Dr. Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla – New York

Posted on 7 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V
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The large, 2 quart, blue Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla (right) next to a Bryant’s Stomach Bitters cone – Bill Ham Collection

DR. WYNKOOP’S SARSAPARILLA

New York

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The four blue bottles and the far left, green bottle are all Dr. Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla bottes – John Feldmann Collection

Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla

Wynkoop’s Tonic Mixture Warranted to Cure Fever and Ague

Wynkoop’s Iceland Pectoral

Lyon’s Kathairon

07 October 2013 (R•031619)

Apple-Touch-IconAWith the recent posts on the New York ‘big bottle’ sasparallia’s (Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo and Sands’ Sarsaparilla), I though it might be nice to follow up on a post for the well known, Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla. So, who was this Wynkoop? Much has been written on the brand but alas, it seems a bit dated and unconnected. Maybe I can tie it together a bit.

What kind of pleasure could a writer set down to compose a panegyric while he was swallowing ‘Wynkoop’s Infallible Cure for the Fever and Ague’ having the hair removed from his chin by ‘Gouraud’s Incomparable Cream,’ while it was made to grow upon his head by the use of ‘Beal’s Never-failing Restorative,’ at the same moment drenching himself with ‘Sand’s Sarsaparilla,’ and submitting to the effect of ‘Comstock’s Certain Pain Extractor.’ Would any human being under such varied torments be disposed to speak well of any one thing while he was living martyr to the application of so many at the same time! No; flesh and blood could not stand it, and he would condemn the whole en masse, while he wished the inventors at the bottom of the sea.

The Knickerbocker (magazine) – 1847

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Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla advertisement. The image in the center depicts “The Soldier’s Dream of Home,” a common image in the 19th century that pictorialized the poem “The Solider’s Dream” by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell. – circa 1848

Wynkoop is a Dutch name. Some of the earliest American settlers, in as early as 1639, came from the Netherlands including Pieter Wynkoop (1638), Cornelies Evertsz Wynkoop, who settled in New Netherlands in 1651 and Carnelius Wynkoop, who landed in New York in 1658. During the 18th century, the Wynkoop settlers included Dirck Wynkoop, aged 47, arrived in New York in 1746 and Henry Wynkoop, who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1777.

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Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla advertisement – Syracuse, NY Daily Journal 1850

The Wynkoop of sarsaparilla fame was Robert Dunbar Wyncoop who was born on August 1, 1811 in Albany, New York. His father was James Wynkoop who was born in March 1769. He was the youngest son of Jacobus and Alida Myers Wynkoop. Due to wartime exigencies, his family moved from New York to Kingston and finally settled in Albany by the 1780s. Jacobus Wynkoop’s house was located near the waterfront in the third ward. In February 1791, James married North End neighbor Catalina (Catherine) Dunbar at the Albany Dutch church. By 1811, the marriage had produced five children.

In November 1794, the Albany Gazette noted that James Wynkoop was a grocer located at 21 Market Street. Two years later, he was identified as a fireman. In 1799, his personal property was valued under a third ward household. Beginning in 1800, he was identified on the census as the head of a household located where his father had been a decade earlier. By 1813, he had moved to the first ward where city directories identified him as a merchant living on South Market Street. James Wynkoop was dead in 1821, when his widow was identified as the householder on South Market Street. Wynkoop’s will passed probate in Albany County in February 1821. His widow survived until 1838.

Robert Dunbar Wynkoop the last of five children (James, John Henruy, Sarah, William & Robet Dunbar). Wynkoop was married to Almira Augusta Rollins (born February 24, 1816, died January 5, 1870, daughter of George and Catharine (Dolan), on 30 December 1840 in New York City. Three of their six children died early. Catherine Rollins Wynkoop, daughter (born 07 June 1845; died 11 March 1850), age 4 yrs., 9 months, died of scarlet fever. Their son, Augustus B. Wynkoop (born 12 March 1850), also died of scarlet fever at 2 years, 7 months old. Florence Parker Wynkoop lived to be six years old and died of diphtheria. This left Fannie Elizabeth, Frank Rollins and Helen Augusta Wynkoop.

Robert D. Wynkoop moved, around 1825, from Albany to New York, where he was a member of the firm of Heath, Wynkoop & Co., perfumers (from about 1855 – 1860). It was here that he produced his wonderful Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla. Wynkoop died on April 2, 1869, in Bergen, New Jersey.

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Embossed “HEATH WYNKOOP & CO.” “PERFUMERS” Embossed on both side panels “NEW YORK”. 5.5″ tall.

As noted above, the earliest firm listings in directories state that Wynkoop was a perfumer, which I find interesting. Even his eventual partner Henry Heath and their business, Heath, Wynkoop & Company were listed and advertising as perfumers,

1855 – Heath, Wynkoop & Co., (Henry Heath & Robert D. Wynkoop), 63 Liberty, Trow’s New York City Directory

1856, 1860 – Heath, Wynkoop & Co., perfumers, 63 Liberty, Trow’s New York City Directory

1857, 1859 – Robert D. Wynkoop, perfumer, 63 Liberty, h Bergen, N.J. – New York City Directory 

1859 – Heath, Wynkoop & Co., Perfumers, and proprietors of Lyon’s Kathairon, Lyon’s Indian Hair Dye, 63 Liberty, Trows New York City Directory

1859 – Heath, Wynkoop & Co., The Perfumer, New York, Heath, Wynkoop & Co., 1859-?, Held by: Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.

1860 – Henry Heath, perfumer, 63 Liberty, h 43 W. 15th – Trows New York City Directory

1860 – Wynkoop (refused), perfumer, 63 Liberty, – Trows New York City Directory

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Heath, Wynkoop & Co. Pefumers advertisement – Hall’s Journal of Health – 1860

According to Dr. Richard Cannon, Robert D. Wynkoop received his training as a physician with his father in Albany, New York. He then established a medicinal laboratory and sales outlet in New York City in the 1840s. Wynkoop copyrighted the words “Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla” on November 16, 1847. Sometime in the late 1850s, the firm was billed as Health, Wynkoop & Co. located at 63 Liberty Street, New York.

Katharismic was probably derived from the Greek word “Kathra” or “Kathario” meaning to cleanse, purify, or restore. Other products included Wynkoop’s Fever and Ague Cure, another great cobalt pontiled bottle, Wynkoop’s Iceland Pectoral, and Lyon’s Kathairon, probably from the same Greek word. Wynkoop sold his products to Demas Barnes and John Park about 1858. However, even in 1896, someone was putting out a Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla according to the Peter Van Schaak’s Price Current & Illustrated Catalogue.

Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla

Embossed Dr. Wynkoop’s/Katharismic Honduras/Sarsaparilla on the front panel and New York on the side panel and varying in height from 9 7/8″ to 10 1/4″. These rectangular bottles are crude and often embossed lightly. Some have a double strike effect. These bottles occur with an open pontil, iron pontil, and a smooth base. A broken one was found with ‘Katharismic’ spelled ‘Kathmerithic’. A recently discovered variant is a 9 1/2″ tall, rectangular, cobalt, open pontiled bottle with a double ring collar rather than the usual single band tapered collar, embossed Dr. Wynkoop’s/Balsamic Honduras/Sarsaparilla on the front, and New York, on the side. Dr. Ira Baker’s / Honduras / Sarsaparilla, 10 1/2″ tall, smooth base, aqua. The variant embossed Wynkoop’s/Katharismic/Sarsaparilla/New York on the front is 9 5/8″ tall, rectangular, cobalt, and has an iron pontil. There is a sapphire blue variant the same height, with an iron pontil, embossed Wynkoop’s/Katharismic/Sarsaparilla on the front and New York on the side.

The “giant variant” is a most impressive bottle! It’s 12 3/4″ tall, rectangular, cobalt with an open pontil and embossed Wynkoop’s/Sarsaparilla/For The Blood/1/2 Gallon New York, all on the front panel.

Left: WYNKOOP'S / KATHARISMIC / SARSAPARILLA / NEW YORK. Right: WYNKOOP'S / KATHARISMIC HONDURAS / SARSAPARILLA. – Charles April

Left: WYNKOOP’S / KATHARISMIC / SARSAPARILLA / NEW YORK. Right: WYNKOOP’S / KATHARISMIC HONDURAS / SARSAPARILLA – Charles and Jane Aprill Collection

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DR. WYNKOOP’S KATHARISMIC HONDURAS SARSAPARILLA, NEW YORK, New York, circa 1845 to 1860, medium emerald green, pontil scarred base, applied tapered collar mouth. Currently this is one of only two known examples in this color, all others being in cobalt blue.

Wynkoop’s Tonic Mixture Warranted to Cure Fever and Ague

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Open pontil, Wynkoop & Cos. Tonic Mixture Warranted to Cure Fever & Ague New York in a medium cobalt blue.

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Partially labeled Wynkoop’s Tonic Mixture Warranted to Cure Fever & Ague New York – American Bottle Auctions

“WYNKOOP & CO’S / TONIC MIXTURE / NEW YORK. – WARRANTED TO CURE – FEVER & AGUE”, (Odell, pg. 264), New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, cobalt blue, 6 3/4”h, open pontil, applied tapered collar mouth, 60% original label in part reads: ‘Wynkoop’s Fever and Ague Exterminator’. Deep blue color, huge open pontil, pristine perfect condition. If you are looking for the ultimate example of this bottle, this is the one you want! $8,500 – Glass Works Auctions – Special Direct Sale

“WYNKOOP & CO’S / TONIC MIXTURE / NEW YORK. – WARRANTED TO CURE – FEVER & AGUE”, (Odell, pg. 264), New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, cobalt blue, 6 3/4”h, open pontil, applied tapered collar mouth, 60% original label in part reads: ‘Wynkoop’s Fever and Ague Exterminator’. Deep blue color, huge open pontil, pristine perfect condition. If you are looking for the ultimate example of this bottle, this is the one you want! $8,500 – Glass Works Auctions – Special Direct Sale

Wynkoop’s Iceland Pectoral

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Wynkoop’s Iceland Pectoral New York

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c1860s Wynkoop’s Iceland Pectoral New York, N.Y. , Cork Top Aqua Medicine Bottle – ebay

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Wynkoop’s The Iceland Pectoral advertisement – Daily Alta California, 26 January 1860

Lyon’s Kathairon

[from HairRaisingStories] Lyon’s Kathairon was the product of Emanuel Thomas Lyon starting around 1850. An advertisement in 1853 indicated that his business was at 161 Broadway, New York City. This was the same address the business was at when Demas Barnes was the Proprietor. An advertisement in 1873 indicated he (they) had over 30 years experience. It was sold by Demas Barnes & Co. during that time – he worked for them. Later, Heath, Wyncoop & Co. took over proprietorship (1859). The Lyon Mfg Co. registered the brand name “Kathairon” as a Trade Mark in 1893. The Proprietors at that time said that the brand name had been in use since 1850. Lyon’s Kathairon was still listed for sale at least as late as 1906.

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Lyon’s Kathairon for the Skin and Hair, one of the many hair tonic bottles recovered from the wreck of the SS Republic, was advertised as a cure for baldness and gray hair. – Odyssey Marine Explorarion

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Heath, Wynkoop & Co., advertisement for Lyon’s Kathairon – Hair Raising Stories

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Lyon’s Kathairon advertisement, Heath, Wynkoop & Co. – California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, July 24, 1857

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Standard American Medicines for sale, Aickin Dispersing Chemist, Auckland –  Auckland Star, 24 December 1877

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Dr. Wynkoop’s Wild Wind Sarsaparilla Tin Metal Sign Reproduction

Posted in Advertising, Collectors & Collections, Hair Tonics, History, Medicines & Cures, Perfume, Questions, Sarsaparilla, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sands’ Sarsaparilla – New York

Posted on 6 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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SANDS’ SARSAPARILLA

ABRAHAM B. SANDS & CO.

CHEMISTS & APOTHECARIES

GRANITE BUILDINGS

273 BROADWAY, CORNER OF CHAMBER STREET,

NEW YORK

06 October 2013 (R•032514) (R•042219)

Apple-Touch-IconAWhile working on the Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo post, I came across another brand of sarsaparilla that was a direct competitor of Masury.

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The Sands brothers (Abraham, David & William) established their business at 100 Futon Street in the prominent Granite Buildings (pictured above) in New York City around 1835. Their Sands’ Sarsaparilla was first introduced at this time and was one of the many 19th-century patent medicines to emerge on the market as a sure cure for any and all afflictions.

Also constantly for sale, fresh Imported Swedish and German Leeches, received direct from Europe, and of our importation. They will be re-packed in the safe manner in which they are imported, so as to be sent to any part of the United States or Canada with perfect safety.

Listed then as Chemists and Apothecaries, they soon would become one of New York’s largest drug wholesalers. They were selling everything under the sun including medicines, perfumes, brushes, fancy articles, medicine chests, syrups for soda water, imported leeches and Saratoga waters from the springs of Congress, Union, Iodine and Pavilion.

Physicians’ Prescriptions, Family Medicines, Medicine Chests for Ships, Families, and Plantations, put up with the greatest care, accuracy, and neatness. Medicines put up at any hour of the night, by a competent person.

Abraham opened his first retail drug store sometime around 1840. In 1842 he expanded his horizons and opened a wholesale store at another location installing his brother David in the original retail store. By 1843, Sands has published a pamphlet (see further below) on the curative properties of their sarsaparilla product.

By 1851, David retired and was replaced by his brother William and the firm was listed as A. B. Sands & Co. They were advertising regularly in national newspapers (see further below).

After 1851, Sands & Co. became primarily a wholesale drug operation. Sands produced other products (Sand’s’ Remedy of Salt Rheum., Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium, Roman Eye Balsam, Clove Anodyne Toothache Drops, Horehound Cough Syrup and Liquid Opeldoc) but his sarsaparilla was by far his best seller. Now A. B. & D. Sands & Co., they continued in business until 1875 when the company was dissolved and sold to Schieffelin & Co.

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A. B. & D. Sands Wholesale Druggists, advertisement – W.W. Reilly & Co.’s Ohio State Business Directory … for 1854-5

You might think that sarsaparilla would be made from extract of the sarsaparilla plant, a tropical vine distantly related to the lily, but you’d be wrong. It was originally made (artificial flavors have taken over now, of course) from a blend of birch oil and sassafras, the dried root bark of the sassafras tree. Sassafras was widely used as a home remedy in the nineteenth century — taken in sufficient doses, it induces sweating, which some people thought was a good thing. Sarsaparilla apparently made its debut as a patent medicine, an easy-to-take form of sassafras, much as Coca-Cola was first marketed in 1885 as a remedy for hangovers and headaches. – Cecil Adams

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Sands’ Sarsaparilla advertisement – 1852 New York City Directory

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B.A. Fahnestock & Co., New York advertisement for A. B. & D. Sands & Co. Wholesale Druggists an an advertisement for Sands’ Sarsaparilla – New York, 1857

Using possibly the largest newspaper advertisement bottle image, Sands’ Sarsaparilla in Quart Bottles for Purifying the Blood – The Summit County Beacon, Wednesday, February 12, 1851

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Advertisement for Sands’ Sarsaparilla New York – Utica NY Oneida Morning Herald – 1850

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Pictured at left is a copy of a Sand’s Sarsaparilla advertisement. The second variant of the Sand’s bottle, on the right side of the ad, is being filled with the sarsaparilla product. Sand’s sarsaparilla was “The Very Best Remedy for Purifying the Blood” – Western Bitters News

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Abraham B. Sands’s Sarsaparilla, Patent Medicine certificate – December 18, 1843

[Read Pamphlet Below]

Facts in relation to important cures effected by the use of Sand

Cover – Facts in relation to important cures effected by the use of Sands’ Sarsaparilla (1843)

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Inside page – Facts in relation to important cures effected by the use of Sands’ Sarsaparilla (1843)

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Back cover – Facts in relation to important cures effected by the use of Sands’ Sarsaparilla (1843)

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Truly amazing that Sands’ Sarsaparilla cured the deformity of this mans nose! – Facts in relation to important cures effected by the use of Sands’ Sarsaparilla (1843)

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Sands’ Sarsaparilla advertisement – The Gleaner – December 15, 1846

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Sands’ Sarsaparilla advertisement – The Hunter (San Francisco) – Saturday, July 15 1860

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Pictured at left is the earliest example of the Sands Sarsaparilla. It has widely beveled corners and is embossed on three panels SANDS SARSAPARILLA NEW YORK. The Sand’s Sarsaparilla was distributed throughout the Sierra County gold rush country. Open pontil examples of the Sand’s have been found in the settlements of Chaparral Hill, Excelsior and Monte Cristo. These bottles are considered very scarce but as with all gold rush era bottles are highly collectable. The Sand’s that I have examined, that were recovered from Sierra County, are usually pretty crude, highly whittled and usually come out of the ground without mineral staining. Pictured at right is the later variant of the Sands bottle that was produced sometime after 1858. It still has a pontil base, but is a larger size, different shape, and has “GENUINE” embossed on one panel. One whole example of the second variant of the Sands was recovered from the gold rush settlement of Excelsior in the early 1990’s. Two examples were recovered from Plum Valley and another mint example was un-earthed at Brandy City by a Nevada City digger. Numerous broken examples have been found at Monte Cristo, Poker Flat, Chaparral Hill and Rattlesnake. This variant of the Sands is considered more common than the earlier example with the widely beveled corners but is still a scarce and collectable gold rush bottle. – Western Bitters News

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Four rectangular, aquamarine bottles retrieved from the Jacksonville “Blue China” wreck site are embossed with the company and product name, SANDS’S SARSAPARILLA // NEW YORK. The four examples are believed to be the earliest variant of the product introduced by Abraham B. and David Sands. – Odyssey’s Virtual Museum

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Pontiled, Aqua SANDS // SARSAPARILLA // NEW YORK, 6 1/8” – Vermont Medicines

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Blueish aqua, iron pontiled Sands’ Sarsaparilla – ebay

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Blueish aqua, iron pontiled Sands’ Sarsaparilla – ebay

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Aqua, open pontil Sands’ Sarsaparilla – ebay

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A “SANDS SARSAPARILLA/GENUINE/NEW YORK” with an iron pontil. This came from an archaeological excavation in Visalia, California. This site dated to 1850s to 1860s. Our crew removed the wooden floor of the existing structure and exposed a number of intact refuse deposits. The property had been used historically as a beer garden, music shop and saddle maker, etc. Found this bottle in about 30 pieces. – DSMc

Posted in Advertising, Apothecary, Druggist & Drugstore, History, Medicines & Cures, Remedy, Sarsaparilla | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo

Posted on 5 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

05 October 2013 (Rev•101113) (Rev•101213) (Rev•101613)

Apple-Touch-IconAA number of us bitters collectors have sarsaparilla bottles in our collection and of course there are others that specialize in collecting sarsaparilla. Up on ebay now is a killer bottle that really caught my attention. I suppose the raw beauty of the pictures grabbed my attention first and I had not heard of Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla before. This bottle size is actually 2 quarts!

THE LARGEST BOTTLE IN THE WORLD

ONE DOLLAR

Recently I did a series of bitters posts with brands with “WAHOO” in the name. Notice that the advertisement below tags on “WAU-A-HOO” to the sarsparilla name. The ebay listing is as follows:

Super Rare “MASURY’S SARSAPARILLA COMPOUND / J.T. HAWK’S ” Crude & Awesome!

For your consideration is a super rare applied top aqua “Masury’s Sarsaparilla Compound / J. & T. Hawk’s / Rochester N.Y.” in three fancy indented panels. This bottle will make a huge presence on any shelf! Standing just over 11 1/2″ tall by almost 4 3/8″ wide, and 2 1/2″ deep, this example is purely hammered with whittle. Excellent crudeness, just look at the twisted neck and huge gloppy top. I hate to part with this one, but it’s time it found a new home. This is likely not a dug bottle, clean and super nice condition. The word “sarsaparilla” is a little light, but easily readable. No chips, cracks, dings, or distracting stain. Please see pictures for full description Bid with confidence, you may not see this bottle or an example this nice again. You will not be disappointed in this bottle. – bottledave2002 (100% Positive Feedback)

The iron pontiled blue ones are even nicer!! One whole one that I know of. I have seen 3 or 4 of the aqua ones. You can see from the comparison to the Wisharts, it is a BIG bottle!

Mark Yates

Masury2Quart[From Matts Collectibles Antique Medicines]

Around 1850 there was a lot of competition between sarsaparilla compound medicine makers. Two of the biggest selling products were A B & D Sand’s Sarsaparilla and Masury’s Sarsaparilla. These companies were always looking for gimmicks to help peddle thier nostrums. One successful approach was to offer a larger bottle for the same money. The customer would feel like they were getting a real deal while there would be little increased cost in manufacturing.

Both medicines sold in massive quart bottles and their advertising emphasized the volume deal. The proprietors of Masury’s Sarsaparilla, J & T Hawks of Rochester, decided to go for broke and they produced the product in an enormous two quart bottle which they claimed was the largest in the world. Apparently customers were not enthralled with this huge bottle and a relatively few seemed to have sold. It may have just been too big to haul home from the market or the manufacturing cost may have caught up with them.

The 1850 advertisement indicates the medicine price was $1.00, quite a lot of money in at the time. Note near the bottle the claim “The Largest Bottle in the World”

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Pontiled, blue, MASURY’S SARSAPARILLA CATHARTIC – According to Robert Hinely, sold on ebay a few years back for $17,500

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Pontiled MASURY’S SARSAPARILLA CATHARTIC

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Large size. Dug, broken and re-assembled J T HAWKS MASURY’S SARSAPARILLA COMPOUND.

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J HAWK’S… Stoneware Jug – Image source unknown

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Advertisement for Masury’s Sarsaparilla Compound and Sarsaparilla and Cathartic – The Canada Directory – 1851

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Advertisement for Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo – Utica NY Oneida Morning Herald – 1850

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Advertisement for Masury’s Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla and Wau-A-Hoo – Utica NY Oneida Morning Herald – 1850

Some other Big Sarsaparilla Bottles: Sands’ Sarsaparilla

Read: Sands’ Sarsaparilla – New York

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Advertisement for Sands’ Sarsaparilla New York – Utica NY Oneida Morning Herald – 1850

Some other Big Sarsaparilla Bottles: Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla

Read: Dr. Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla – New York

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Half gallon Dr. Wynkoop’s Sarsaparilla next to the tall Bryant’s Stomach Bitters cone – Bill Ham Collection

Posted in Advertising, eBay, History, Medicines & Cures, Sarsaparilla, Stoneware | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canteen Bitters – John Hart & Co. – Lancaster PA

Posted on 4 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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CANTEEN BITTERS

JOHN HART & CO. – LANCASTER PA

FOR ALL DISORDERS OF THE STOMACH

04 October 2013 (R•100915) (R•123120)

Scarcely a man was there who had not his canteen full; the most of the boys had already become inebriated, and were making an unwarrantable amount of noise. . . Before the close of that eventful day there may possibly have been ten sober men remaining in the regiment; but I doubt it.

The Pennsylvania Reserves at Manassas: A Drunken State of Mind

Apple-Touch-IconAI have not thought about my Canteen Bitters (pictured above) from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in a number of years. It was only when I started receiving e-mails and facebook prompts alerting me to a nice example showing up and eventually being put on sale on ebay, that I decided to do a post. What a great bottle and color.

Canteen is such an interesting name. John Hart & Co. put out this brand along with the rather well known, figural heart bottle (pictured below). I am kind of surprised he did not do a similar canteen figural bottle. He did have Trade-Mark 7111 – Bitters – filed by Hart & Myers, Lancaster, Pa. dated 11 March 1879 for “the figure of a canteen and the word-symbol ‘Canteen.’ I can not locate this art but I bet it is pretty cool.

Read: Historical Canteens – Canteen Figural Bottles

My Canteen Bitters example came from the Roger Long collection and prior to that, the Chris Batdorff collection. I actually made a trip up to Pennsylvania to see the Long collection prior to auction.CanteenExLongBatdorff

Likewise, a few Bucktails pried open a boxcar and discovered about a dozen bottles of whiskey that were intended for use by the Pennsylvania Reserves’ medical director. The story, unfortunately, had a less than happy ending. The Bucktails began to drink from other bottles in the stash. A soldier tried to warn his companions that what they were drinking was “no bitters at all,” but they continued to imbibe. The bottles actually contained laudanum, and two men died the next day from ingesting the bitter-tasting narcotic.

The Pennsylvania Reserves at Manassas: A Drunken State of Mind

The example on ebay was titled and described:

Ultra Rare Antique CANTEEN BITTERS bottle, John Hart & Co., Lancaster, PA, Deep Green. Estate Fresh from Lancaster, PA, Circa 1860’s to 1870’s, Size: 9 13/16″ tall, 3 3/8″ across the base, corner to corner, Great Color! Lockwood green, Smooth Base, Long Tapered Collar with a ring beneath, applied, Nice clean pressing, Retains an old, possibly original cork stopper, No cracks. Has a chip on the lip of the collar, about 1/4″ long, and 3/16″ wide; a small chip/bruise on the base approx 1/8″ X 1/8″. tje497 (99.5% Positive feedback)

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The listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 3:

C 34 CANTEEN BITTERS / FOR ALL DISORDERS OF THE STOMACH // JOHN HART & CO / LANCASTER PA // CANTEEN BITTERS FOR ALL DISORDERS OF THE STOMACH // f //
9 7/8 x 2 ¾ (7 ¼) 5/8
Square, LTCR, Applied mouth, Blue-green, Emerald: Scarce, Pale green, Amber, Extremely rare
Trade-Mark No. 7,100, Registered March 11, 1879, to John Hart and Abraham A. Myers, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Our trade-mark consists of the word “Canteen Bitters” with a stack of four muskets, and a canteen suspended by a strap from the top of the interlocking bayonets. On the face of said canteen are the letters “Canteen Bitters” and beneath it are two knapsacks, and the whole has been inclosed (sic) within an ornamental border.
See C 34 in Bitters Bottles and s2C 34, corrected spelling and trade mark info update.

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John Hart & Co. Canteen Bitters, Lancaster, PA, Green Bottle that reads, “Canteen Bitters for all Disorders of the Stomach, John Hart & Co., Lancaster, PA.” 9 1/2 .” Condition: Very Fine. Ex: Nolt Collection – Conestoga Auctions

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Very Rare John Hart & Co. Canteen Bitters, Lancaster, PA. Possibly unique Amber Bottle (Identical to Green Bottle) that reads, “Canteen Bitters for all Disorders of the Stomach. John Hart & Co., Lancaster, PA.” 9 1/2.” (Note: This RARE variety is the ONLY one known to date.) Condition: Fine. Ex: Nolt Collection – Conestoga Auctions

C34_CanteenBitters)

John Hart & Co. Canteen Bitters, Lancaster, PA., Ex: Roger Long collection and prior to that, the Chris Batdorff collection – Meyer Collection

Trade-Mark No. 7,100, Registered March 11, 1879, to John Hart and Abraham A. Myers, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Our trade-mark consists of the word “Canteen Bitters” with a stack of four muskets, and a canteen suspended by a strap from the top of the interlocking bayonets. On the face of said canteen are the letters “Canteen Bitters” and beneath it are two knapsacks, and the whole has been inclosed (sic) within an ornamental border.

John Hart

Most information supports John Hart being born in Pennsylvania about 1837 and being the son of immigrants from Baden, Germany. He was married to Elizabeth Atkinson. In the 1860 Federal Census, he was listed as a barber in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. An 1868 advertisement says Prof. John Hart. The 1870 census lists him as the “Manuf. of Hair Restorer.” An 1879-80 Lancaster Directory lists Hart (Professor of Elocution) as a manufacturer of Canteen Bitters and Neufeld’s Italian Balm (Francis L. Neufeld, Pastor). Address 111. S. Queen. During this period, his partner was Abraham A. Myers. I believe this bitters was only put out for a short duration of time, possibly only in 1879 and 1880. Very few examples are know. I suspect the Scarce rating may be a bit to wide.

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Hart listings in the 1879-80 Lancaster City Directory

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Canteen Bitters – Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office – 1879

Heart&MyersListing

Label registration for John Hart and Abraham A. Myers for Neufeld’s Italian Balm – 1877

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Neufeld’s Italian Balm advertisement – 1868

FATHER NEUFELD’S ITALIAN BALM

The Greatest Remedy in tbe World for CHOLERA MORBUS, DYSENTERY, DiARRHCEA, COLIC, STOMACH CRAMPS, RHEUMATISM, HEADACHE, NEURALGIA, TOOTHACHE. PAINS IN THE LIMBS, BRUISES, CUTS, SPRAINS, BURNS, SCALDS, Etc., Etc.

Rev. Francis L. Neufeld, M. D., the discoverer of this wonderful Remedy, is Pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Lancaster City, Pa. He discovered the Italian Balm a number of years ago, but only manufactured it on a small scale for the use of his parishioners and neighbors. Its fame, however, spread with astonishing rapidity, and the demand for it be-came so pressing that Father Neufeld concluded to transfer it to the hands of a responsible person, who would present it to the public in a uniform manner, at a reasonable price.

To WHOM IT MAT CONCERN: This Is to Certify that I have this day transferred to Prof. John Hart all right, title and interest in the Balm originally prepared by me, and known as Neufeld’s Italian Balm. The Balm will be manufactured with the same care, and according to the original recipe. Prof. Hart having received from me personal instructions in its preparation.

FRANCIS L. NEUFELD

Lancaster, Pa., July 1st, 1868.

Ask for Neufeld’s Italian Balm, and take no other. If your druggist does not keep it, he will send and get it for you. All orders shall be addressed to:

JOHN HART & CO.

JohnHart&Co_Heart

John Hart & Co. Lancaster, Pa. amber heart shape bottle – Liveauctioneers.com

Posted in Bitters, Civil War, Collectors & Collections, eBay, Figural Bottles, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hilltown Glass Works site in Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1753-1784

Posted on 4 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

HipFlaskCrop

Hilltown Glass Works site in Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1753-1784

by Stephen Atkinson

04 October 2013

The land in Hilltown was mostly taken up by 1720, and was chiefly owned by James Logan, Jeremiah Langhorne, Henry Paxson, probably of Solebury, William Thomas, James Lewis, who died in 1729, John Johnson, Evan Evans, Thomas Morris, Evan Griffith, Lewis Lewis, Bernard Young, John Kelley, Lewis Thomas and Margaret Jones, who died in 1727. There was another Margaret Jones who died in Hilltown in 1807, at the age of ninety-five, who was probably her daughter, leaving one hundred and fifteen living descendants, of whom sixty were in the third and eleven in the fourth generation.

These landowners were probably all residents of the township except Logan, Langhorne and Paxson. The manor of Perkasie occupied from a half to one-third of Hilltown. This section of the country was better known by the name of Perkasie than by any other name down to the time it was organized into town-ships, and was designated Upper and Lower Perkasie, the former referring to what is now Rockhill. The major part of the settlers were Welsh Baptists, and co-workers with William Thomas.

The ship Nancy, captained by Thomas Coatam From Rotterdam, The Netherlands by way of Cowes, arrived in Philadelphia on the 31st of August 1750. On this ship were two men who probably did not know each other but most likely spoke to one another, would go on to establish early colonial glass factories in Eastern Pennsylvania. Below is a partial list of the passengers that were on the ship Nancy:

Johann Georg Musse
Michael Rieder
Andreas Brauer
Michael Jensel
Johannes Schneider
Georg David Schneider
Hans Jerg Kuhner
Christoff Knnodbel
Johann Jacob Canz
Johannes Glaser
Jonas Raub
Friderich Weiss
Wilhelm Gertling
Hans Jerg Beytenman
Johann Jacob Beitenman
Georg Friederigh Beittenman
Johann Friedrich Unrath
Johann Friedrich Unrath
Heinrich Behringer
Heinrich Behringer
Jerg Heinrich Lutz
Jerg Heinrich Lutz
Georg Wilhelm Marx
Johann Georg Marx
Heinrich Wilhelm Stiegel

Johann Georg Musse was brought to the colonies specifically to begin a glass works in Bucks County to serve the growing number of German inhabitants in the area. The glass works brought needed employment and allowed other industries to begin to prosper as well. The glass works were completed in the fall of 1752 and the first blow was in January of 1753. Unfortunately, George Musse the old glassblower, died on June 21, 1760 as it was recorded in the old church records of the Tohickon Union Church which was founded in 1749 by German Lutherans. On February 1st, 1755, in a Stowers German newspaper, a reference is made to Johannes Bohn and George Heyl that they are working at the glass house in Bucks County.

The glass works property was purchased by Frederick Kern and the glass house continued to operate by a new partnership which consisted of Jacob Barge, Jacob Reno, James White and Jacob Morgan as they advertised for broken flint glass in 1765 on numerous dates in the Pennsylvania Chronicle Advertiser newspaper. Jacob Barge states that they had established a new flint glass works. These English and Welsh gentleman ran the glass works in the typical English style which would explain why some of the glass shards and cullet found at the site looked more English in make then the German style which was also found at the site. These gentlemen ran the works quite successfully until 1774 when war broke out between England and the Colonies. The works were also operational during the Revolutionary War, in the middle of the major battles taking place between Philadelphia and New York City.

The glass house was then acquired by another German, Peter Maurer, whose name had been anglicized to Peter Mason. In the August 27, 1776 edition of Henrich Millers Pennyslvanischer Staatsbote Newspaper, one Peter Mason or (Maurer), at the Glass House, Bucks County, advertises that his German servant, Eberhard Meyer, has ran away for the sixth time. Just before the wars end, there is “definite information that there was a glass-house in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania operated by a Lutheran German named Peter Maurer in the period from 1776 to 1784”, Rudolf P. Hommel wrote in the 1940s.

The property where the glass works was located was part of Frederick Kern’s land which was sold to the society of free trade in 1755. The glass found at the factory site was mostly green in various shades. There seemed to be large amounts of shards of case-type square bottles which had outward rolled lips different then their English and Dutch counterparts. Pieces of globular style, large farmer type bottles, were also found with the typical German outward rolled lip like the type seen at Wistarburgh and Stiegels factories.

At the time, there was no mention as to an exact locale of the factory but Rudolf P. Hommel, in 1948, was the first to re-establish the exact location of the factory by interviewing farmers and local residents as to whether or not they were finding glass on their properties.

HilltownGlassWorksMap

The Rudolf P. Hommel map he drew in 1948 showing the location of the old glass factories.

You will see above, a map drawn by Mr. Hommel showing the location of the glass house sites. Notice that there were two locations suggesting more then one factory had been built, which explains the statement by Jacob Barge of him erecting a new flint glass works. Fast forward to 2013, and there exists quite a bit of evidence.

A couple in Bucks County named John and Sue Clauser, bought a rancher on a nice piece of ground on Minsi Trail in Hilltown Twp. They immediately began to find glass about the property and soon after reporting their finds to the local historical commission. It was determined that their property was once the glass house farm and was part of Frederick Kerns original tract. The first factory was located where the Morris Creek bends and turns south.

HilltownAerialMap

An aerial shot from Google Maps showing the glass factory location today and the old church where Georg Musse is buried.

The hip flask below, from my collection, matches a lot of the color of glass shards that have been found at the site. The lip treatment seen on this bottle has also has been found there in great abundance. The bottle will not stand up because of the rounded bottom and was designed to be carried in a holster on the hip. This bottle was found in Perkiomen Creek by two hunters in 1964, just two miles from the glass works.

While I can not prove unequivocally that the bottle came from the Hilltown Glass Works, it does have all the characteristics necessary to make the claim, including the bottle being found just two miles away from the factory site. I have never seen Wistarburgh, Stiegel or Amelung shards resemble any part of this bottle, other then the lip. The bottle is just over 8 inches in length and comes to a rounded point at the bottom, very typical of English design, yet the mouth has a German influenced finish. It could be a hybrid type of bottle representing each nationalities style. Glass fragments with this exact type of bottom were found by Mr. Hommel by a tractor that was plowing the field that used to be the glass factory. This is a very unique bottle in my collection.

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HipFlask2

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Another recent addition to my collection is this medium green colored bowl from the estate of an old time New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania antique dealer Stan Siegel. Stan had this bowl many years and refused to sell. It looks to be made in a large clay bottle mold, and is 6″ x 4″ in diameter. The lip on the bowl rim has been fire polished, which is another German trait in early colonial period glass.

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6200176_orig

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Read more from Stephen Atkinson:

The Providence Flint Glass Company 1831-1834

Caspar Wistar and The Red Rose Rent

The United Glass Company located at Wistarburgh

The Dowesburgh/Albany Glass House 1785-1815

Newburgh (Glass House Co.) 1751-1759

Glass House Farm (Glass House Co) 1758 – 1772

Brooklyn (Glass House Co.) 1754-1758

Check these T. W. Dyott bottles out!

Henry Bolingers Maysville Glass-Works 1814-1825

The New York State Glass Factories

Posted in Article Publications, Blown Glass, Bowls, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding, Early American Glass, Flasks, Glass Companies & Works, Glass Makers, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Old Warwick Aromatic Tonic Bitters – New York

Posted on 3 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

OldWarwickTonicBitters

OLD WARWICK AROMATIC TONIC BITTERS

J. E. WYLIE & CO. – NEW YORK

HEALTHFUL   REFRESHING   STRENGTHENING

03 October 2013 (R•081519)

Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg

Apple-Touch-IconAThe incredible Old Warwick Aromatic Tonic Bitters label pictured at the top of this page was sent in by bitters trade card and ephemera authority Joe Gourd from his collection. The art was produced by the superb New York lithographers, Sarony, Major & Knapp.

Looking in Bitters Bottles, Bitters Bottles Supplement and my draft copy for Supplement 2 from Bill Ham, I see that this is yet another unlisted bitters label from Joe. Read about Tokay Cordial Bitters and Magendie’s Bitters, also affiliated with Sarony, Major & Knapp.

The new listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:

Label Art
O 53.5 OLD WARWICK AROMATIC TONIC BITTERS, Illustration of castle (probably Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England) and wading cows in pond set in crest. Old Warwick Aromatic Tonic Bitters, Healthful, Refreshing, Strengthening, J. E. Wylie & Co., New York, Sole Agents for the United States. Sarony, Major & Knapp, Lithographers, New York.

Checking for information online is fruitless. There are no J. E. Wylie or Old Warwick listings in or around New York, no bottles, no advertising….nothing. Extremely odd. Since Wylie & Co. were Sole Agents for United States we must look across the Atlantic.

OldWarwickTonicBittersDetail

To do this, we analyze the art. Looking at the castle, I suspect that a corner of Warwick Castle is represented in the label illustration.

800px-Warwick_Castle,_the_east_front_by_Canaletto,_1752

Warwick Castle, the East Front from the Outer Court (1752), painted by Canaletto, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham. It is little altered today.

800px-Warwickcastle_Westside

West side of Warwick Castle – Warwickshire, England

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from an original built by William the Conqueror in 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a bend of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. During the Hundred Years War, the facade opposite the town was refortified, resulting in one of the most recognisable examples of 14th century military architecture. It was used as a stronghold until the early 17th century, when it was granted to Sir Fulke Greville by James I in 1604. Sir Fulke Greville converted it to a country house. It was owned by the Greville family, who became earls of Warwick in 1759, until 1978 when it was bought by the Tussauds Group. [Wikipedia]

OldWarwickTonicBittersDetail2

Next we need to look at the coat of arms on the label. Hopefully this will confirm that we are looking in the right place. Close inspection yields a Lion and Unicorn. Dating from 1603, the Lion and the Unicorn are symbols of the United Kingdom. The lion symbolises England and the unicorn represents Scotland. The combination dates back to the 1603 accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne whereupon he was crowned James I. The symbol came to represent the power and authority of the British Crown both at Home and around the world.

LionUnicorn1 LionUnicorn2

At the base of the coat of arms is the phrase Dieu et mon droit. You can not read it on the label, at least with the digital file I have, but I suspect it is there.

DIEU ET MON DROIT

Dieu et mon droit is the motto of the British Monarch in England. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The motto refers to the divine right of the Monarch to govern and is said to have first been used by King Richard the Lionheart as a battle cry and official motto of battle, then adopted as the royal motto of England by King Henry V in the 15th century.

So where are we? We have an unlisted bitters that will need to be catalogued. Probably an import from England or less likely Scotland. On the other hand, maybe it was made and bottled in New York or was just a ‘proof’ for a product that never was made. I guess we will just wait and see until more information is uncovered. This is only the first step.

Posted in Art & Architecture, Bitters, History, Questions, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is Tokay Cordial Bitters?

Posted on 2 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V
TokayCordialBitters

Tokay Cordial Bitters label – Joe Gourd Collection

What is

TOKAY CORDIAL BITTERS?

02 October 2013 (R•03Oct13)

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Apple-Touch-IconABitters trade card and ephemera authority Joe Gourd sent in this gorgeous label image (top of post) for Tokay Cordial Bitters made by Sarony, Major & Knapp, the superb New York lithographers. Folks, this is an unlisted bitters! Unfortunately, I could not find any direct information on this brand. The only clues are the word ‘Tokay’ and the illustration of the Hungarian or Slovakian man with a wine cordial in his hand. I would suspect that there was an importer, probably in New York, marketing and selling this brand.

Tokaj_G_Hoefnagel

Tokaj Hungary – Joris Hoefnagel

According to Wikipedia, Tokay could mean the following:

Tokaji wine (formerly spelled Tokay in English), wines produced in the Tokaj wine region (also Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region or Tokaj-Hegyalja) of Hungary

Tokaj (Slovakia), wine region in South-Eastern Slovakia and wines produced in that region.

Grape varieties:

Muscadelle, called Tokay in Australia

Tocai Friulano or Tocai, another name for Sauvignon vert in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine region in Italy

Tokay d’Alsace, obsolete name for Pinot gris grapes in Alsace. As a temporary measure, Alsace wine produced from Pinot gris was labelled Tokay-Pinot gris

Tokay (grape), an alternative name for the Hungarian wine grape Furmint

Viura, Spanish wine grape with Tokay as a synonym

Catawba (grape), an American grape with Tokay as a synonym

Tokaji_KF

A bottle of Tokaji Aszú 3 Puttonyos

In popular culture

In “His Last Bow” by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is mentioned by the Prussian spymaster Von Bork, employing his persona Altamont, as taking a shine to the drink: “Altamont has a nice taste in wines, and he took a fancy to my Tokay. He is a touchy fellow and needs humouring in small things. I have to study him, I assure you.” Holmes later drinks with Watson and discusses the wine, taken — like the Dalloways’ — from royalty: ‘from Franz Josef’s special cellar at the Schoenbrunn Palace.’

In Chapter 2 of Bram Stoker’s horror novel Dracula, Jonathan Harker describes the first meal served to him by Count Dracula: “The count himself came forward and took off the cover of a dish, and I fell to at once on an excellent roast chicken. This, with some cheese and a salad and a bottle of old tokay, of which I had two glasses, was my supper.”

In Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway, the male guests at the Dalloways’ party drink an “Imperial Tokay” from “the Emperor’s cellars.”

A bottle of “genuine imperial Tokay” plays a prominent part in the Lord Peter Wimsey short story “The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste”, which centers on identifying wines by taste.

In H. Warner Allen’s short story “Tokay of the Comet Year”, a rare Tokay features prominently in a complex plot involving spies and a missing treaty.

Tokaji is referred to in Patrick O’Brian’s The Letter of Marque as shared between Stephen Maturin and Sir Joseph Blaine.

In Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, there is an attempted poisoning by the Master of Jordan College (the novel) or an official of the Magisterium (the film) of one of the major characters, Lord Asriel, via a decanter of Tokaji (spelt ‘Tokay’) in the first chapter. Tokaji is said to be Lord Asriel’s favorite wine.

In Terry Gilliam’s film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, the Baron and the Sultan make a wager over whether the Baron can obtain, from “the imperial cellars at Vienna,” a bottle of Tokaji superior to that proffered by the Sultan.

Sniffing the aromatic essence of Tokaji, as well as its sympathetic effect upon being imbibed, serves as an important and amusing plot device in the 2008 film Dean Spanley, which was based on a novel by Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany.

A ‘Tokay Blanket’ was a term Hobos used (up to the 1940s) in reference to drinking alcohol to stay warm.

Nero Wolfe serves Tokaji Essencia to his assembled guests in Rex Stout’s 1947 mystery story, “Man Alive,” as the story moves toward the identification of the murderer. The story first appeared in the December 1947 issue of The American Magazine, then in Three Doors to Death, a 1950 collection of Nero Wolfe novellas, and finally in 1961’s Nero Wolfe omnibus volume, Five of a Kind.

Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums contains the passage: “Pretty soon we headed into another siding at a small railroad town and I figured I needed a poor-boy of Tokay wine to complete the cold dusk run to Santa Barbara.”

In Alexandre Dumas’s The Queen’s Necklace, the Duke of Richelieu and his butler discuss the arrangements to get one special bottle of Tokaji, which they expect to please the king Gustav III of Sweden at a dinner the Duke is going to host.

In Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera, Tokay is the wine of choice that Erik serves to Christine when they have lunch the day after the night he first abducts her. He proudly tells her that he got the wine himself from the Konigsberg cellars. The Tokay mention is in the chapter “Apollo’s Lyre.”

In Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls, after having had dinner with champagne, Sobakevich and the main Chichikov opted to open a bottle of “the Hungarian,” which “gave them more spirit” and “improved the communication.”

In Traveller (role-playing game), Tokaji Essencia has been reserved for private use of the Imperial family, with black-market prices reaching 1 million credits per bottle.

In Hud, Alma the housekeeper tells Hud, “I don’t drink anything but Tokay wine.”

With a little imagination

One would have to suppose that the wine bottle for this label would have to be tall and graceful to compliment the beauty and verticality of the art. Just when I was imagining the label on a bottle, I get an email from New York collector and digger Andy Goldfrank. The communication read:

Ferd — Interesting post. At home, I do have an 1880s or so hock-ike wine shape in a light yellow with a seal stating “TOKAYER”. When I get home this evening, I can post an image or send it to you as an image via a message. My bottle was found at a mountain house hotel dump, dating 1860s to early 1890s, in the Hudson River Valley near Newburgh, NY. Take care, Andy

Three images that Andy sent:

TokayerTall TokayerDetail Langleys&Tokayer

Now the same images with the label placed on in Photoshop. You have to admit, if this was the bottle or maybe another of similar shape, when filled with a plum colored wine, with the gorgeous label, the seal, applied top, bottle color … that you would have one heck of a finished product!

TokayLabelDropOnArt

TokayLabelDropOnArt2

Posted in Bitters, Cordial, Digging and Finding, Ephemera, History, Questions, Wine & Champagne | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fenner’s Capitol Bitters – Fredonia NY

Posted on 2 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

FennersCapitolDetail_FM5

Fenner’s Capitol Bitters

Fredonia N.Y.

02 October 2013

Apple-Touch-IconAAlways nice to open your e-mails each morning to see what ‘bottle’ surprises’ might be waiting for you. In today’s case it was an e-mail from my Houston bottle friend and Civil War authority James Schmidt with an exciting new piece he obtained relating to Fenner’s Capitol Bitters from Fredonia, New York.

Incidently, this was one of my first bitters bottles purchased at my fathers DELMARVA Bottle Show in September 2002. It was that fateful day that I started collecting bitters bottles! The story is captured in the link below.

Read: Glass Passion and Color Part I : Life Transformation

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Jim Schmidt (right) at one of his Civil War book signing events.

Ferdinand –

Hope this note finds you well…was great to see you at the show in Augist…wish we could meet more often…

Thought you’d enjoy the attached billhead I just added to my collection…1880 receipt for Fenner’s “People’s Remedies” including his “Capitol Bitters” … thought you might like to pair it with a photo of a Capitol Bitters in your collection on the PRG website.

There is a ton of biographical info on Fenner on the web…and a nice Civil War connection – he was a hospital steward with a Michigan regiment.

Enjoy.

All my Best,

Jim Schmidt

Visit Jim’s: Civil War Medicine (and Writing) blog

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Dr. M. M. Fenner People’s Remedies 1880 billhead. Notice the 1 dozen bottles of Capitol Bitters for $8. – James Schmidt Collection

The Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

F 10  FENNER’S CAPITOL BITTERS

f // DR. M. M. FENNER’S // CAPITOL / BITTERS // FREDONIA, N. Y. //
10 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/8 (7 1/2) 1/4
(other various sizes)
Rectangular, Aqua and Clear, LTC, Tooled lip, 3 sp, Scarce

Label: Increases the appetite, warms the stomach, promotes digestion, supports all of the vital functions, cleanses the blood, protests the system against the approach of an epidemic and other forms of diseases at all seasons of the year. It acts as a permanent tonic and invigorant. It is especially valuable in protecting the system against the approach of diseases during periods of exposure infeeble old age, weakly and delicate females, and in convalescence from exhausting diseases. In any of these cases, it is worth its weight in gold.

Morton M. Fenner was born in 1837, the seventh of nine children. He graduated from Medical College in 1860 and served in both the Army and Navy during the war. After the war he established a medical practice in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1869 he moved to Fredonia, New York. Here he prepared both his almanac called People’s Remedies and his medicines. At the time of his death in 1905 he was a very wealthy man with 32 preparations bearing his name.

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Fenner’s Capitol Bitters – Fredonia NY – Meyer Collection

Great Information: Milton Marion Fenner and his times

By Douglas H. Shepard for the Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum, Fredonia, New York, 2009

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Dr. Fenner’s Kidney and Backache Cure advertisement

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M. M. F. (Morton M. Fenner) 5/8c 1901 block of six. The middle two stamps are examples of type 1, the top and bottom two stamps examples of type 2. – 1898 Revenues

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Dr. Fenner’s Cook Book – Etsy

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Capitol Bitters trade card – Frank Wicker

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Capitol Bitters trade card – Frank Wicker

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Labeled Capitol Bitters – Wicker Collection

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Capitol Bitters advertisement – The Sabbath Recorder, June 6, 1878

Read More on Frank Wicker: Wicker Visit – Austin Healey’s and Elephants

Posted in Bitters, Civil War, Ephemera, Remedy, Tax Stamps, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Celebrated Magendie’s Bitters – New York

Posted on 1 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

MagendiesBitters

CELEBRATED MAGENDIE’S BITTERS

WADLEY & WELLS – NEW YORK

SOLE AGENTS

01 October 2013 (R•072019)

Apple-Touch-IconABitters trade card and ephemera authority Joe Gourd sent in this gorgeous Celebrated Magendie’s Bitters label from his collection made by Sarony, Major & Knapp, the superb New York lithographers. Folks, this is a great piece representing an unlisted bitters!

Sarony&Co

To give this piece a time period, I searched for Wadley & Wells, New York and came up with these representative listings from 1856 to 1875 for Moses S. Wadley and his partner Joseph A. Wells. These guys were importers dealing in gin, cognac, brandies and Havana cigars.

Wadley & Wells, Imps 121 Maiden la , 1856 Trow’s New York City Directory

Wadley & Wells, Importers of Gin, Cognac & Rochelle Brandies & Havana Segars, 121 Maiden la. & 5 Fletcher, 1868 Trow’s New York City Directory

Wadley & Wells, Imps 121 Maiden la. & 5 Fletcher, 1872 Trow’s New York City Directory

Moses S. Wadley, Imp., 121 Maiden la. h N.J., 1872 Trow’s New York City Directory

Joseph A. Wells, Imp., 121 Maiden la. h 324 E. 18th, 1872 Trow’s New York City Directory

Wadley & Wells, Mers 54 Maiden la. & 29 Liberty, 1875 New York City Directory

Next we try to find a ‘Magendie’ in New York City during the same time period. No corresponding listings jump out. So we are now back to the name ‘Magendie’ which seems to be French. The two gentlemen pictured in the illustration certainly have a slightly European or cultured look to me.

Maybe this is an imported bitters as ‘Magen’ means ‘stomach’ in German. A quick google of ‘Magendie’ yields the following:

François Magendie (6 October 1783 – 7 October 1855) was a French physiologist, considered a pioneer of experimental physiology. He is known for describing the foramen of Magendie. There is also a Magendie sign, a downward and inward rotation of the eye due to a lesion in the cerebellum. Magendie was a faculty at the College of France, holding the Chair of Medicine from 1830 to 1855 (he was succeeded by Claude Bernard, who worked previously as his assistant).

Jean-Jacques Magendie (Bordeaux, 21 May 1766 – Paris, 26 March 1835) was a French Navy officer. He famously captained the flagship Bucentaure at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Possibly, either of the above could be a reference for the name. Maybe this bitters product targeted the French population of New York and maybe New Orleans (as there are many Magendie listings). I sure wish I could find some more material such as a bottle or advertisement.

The new listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:

Label
M 7.5 L … Celebrated Magendie’s Bitters, Two gentlemen toasting with a glass of Magendie’s Bitters poured from a labeled lady’s leg bottle. Wadley & Wells, New York, Sole Agents. Entered According to Act of Congress A.D. 1859 By Wadley & Wells in the Clerks Office of the District of the South District of N.Y. The label is the work of Sarony, Major & Knapp, the New York lithographers. Probably a reference to François Magendie (6 October 1783 – 7 October 1855), a French physiologist, considered a pioneer of experimental physiology.
Wadley & Wells (Moses S. Wadley and Joseph A. Wells), Importers of Gin, Cognac & Rochelle Brandies & Havana Segars, 121 Maiden la. & 5 Fletcher, 1868 Trow’s New York City Directory
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Peachridge Glass: Mailbox Letters October – December 2013

Posted on 1 October 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

www.studiomathewes.com

Apple-Touch-IconAPlease feel free to send any antique bottle or glass questions to ferdinand@peachridgeglass.com. The information will be posted if relevant or of interest to the readers. I will try to answer or wait for another reader to respond. Quality images are very important. Thanks! If you want to see previous questions,go to “Mailbox Letters” in “Categories” on the right column of each page.

Mailbox Letters

October – December 2013

Canteen Bottle Question

JoshuaCanteen

I have a Canteen Shaped Bottle I noticed in the historical canteen page on your website. There is one (pictured) like mine. I have inclosed some pictures of what mine looks like. Any info would greatly Help – Joshua

PRG: Not sure Joshua. There is no embossing on bottle. Hard to give info.

Read: Historical Canteens – Canteen Figural Bottles

Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters Repro??

Unknown-1Hi there. I just found your fabulous web-site by accident. I am not a bottle collector, but picked this up yesterday and was trying to find out something about it. I’m an artist, and love colorful bottles! Anyway, your web-site is very interesting and what beautiful images. I think, from the photos and your descriptions, that this is probably a reproduction. I believe that because of the shape of the top of her head, compared to the photos. I can find only one very thin seam, which goes up the middle of her back and ends at her waist. The lip on the bottle top is thick and rounded, but has that extra ridge, unlike the photos, but it is the same as in your photo of the renderings. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I’ll start collecting bottles; its’ kind of like a treasure hunt! Thank you so very much……..Sarah in San Diego

PRG: Most definitely a later reproduction. See: Looking closer at the Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters

Question about Glass Factories

Just found your wonderful site and got some great information – thanks! I am a direct descendent of Josef Greiner, 4th great grandfather, who worked at the glashutte in Holsthum (Holzam) Germany in the late 1700’s. I am VERY impressed with your list of glass works for the United States and wonder if you have – or if you know of – a list of the glaswerks in Austria, Germany and France in the period 1400-1850?

I have tried to list some but don’t read German or French and find it very frustrating! Any assistance or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Read: Glass Works and Glass Factories Index

African Gin

AfricanGinFront&Base

My name is Caroline Rogers and I am a MA student studying MA Conservation of Historic Objects, at the University of Lincoln in the UK.

I have been given a green glass gin bottle to conserve, but I can’t seem to find a maker/manufacturer for the mark I can see on the bottom of the bottle. I am pretty sure it dates from around 1840 onwards. I believe it was found at Wilberforce House, in Hull UK. Please find attached photographs of the bottle.

I hope you or someone you know, might be able to help me.

Thank you

Caroline

Mayer Bottling Plant

CharlesMayerBottling_10

Hello Ferdinand and Elizabeth, – I came across your website wholly by surprise while doing some ancestry research. What a wonderful, comprehensive site, and was pleasantly surprised to find posted on 29 August 2013 (Read: How we Transported our Goods, Beer and Liquor Back Then) a photo of the old Mayer Bottling Plant! Joseph Drackert was a G-G Grandfather of mine. Charles H. Mayer was a G-Grand-Uncle. Joseph’s daughter Louise (or Louisa) was married to Charles. Charles started the plant in 1886, and it was still in operation as late as 1952, according to an old advert I found. Not sure yet when it actually closed; only know for sure that the building no longer stands.

In 1919, Harry E. Drackert, Joseph’s Grandson, opened his own bottling works in Crown Point. It closed either in 1942 or 44, due to wartime sugar-rationing. I believe the building still stands. I’m lucky enough to have one bottle from each plant sitting in my living room vitrine!

The photos are basically self-explanatory. Photo #3 is still a bit mysterious, since I’m not sure if the building pictured is actually part of the Drackert plant or not. I’m assuming that the lady standing by the truck is Beulah Drackert (Joseph’s Granddaughter & Harry’s Aunt) since she was identified by family members as such.

Anyway, thought you may be interested in the “Sketchy” history I’ve discovered so far.

Best regards, & happy hunting /collecting!

John Bertalan,
Giessen, Germany

Hammond Times, 3 Mar 1934 CHM Plant inside Beulah Drackert standing near truck. Ad from the Hammond Times, 18 Jul 1940

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