, Adolph Meyer, the company promoted and sold Dr. Bull’s Family Medicines until shortly after the death of Charles Vogeler in 1882. In 1883, A. C. Meyer purchased all interests of his Vogeler partners and remained in business until his death 0n 4 February 1914.

I was able to locate, purchase for download and read a wonderful article within the 26 March 1881, Scientific American that, as the article puts it, had a “series of illustrations exhibiting the principal departments of Messrs. A. Vogeler & Co., Baltimore, Md., one of the largest manufacturers of proprietary specialities in the country.”

Read Article: 

AMERICAN INDUSTRIES – No. 68 – PROPRIETARY SPECIALITIES – Page 4

AMERICAN INDUSTRIES – No. 68 – PROPRIETARY SPECIALITIES – Page 5

A. Vogeler & Co. – Office & Warerooms – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Principal Offices – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Manufactory No. 2 – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Managers Office, Advertising Department – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Control & File Room – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – The Laboratory – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Bottling & Labeling – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Filling Bottles – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Corking Bottles – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Printing & Composing – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Binding Department – Scientific American, 26 March 1881

A. Vogeler & Co. – Show Card Department – Scientific American, 26 March 1881