Where is the Doctor on Planett’s Bitters Advertising?
19 January 2014
In May 2012, I did a post on The Celestial Dr. Planett’s Bitters and came across various newspaper advertising centered from 1848 to 1863. I did not include the advertising in the post because it always bothered me that the advertising excluded the “DR” that is embossed on the bottle. Who was this Dr. Planett? Was he the original proprietor? Was it just a brand name. I still do not know.
The 1860 Fisher & Winston advertisement below says, “The Celebrate Tonic has been used successfully for the past twelve years” putting an origin date of 1848 on the brand. The location must have been New York City though this brand was also sold in many places such as Virginia, North Carolina and California. A bottle was even found off the coast of southern Florida (pictured at the top of post).
I believe the later advertising may have been for unloading excess, dated inventory such as the “25 Cases of Planett’s Bitters” for auction in San Francisco.
Dr. Planett’s Bitters bottle photograph courtesy of Pam & Randy Selenak
Planett’s Bitters advertisement – New York Daily Tribune, May 29, 1850
Planett’s Bitters advertisement – The Newbernian and North Carolina Advocate
24 September 1850
Planett’s Bitters advertisement – Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, New York, December 10, 1850
Planett’s Bitters advertisement – New York Daily Tribune, May 29, 1852
Planett’s Bitters from New York being sold by Fisher & Winston – Richmond Daily Dispatch, 17 March 1860
25 cases of Planett’s Bitters for Auction – Daily Alta California (San Francisco), 27 February 1863
