Looking at some Canadian Bitters

Posted on 18 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Looking at some Canadian Bitters

18 April 2014

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Apple-Touch-IconAOn some days, I think the bitters collecting community is small while on others, I am just amazed at how big it is. Today, I worked with Marlowe Morris up in Canada to post and catalog some rather tough-to-find Canadian bitters. One is even unlisted in the Ring & Ham books. I particularly liked the rawness of the pictures as they added character to the bottles. I did crop the St. Lawrence Bitters at the top of the post so we could focus on the wonderful bottle shape and label. Below is the initial e-mail I received from Marlowe:

Hello:

My wife and I were going through our collection tonight and weeding out bottles to sell. I was just hunting around looking for information on our Royal Crown Bitters and found a link to your website that also had information on our Royal Italian Bitters, which we both thought was neat. We are fortunate enough to have a Royal Italian with full labeling, although our label is not as bright as the one that you have on your website, it is more complete.

Read: Royal Italian Bitters by A.M.F. Gianelli – Montreal

Read: William’s Royal Crown Remedy and Bitters – Isaac Williams Company

I was wondering if you might be interested in pictures of it and another Toronto bitters we have, a St. Lawrence Bitters, Richard Lawrence, 18 Melinda St., Toronto. The label of the St. Lawrence sadly is very poor, but you can make out a steamboat steaming across the label. It is a 3-piece mold, whiskey style bottle. Thought you might be interested in a picture even though, as I mentioned, the poor condition of the label. I only wish that the label was in good condition because it looks fantastic. Anyhow, none of the above are for sale, interest only.

Happy Collecting
Marlowe

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Labeled Royal Italian Bitters – Morris Collection

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Labeled William’s Royal Crown Remedy and Bitters (center) – Morris Collection

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An unlisted, Buchan’s Bitters // A. Harvard / Toronto in Aqua – Morris Collection

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An extremely rare, Johnson’s Tonic Bitters // Collingwood, Ontario // A .H. Johnson & Co. (J 48.4) in a clear glass. Ring & Ham note one being dug in Ontario about 1974. – Morris Collection

Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Photography, Remedy, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An unlisted Russell’s Alterative and Tonic Bitters

Posted on 18 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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An unlisted Russell’s Alterative and Tonic Bitters

18 April 2014 (R•041914) (R•040819)

RussellsCastanaine Apple-Touch-IconAYou may have remembered the 1836 Russell’s Stomach Bitters post from Vermont the other day. Bitters trade card authority Joe Gourd, saw the post and went looking in his collection. He found an unlisted ‘Russell’s Alternative and Tonic Bitters’ advertising trade card series, made and sold by E. S. Russell, in Nashua, New Hampshire. He asks, “Could this be a ‘shirt-tail’ relative of the Vermont Russell?”

Elias Smith Russell was born on 21 November 1819 (conflicting birth date: History of Amherst and Town Records: 21 November, Gravestone: 27 November) in Middleton, Strafford County, New Hampshire (some records oddly say Massachusetts). His father was David Russell and his mother was Lydia Jeffreys McIntire. Elias was first married to Caroline Southach Goss who died in 1845. He then married Sara R. Whittemore on 19 May 1846. John J. Whittemore would later become is partner. In 1870 and 1880, Federal Census records show that he was married to Helen M. Russell.

Elias S. Russell was typically listed as an Apothecary and Druggist at various address locations in Nashua, New Hampshire from around 1845 until after the turn of the century. The first advertisement I could find said he had a ‘Family Medicine Store’ and advertised the ‘Sign of the Good Samaritan’. He was a dealer in drugs, medicines, chemicals, European Leeches, Surgeons’ Instruments, Perfumery, Brushes, Trusses, Shakers, Herbs etc. Later advertisements say he was actually established in 1840.

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Some of the brands and bottles you might find by Russell include Russell’s Castanaine for the Hair and Skin, Russell’s Unrivaled Tooth Powder, Russell’s Worm Elixir and of course, Russell’s Alterative and Tonic Bitters which will need a catalog listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 2.

Trade Cards
R 127.9  RUSSELL’S ALTERNATIVE AND TONIC BITTERS, Made and Sold by E. S. Russell, Nashua, N. H.
Elias Smith Russell was a Druggist and Apothecary

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Russell’s business partner from 1868 until 1881 was John J. Whittemore who must have been his wife’s brother or father. In 1885, Bradford Allen became the proprietor of the noted drug store that was established by Elias S. Russell. Russell died on August 17, 1904 in Nashua.

I could not find any connection with Elias S. Russell to the Vermont Russell. Who knows? The day is only half over.

Select Elias S. Russell Milestones

1845: E. S. Russell, Apothecary, 5 Earys’ Block (see ad below), Nashua, New Hampshire City Directory
ES_RussellAd1845 1853: Elias S. Russell, Druggist, 18 Park Street, Nashua, New Hampshire City Directory
1860: E. S. Russell advertisement (see below) for Russell’s Castanaine for the Hair and Skin and Russell’s Unrivaled Tooth Powder.

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1870: Elias S. Russel & Co., Apothecaries and Druggists, 69 Main street – Nashua, New Hampshire City Directory
1883: Elias S. Russell, Apothecary, 69, Main (see ad below), 37 Franklin (house), Nashua, New Hampshire City Directory

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1885: Bradford Allen (see picture below) became the proprietor of the noted drug store that was established by Elias S. Russell – History of Nashua, NH

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1903: Russell as an honorary member of the New Hampshire Pharmaceutical Association (see below), from Proceedings – New Hampshire Pharmaceutical Association, 1904

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E. S. Russell Advertising Trade Cards from the Joe Gourd Collection

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Trade Cards from The Joe Gourd Collection
Labeled example courtesy George Waddy
Three E. S. Russell bottles courtesy Brandon DeWolfe
Posted in Advertising, Apothecary, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Druggist & Drugstore, Ephemera, Hair Tonics, History, Medicines & Cures, Perfume, Questions, Tonics, Trade Cards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holloway’s Orange Bitters by Canada Dry

Posted on 17 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Holloway’s Orange Bitters distributed by Canada Dry

17 April 2014

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Apple-Touch-IconAWell, certainly not the most exciting and early bitters product, but a bitters none-the-less. So it must be added to the Orange Bitters series. Plus, who knows, maybe there is a story here with the Holloway’s Orange Bitters? I would like to thank Ken Previtali, the Ginger Ale authority, for tipping me off to this eBay listing. Ken said the listing came up in his daily eBay ginger ale search. It is priced now at $3.50 with no bidders with a ‘Buy it Now’ option for $5. Quite a bit less than a couple of other bitters bottles that I am chasing. The three pictures of the bottle within this post are from the eBay listing.

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What is interesting is that this is a Canada Dry Ginger Ale Incorporated distributed product. Canada Dry was deeply involved with liquor distribution for a while according to Ken. If you read the label closely, it looks like it says, “Proof 28”,  “Made and Bottled By English? American Distillers, Inc., New York, NY, As By Holloway’s Distillery Co. London, Eng, Distributed By Canada Dry Ginger Ale Incorporated, New York, NY. Quite a lot of hands here for a labeled bitters bottle that looks like a flask. And there is a pretty cool, 6 1/4 cent State of Wisconsin tax stamp to boot affixed to the front of the bottle. Note a similar stamp from 1939 below that says “Occupational Tax on Intoxicating Liquors”.

1939 - Wisconsin

The eBay listing is as follows:

Variety of Vintage bottles: Empty Half pint Holloway’s Brand Superior Quality Orange Bitters 28 proof with stopper. The label has a picture of the Royal Exchange 1644. State of Wisconsin tax sticker. Distributed by Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Inc. New York, NY. This bottle is 7 1/4″ and 3 1/8″ wide. The clear milk bottle is half pint size, 4 1/4″ tall and 2 1/2″ wide. Duraglas is embossed on the bottom. The last bottle is blue Parmint Double Strength International Lab. Binghamton, NY. It is 3 1/4″ tall and 1 1/8″ diameter. It is cloudy inside. No chips or cracks. See photos for details.

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Here below is the original drawing where the ‘Royal Exchange in 1644’ drawing on the Orange Bitters label came from. Kind of cool. Within and without the Royal Exchange, it was reported that: “Here one may meet persons assembled from all parts of the universe, either to procure bills of exchange, to hire shipping, to learn news of the army, or the sailing of any particular vessel: in short, at London is known every thing that passes on the sea, and almost in all parts of the world to which they trade; for it must be allowed, that the English well understand the maritime art, and that they are true merchants on all seas with marvellous success and profit.”

royalexchange1644OrangeBitters

See More: Grandfather’s Perfect Orange Bitters

Posted in Bitters, eBay, Flasks, Ginger Ale, History, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Tax Stamps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An 1836 Russell’s Stomach Bitters Advertisement

Posted on 17 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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An 1836 Russell’s Stomach Bitters Advertisement

17 April 2014 (R•041814)

Apple-Touch-IconAI found this Russell’s Stomach Bitters advertisement rather interesting for a number of reasons. First, it is rather old, coming from the Burlington Free Press (Vermont) in 1836. An earlier advertisement from 1827 has been reported by Ring & Ham. Second, the bitters comes in a form that “May be Used in Wine or Water”, “One box will tincture one gallon”, “Price 25 cents a box”. Third, look how they spelled, ‘cellebrated’.

Russell also made Russell’s Itch Ointment, Russell’s Vegetable Billious Pills or Family Physic (huh?) and Russell’s Cellebrated (yes, that spelling again) Salt Rheum Ointment. These products originated out of Vermont and were sold in New England and ‘generally’ by druggists throughout United States.

In Bitters Bottles by Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham, this bitters is listed as:

R 131  RUSSELL’S STOMACH BITTERS
Box, containing dry or powdered bitters
Dr. Russell’s Stomach Bitters to be prepared in wine or water, are purely vegetable. A box will tincture a gallon of wine or water. 25 cents a box.
Columbian Centinel, August 25, 1827

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1836 Map of Vermont (left) and New Hampshire (right) – David Rumsey Map Collection

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Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Cod Liver Oil Bottle

Posted on 16 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Early Cod Liver Oil Bottle

16 April 2014

Apple-Touch-IconARon Krupa sent in these great pictures of a rare oddity found at a flea market on 13 April 2014. This early Cod Liver Oil bottle is probably the nicest example I have ever seen! What character and color1 Looks like a real fish.

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Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement derived from liver of cod fish. As with most fish oils, it has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Cod liver oil also contains vitamin A and vitamin D. It has historically been taken because of its vitamin A and vitamin D content. It was once commonly given to children, because vitamin D has been shown to prevent rickets and other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. [Wikipdia]

See another Cod Liver Oil Bottle from the Meyer Collection.

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Fish Candy Container 008

Fish Candy Container 012

Posted in Cod Liver Oil, Digging and Finding, Figural Bottles, Medicines & Cures, News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Soldier’s True Friend, Holloway’s Ointment & Pills

Posted on 14 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Soldier’s True Friend, Holloway’s Ointment & Pills

For Wounds either occasioned by the Bayonet, Sabre or the Bullet, Sores or Bruises.

14 April 2014
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Poster, “Holloway’s Pills and Ointments”, paper, printed by John Harrar & Son, London, part of shop fittings, Wong family, Australia, 1880-1930

Apple-Touch-IconAI could not help but to get side tracked with George W. Holloway, the Syracuse Druggist, yesterday with another Holloway, that being Thomas Holloway who was born in September 1800 and was a patent medicine vendor and philanthropist from England. His pills and ointments were sold around the world. His claims were outlandish and his products were most likely, not much help.

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Read: Victorian Ointment Pots

What surprised me was the abundance of material on Thomas Holloway. I found lots of historical posts on the man, his ointments, pots and lids, advertising and postal history. One 1863 New York newspaper advertisement (below), seems to best represent the claims and strategy for marketing Holloway’s Pills and Ointments. He seemed to direct many of his messages to “Friends and Relatives of the Brave Soldiers and Sailors”. Stateside, he set up shop at 80 Maiden Lane in New York.

Old Fulton NY Post Cards By Tom Tryniski

Holloways Pills and Ointments advertisement – Wyoming County Mirror, Warsaw, New York, 1863-1864

Thomas Holloway

Thomas Holloway (22 September 1800 – 26 December 1883) was a patent medicine vendor and philanthropist from England.

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Drawing of the Late Thomas Holloway – Illustrated London News, January 5, 1881

Holloway was born in Devonport, a district of Plymouth in the county of Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway (née Chellew), who at the time of their son’s birth had a bakery business. They later moved to Penzance, Cornwall, where they ran The Turk’s Head Inn. In the late 1820s, Holloway went to live in Roubaix, France, for a few years. He returned to England in 1831 and worked in London as a secretary and interpreter for a firm of importers and exporters. In 1836, he set himself up as a foreign and commercial agent in London.

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Thomas Holloway’s ‘Universal Ointment’: Egham Museum (image Brian Wood)

Holloway had business connections with an Italian, Felix Albinolo, who manufactured and sold a general purpose ointment. This gave Holloway the idea to set up a similar business himself in 1837. He began by using his mother’s pots and pans to manufacture his ointment in the family kitchen. Seeing the potential in patent medicines, Holloway soon added pills to his range of products. Holloway’s business was extremely successful.

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During the mid 1850’s, he employed an agent in the United States (as evidenced from some advertising in the New York Daily Times dated September 1852), to market pills and his ointment. Further evidence from advertising recorded in the same journal in March 1855 proves that Holloway’s business in the US was well established and that his business was trading from an address known as 80 Maiden Lane New York, In 1878 the business moved a few doors along to 78 Maiden Lane, New York.

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Holloway’s Pills and Ointments, 80 Maiden Lane Private Die Stamp – rdhinstl.com

A key factor in his enormous success in business was advertising, in which Holloway had great faith. Holloway’s first newspaper announcements appeared in 1837, and by 1842 his yearly expenses for publicity had reached over £5,000 (GBP). By the time of his death, he was spending over £50,000 a year on advertising his products. The sales of his products made Holloway a multi-millionaire, and one of the richest men in Britain at the time. Holloway’s products were said to be able to cure a whole host of ailments, though scientific evaluation of them after his death showed that few of them contained any ingredients which would be considered to be of significant medicinal value. Holloway’s medicine business slowly declined and was bought by rival Beecham’s Pills in 1930.

My beautiful picture

Holloway is best remembered for the two large institutions which he built in England: Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water, Surrey, and Royal Holloway College, a college of the University of London in Englefield Green, Surrey. Both were designed by the architect William Henry Crossland, and were inspired by the Cloth Hall in Ypres, Belgium, and the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley, France. They were founded by Holloway as “Gifts to the nation”.

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Royal Holloway Building, south quad with statue of Holloway & his wife, Jane.

Holloway claimed that it was his wife, Jane, who inspired him to found the college, which was a women-only college until 1945. Holloway also paid over £80,000 to acquire 77 Victorian era paintings which he donated to the college at the time of its founding. Most of these pieces of art still belong to the college, and remain on display today in the college’s Picture Gallery. Three of the paintings, by Turner, Constable and Gainsborough were sold in the 1990s.

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The philanthropic and somewhat eccentric Thomas Holloway

Holloway had become extremely wealthy by the late 1860s and bought a Georgian House at Sunninghill, near Ascot, Berkshire called Tittenhurst Park. Holloway lived there with his wife. Her sister, Sarah Anne Driver, also lived there with her husband George Martin, as did Holloway’s sister Matilda, an invalid who died soon after. Jane died in 1875, aged 61; Holloway died there on 26 December 1883, aged 83.

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The grave of English philanthropist Thomas and Jane Holloway at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Sunninghill, Berkshire, England.

A philanthropic and somewhat eccentric donor (he had an unconcealed prejudice against doctors, lawyers and parsons), Holloway died of congestion of the lungs at Sunninghill in 1883, eighteen months before the opening of the Holloway Sanatorium. He is buried with his wife Jane in a family grave at Sunninghill churchyard. [wikipedia and other online sources]

Holloway Collateral Pieces

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Advertising cover from Holloway’s Pills & Ointments in New York (and London) mailed May 16, 1857 to Montgomery County, PA. – ebay

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Political satire – Holloway’s Pills

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A similar, but different, “Every Good Nurse” advert praising the Holloway Pills and Ointments cover sent from Rosewood, Queensland to Hobart with two blue 1d ‘figures in four corners’ stamps in 1904 – Australian Postal History

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Holloway’s Pills & Ointment Advertisement – London – fulltable.com

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Australian 1858 London Holloway’s Pills and Ointment Token – ebay

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Holloway’s Pills & Ointment Advertisement – London – fulltable.com

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Holloway’s Pills & Ointment Advertisement – London – fulltable.com

Posted in Advertising, Druggist & Drugstore, Ephemera, History, Medicines & Cures, Postage, Pot Lids, Tax Stamps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holloway’s Bitters from Syracuse

Posted on 13 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Holloway’s Bitters from Syracuse

13 April 2014 (082719)

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Apple-Touch-IconAWell, finally we are seeing some great bottle pictures without snow in the background! What a winter! Spring has sprung. Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to see a labeled Holloway’s Bitters lady’s leg figural on ebay. See listing. The bottle was mostly full of original contents and corked. I believe I saw this same bottle at the Houston Bottle Show in 2012 at Dan Cowman’s table.

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I thought the ebay pictures were excellent with the following description from ‘hfolse’ (100% Positive Feedback).

“This is a Holloway’s Bitters. It is 12 and 3/4 inches tall. There are no chips or cracks on this bottle. It has approximately 98% of the original paper label intact.  On one side of the label there is a small piece of the bottom corner missing. The other side of the label has 2 small pieces missing. It reads Holloway’s Bitters, A True Tonic and Appetizer, Syracuse, N.Y. The original contents and cork are still in this bottle. As you can see in the pictures, some of the contents is believed to have evaporated leaving behind some stains on the neck of the bottle from the inside. The color of the bottle is true to the pictures.”

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There are three relevent Holloway listings in the Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles book which I have listed below. The H 149 would be the example on ebay.

H 149 L… Holloway’s Bitters (see below)
Robert P. Prown   Proprietor   Syracuse
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Ring and Ham art within Bitters Bottles

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Robert P. Brown Proprietor Of Holloway’s Aromatic Bitters trade card – Meyer Collection

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Holloway’s Bitters label – Joe Gourd Collection

H 150 L… Holloway’s Aromatic Bitters (see below)
George W. Holloway, Manufacturing Pharmacist, 807-809 N. Salina Street, Syracuse, N.Y. U.S.A.
Label: HOLLOWAY’S AROMATIC BITTERS, “As fine As Silk” (label registered) to all dyspeptics this bitters is recommended. It relieves at once that “all gone” feeling, wind on the stomach, liver complaint, and all forms of indigestion, fever and ague, biliousness, general debility, faintness, female weakness, also an agreeable stimulant for persons recovering from sickness.
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Ring and Ham art within Bitters Bottles

H 151 L… Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters (see further below)
George W. Holloway, Syracuse, New York
Trade Mark No. 6041, dated October, 1889
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Fully labeled Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters. Obtained from a picker fresh from a ‘little old lady’s’ house. Note that George W. Holloway’s signature is on the earlier bottle. – Mark Yates Collection

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Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Mark Yates Collection

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Label detail, Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Mark Yates Collection

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Back label detail, Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Mark Yates Collection

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Neck label detail, Holloway’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Mark Yates Collection

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Holloway’s Stomach Bitters trade card with blank backside – From the Collection of Bob Newnham.

George W. Holloway

Syracuse Journal –  December 8, 1902

Obituary: Holloway, George W., born Aug. 12, 1863. Educated public schools. After graduation entered the employment of Druggist G. A. Heyne and remained until 1866 when he opened a drug store at 807 N. Salina Street. Manufactured Holloway Bitters which are extensively known. He traveled much in the sale of this article. Married Miss Nellie Brown in 1887 from which union two children were born, he died at age 39. Wife died 1898. Also manufacturers of 14 other medicinals.

Robert P. Brown

Robert P. Brown born about 1877 in New York and was the proprietor of the latest brand of Holloway’s Bitters (H 149). His signature is on the label. In 1891, he is listed as a drug clerk with George W. Holloway at 807 N. Salina Street, Syracuse, N.Y. In 1900 he is listed as the pharmacist at the same address. George W. Holloway dies in 1902 and Brown takes over the retail drug store and is listed up until 1940.

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Read More: Lady’s Leg Series – Weis Bros Knickerbocker Stomach Bitters

Read More: Russ’ Stomach Bitters – A New York Lady’s Leg

Read More: The old but sexy, Brown & Drake Catawba Bitters lady’s leg

Read More: Labeled Theller’s Bitters Lady’s Leg – New York

Read More: Lady’s Leg Series – Zingari Bitters

Read More: Holloway’s Bitters from Syracuse

Read More: The best Lady’s Leg in the Galaxy – Universe Bitters

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Druggist & Drugstore, eBay, Ephemera, Figural Bottles, History, Medicines & Cures, Tonics, Trade Cards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pipifax – The Celebrated German Bitters

Posted on 12 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Pipifax – The Celebrated German Bitters or Vaudeville’s Funniest Clown or the Acrobatic Act or the Bottle Devil?

12 April 2014 (R•041314)

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Apple-Touch-IconAOK, so what is a Pipifax? I know it is a labeled bitters and until recently, I did not have an example in my collection. Without the word, ‘Bitters’ embossed on the bottle and being somewhat ‘plain Jane’, I shied away until I could find a nice example. This I finally did when I purchased a bottle from Doug Hansen at the recent Morro Bay Bottle Show.

So again, what is a Pipifax? Apparently, Pipifax means nonsense or trifles. It is a German word. Little Pipifax was touted as Vaudeville’s Funniest Clown in advertisements in the 1920s (see below).

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Little Pipifax, Vaudeville’s Funniest Clown – El Paso Herald, August 21, 1920

Guhl & Harbeck, from Germany made a cast iron Pipifax Knife Sharpener in the 1920s (see below). That is kind of weird. Those German’s, working up to Kristallnacht, Meserschmidts and V2 rockets I guess. Not talking Sharper Image here either.

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1920s, cast iron, Guhl & Harbeck Pipifax Knife Sharpener – ebay

Then there was Pipifax and Panlo, the acrobatic act in the 1920s (see below). “Pipifax and Panlo have a perfectly good eccentric acrobatic act and the bill finishes with the Musical Johnson’s and their xylophones” from Goodwin’s Weekly (Salt Lake City, Utah), “a thinking paper for thinking people” in 1915.

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Pipifax and Panlo playing in Philadelphia – Evening Public Ledger, January 30, 1915

Could these acts be the forerunner to Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour? Remember Geritol, one of the brands that sponsored the Amateur Hour? Interesting that, to this day, we are still making, selling and swallowing bitter concoctions to ‘give us energy’.

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Trade ad for The Original Amateur Hour

I suppose the 1910s and 1920s were the zenith for the name Pipifax. I really don’t have any friends named Pipifax, do you? I did have an eccentric Aunt on the Meyer side and her second or third husband had the first name Fairfax. Kind of similar. They probably took Geritol.

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Vintage Geritol advertisement. Interesting that, to this day, we are still making, selling and swallowing bitter concoctions to ‘give us energy’.

So What is Pipifax?

The Rosicrucians were a sect of Philosophers who flourished in Germany during the seventeenth century and prosecuted profound researches into Natural science and Occult Philosophy, and sought to discover the ELIXIR OF LIFE.

Pipifax marketing

Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham, in Bitters Bottles, give the Pipifax brand and bottle a P 104 designation and title it Pipifax Celebrated Bitters. They say it was manufactured by Herman (Hermann) Wolfgang in Berlin, Prussia. It is an amber square with an applied mouth and later tooled lip. This may want to be updated with the San Francisco information within this post.

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Earliest Pipifax Bitters advertisement that I could find. Max Walter, Agent – San Francisco Chronicle, October 1, 1870

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Pipifax, This Celebrated German Bitters advertisement San Francisco, 1871. Shaefer (Shaeffer), Walter & Co., sole agents for the United States.

Rick Simi, over at Western Bitters News, says that the first mention of Pipifax Bitters that he has found was an 1871 co-partnership notice of Max Walter, J. W. Shaeffer and A. B. Falkinburg for the manufacture and sale of the Pipifax bitters invented by Mr. Hermann Wolfgang of Germany. If you notice, I found an advertisement above from 1870 where Max Walter was the sole agent for Pipifix Bitters. Max was a wholesale liquor merchant who was born in 1832 in Germany. It is great that we can build on Rick’s initial post.

1870: Max Walter, Agent, 426 Sansome Street, near Clay, San Francisco Chronicle advertisement

1871: Shaeffer & Walter, (John W. Shaeffer and Max Walter) agents Pipifax Bitters, 302 Battery, San Francisco City Directory

1871: Henry Martin Beach, local agent Pipifax, N E cor Battery and Sacramento, dwl 813 Stock

1872: Shaeffer, Walters & Co. sell entire stock of Pipifax Bitters to J. M. Goewey & Co. – Sacramento Daily Union, 14 October 1872

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Pipifax Bitters photographed in setting Pacific sun in Big Sur.

PipifaxTradeMarkSearching online I see that on July 12, 1871, Walter and Shaeffer obtained Pipifax Bitters Patent 434 in San Francisco. Their trade mark was a ‘Demon Holding Six Bottles of Bitters’, (Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents). What is odd, is that the trade mark looks more like a jester or muse holding six bottles. He does have a tail though. I guess they had second thoughts and wanted to distance themselves from the Hostetter’s dragon brand. I also find it quite ironic that the marketers of this bitters make such outlandish claims like “The Rosicrucians were a sect of Philosophers who flourished in Germany during the seventeenth century and prosecuted profound researches into Natural science and Occult Philosophy, and sought to discover the ELIXIR OF LIFE.” They then go on and call their brand, ‘Pipifax’ which for the most part, means nonsense.

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Art for the Pipifax Demon Holding Six Bottles of Bitters – Eric McGuire

Eric McGuire provided these excellent graphics (above and below) for Pipifax and says that late in 1870, Walter & Schaefer first trademarked their little demonic character as  the above label will attest. This label was submitted to the State of California and received Trademark Number 188. When J. M. Goewey purchased the brand, he attempted to remake the demon image with something a little softer. The second attachment (below) is Goewy’s new label, trademarked as Number 257 in California on 9 September 1873. It appears neither marketing approach was very successful.

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Art for Pipifax Magic Bitters is quite a bit more pleasing to the eye – Eric McGuire

Marianne Dow has led us to the poem, The Devil’s Bout by Jean Wright (below). Marianne adds, “Pipifax was a drunken devil, one of 500,000 that Satan imprisoned in corked bottles, and when corks pop, they say, ”the devil’s out”.

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Pipifax mentioned in The Devil’s Bout by Jean Wright – The Clack Book, Wells and Hudson, 1896

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Notice the Pipifax trademark. Pipifax Bitters advertisement San Francisco, The Elevator, April 27 1872. Mr. Hermann Wolfgang whose reputation of the manufacture of Tonic Bitters is well known throughout Europe.

Rick Simi further states that in October of 1872, Shaeffer, Walter & Co. ran an advertisement (see below) saying that they have sold their entire stock of bitters to J. M. Goewey & Co. In December of 1872, the firm of Engel & Hass takes over the “agency” of Shaeffer, Walter & Co. and are advertising for the patronage of liquor dealers and the general public. By April of 1873, J. M. Goewey & Co. are the sole proprietors of the Pipifax brand. Goewey & Co. continue to advertise in several newspapers that they are the sole proprietors and have for sale Pipifax Bitters until March of 1875 when all mention of the company and the product stops.

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Shaeffer, Walters & Co. sell entire stock of Pipifax Bitters to J. M. Goewey & Co. – Sacramento Daily Union, 14 October 1872

I do see later advertisements for Pipifax Bitters that go all they way up to 1891 where Sroufe and McCrum were selling Pipifax Bitters at 208 Market street in San Francisco. The bitters was also sold in Montana, Hawaii, Arizona and Victoria, B.C. besides California. This was a bitters for miners and prospectors.

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Pipifax advertisement in Montana – Bozeman Avant Courier, November 21, 1872

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Pipifax advertisement in San Francisco – San Francisco Chronicle, September, 24 1873

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Pipifax advertisement in Montana – The New North-West (Deer Lodge, Montana), October 04, 1873

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50 Cases of Pipifax Bitters arriving on the Charlotte Clarke – Daily British Colonist, (Victoria, B.C.) October 11, 1873

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Pipifax advertisement in Arizona – The Weekly Arizona Miner, November 08, 1873

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Lots of these Pipifax advertisements in Los Angeles – Los Angeles Daily Herald, July 03, 1874

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Pipifax Bitters being sold in Hawaii – The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, October 06, 1877

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The latest Pipifax Bitters advertisement – Arizona Silver Belt, August 20, 1887

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Bottle Shows, Collectors & Collections, History, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forbes Visit, off the Pacific Coast of Big Sur

Posted on 11 April 2014 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Forbes Visit, off the Pacific Coast of Big Sur

Light, Reflection & Shadow

11 April 2014

Apple-Touch-IconAMy last hurrah and setting sun from my magnificent and recent west coast bottle trip was saved for last when I visited my good friends, Jerry and Helen Forbes in Big Sur, California. As far as endurance and accessibility, we had to travel miles up winding dirt roads in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, into the mountains, and off the Pacific coast of Big Sur. Coming from Carmel, it was an exciting ride along US 101/Highway 1, with the steep, dark cliffs juxtaposing nicely with the crashing teal waves. Next it was passing thru a winding, thin road framed by towering redwood trees and rushing brooks. I felt like I was in some type of enchanted land that only occurs in my imagination and movies.

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Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur, California

You see, Jerry and Helen work in Carmel, California and trek daily to their treehouse retreat home that they painstakingly and lovingly built, room by room, over the past thirty or so years. Way off the beaten path, I was able to visit with the Forbes after the Morro Bay bottle show put on by the San Luis Obispo Bottle Society. Read: 2014 Morro Bay Bottle Show. I was also able to look at some incredible bottles and see some amazing things. Their daily commute back and forth to work is breathtaking to say the least.

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Sur Man keeps a watch over the property and approaching road.

You know when you are finally getting close to the Forbes compound when you are greated by this gigantic wood carving of Sur Man who greets you on the last leg of the drive to the concealed house. Anchored in stone, this sculpture was torn from the footing in a recent storm.

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Forbes House, totally hidden by nature and perched on the side of a mountain.

The first bottle I touched was a local wine. We toasted on a deck that Jerry built overlooking the mountain passes and the Pacific ocean.

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Jerry and Helen and their Min Pin, Cutter. The deck overhangs a hill and your view is the Pacific ocean.

Jerry is kind of a Renaissance Man. He knows just about everything, he has been everywhere, can fix and build things, loves music and has seen just about every great performer ever known, such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd etc.; some numerous times. Jerry was actually a musician at one time and their son Aron, who is getting married within the month, is an accomplished, globe trotting musician based out of Los Angeles.

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A younger Jerry Forbes. Guitar case open for bottle money I suppose.

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Aron Forbes – chip off the ole’ block

Staying at the Forbes tree house for a few nights is like being at a jungle spa or mountain retreat. No cell service, intermittent internet, comfortable surroundings and the influx of nature dominate every setting and emotion. Even a simple plate of cheese and fruit is a play on light, reflection and shadow.

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Wine and cheese, light and shadow

A rather nice Drakes Plantation Bitters takes on a special meaning when hit from a burst of Pacific setting, mountain sun.

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A carefully handled Drake’s Plantation Bitters is rotated in late afternoon sun.

When I was led to my guest room on the second floor of the house, I unpacked and let my eyes rest on some incredible bottles. What a way to relax and be stunned at the same time.

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Guest room window full of great historical flasks, bitters barrels and squares, whiskey barrels and spirit cylinders.

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Four gorgeous National Bitters (figural ear of corns) and a legendary green Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters.

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Three, pint, historical eagle flasks dance in the afternoon sun

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Four Drake’s Plantation Bitters in stunning colors.

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Whiskey cylinders and a Chalmer’s Catawba Wine Bitters

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Variety of figural bitters barrels.

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More bitters barrels compete for your attention.

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My favorite, Old Sachem Bitters and Wig Wam Tonic barrels flanking an un-embossed blue barrel that Jerry got at the 2006 FOHBC Memphis National.

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Two London Jockey Clubhouse Gins on the left and three Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters next to a green Hostetters Stomach Bitters.

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Three Fish Bitters, a Binninger cannon and a Dr. Henley’s IXL Bitters

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From left to right, the killer greenish I. Nelson’s Bourbon barrel from Maysville, Kentucky, Fitzpatrick whiskey corn, figural whiskey corn, two Roback’s Bitters and a cobalt U.S.A. Hospital bottle.

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Looking up at some indian queen figurals, Dr. Wonser’s Indian Root Bitters, Ta Tsing (chinaman) Bitters and other classic bitters.

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Cathedral Pickles compete with shadows and sunlight.

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Cabinet of some great bottles. Shadows and reflections.

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Dark rooms, bright light and bottles.

As exciting as the bottles were, I have to admit, I had just as much fun and enjoyed walking around the house and property taking pictures of little settings that were positioned to make you stop and admire. Again, the light play, nature and the surprise of finding objects in rooms and along pathways was an adventure. I even had time to take a long run with Cutter, my barking buddy.

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Stained glass in breakfast nook.

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Various varieties of moss growing on support trees for the house look like a miniature forest.

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The details of an intricately carved knife blade catches some sun. According to Jerry, “The knife is from the Gold Rush era and was a gift to the Captain of the barge Helen from his crew”.

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A small Mexican Mustang Liniment sitting lonely in some garden plants.

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What?, a labeled Greeley’s Bourbon Whiskey Bitters barrel protected in a velvet lined case?

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Stone bull with old beer bottle positioned along path leading to the house.

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Probably the nicest Success to the Railroad historical flasks I have ever seen.

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One of Aron’s childhood toys is left for memories next to a super carved Indian Mortar & Pestal.

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Two wicked pontils on the bottoms of Dr. Townsend bottles.

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The property had quite a number of tools that had seen better days. Left in their position of last use begs for a story.

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The color on this handled flask is a blood red as it gets. What detail and embossing. The glass character is off the chart.

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Just some old common bottles getting some sun.

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Nice little Jade plant looking for some sun.

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Nice memory bottles and glass on a dresser.

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My toast to you Mr. & Mrs. Forbes. I’ll be back with Elizabeth and Coco.

Posted in Advice, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Color Runs, Display, Photography, Windows | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments