Dr. Frank’s Laxative Tonic Bitters

Dr. Frank’s Laxitive Tonic Bitters

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

01 October 2018

Now here is a cool bitters bottle that up until now, I had never seen before. As coincidences go, I’m seeing two examples this past week. The first was auctioned off earlier in the week in Glass Works Auctions | Auction #124 which is pictured below. The second, pictured above, was on a dealer table at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bottle Show happening this past weekend. Tom Lines from Alabama sent me a picture.

There is absolutely nothing I can find online except a surprising number of people named Frank Bitters. One clue might be is that an example was found in an old city dump in Mobile, Alabama. With that, I see a few doctors and grocers in Mobile but nothing solid enough to add to this post. No labeled examples. No advertising.

A no-nonsense bitters bottle that looks like a liquor bottle from a northeastern city, it epitomizes the bitters genre as proprietors would often stick a “Dr.” in front of the name to make it look like a medicine and to get around tax laws. Uh, this is a liquor bottle meant to be sold in liquor stores and saloons, to men. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. They even spelled Laxative wrong!

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

F 78  DR. FRANK’S LAXITIVE TONIC BITTERS
DR. FRANK’S ( au ) / LAXITIVE TONIC / BITTERS // c // // b // 502
6 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 1 1/4 (4 1/4)
Oval, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, Extremely rare
Note: Spelling of word Laxative. Found in an old city dump in Mobile, Alabama

270. “DR. FRANK’S LAXITIVE TONIC / BITTERS”, (Ring/Ham, F-78), American, ca. 1885 – 1895, amber pocket flask, 6 3/4”h, smooth base, tooled lip. Several patches of light stain are on the front, but no form of damage. Extremely rare, the last one sold in 1997! Note the misspelling of the word Laxative. Larry Umbreit Collection. Winning Bid: $ 550 (12 Bids) Estimate: $ 275 – $ 375 – Glass Works Auctions | Auction #124

Low Possibilities:

1890: Dr. Frank, Physician And Herb Sanitarium, Residence Year: 1890, 238 South Market, residence same, San Jose, Santa Clara, California – San Jose, California, City Directory, 1890
1890: Dr. C A Frank,Physician, Arrival date: 8 Nov 1890, Birth Date: abt 1858, Age: 32, Gender: Male, Ethnicity/ Nationality: American, Place of Origin: United States of America, Port of Departure: St. Kitts, Port of Arrival: New York, New York, Ship Name: Pennland – New York, Passenger and Crew Lists
1890: Dr. Louis Frank, Arrival date: 29 Jul 1890, Birth Date: abt 1838, Age: 52, Gender: Male, Ethnicity/ Nationality: American, Place of Origin: United States of America, Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany and Southampton, England, Destination: United States of America, Port of Arrival: New York, New York, Ship Name: Kaiser Wilhelm II – New York, Passenger and Crew Lists
1890: Death: Dr Levi Frank, Birth Date: 1826, Birth Place: Indiana, United States, Death Date: 26 Sep 1890, Death Place: Andrew County, Missouri, Cemetery: Fairview Christian Cemetery, Burial or Cremation Place: Rosendale, Andrew County, Missouri
1890: Dr. Frank, Estimated Age: 20, Birth Year: abt 1890, Yearbook Date: 1910, School: Drexel University College of Medicine, School Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – School Yearbook
Posted in Bitters, liquor, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Questions, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Loranger Globe Bitters – What is your Story?

A. Loranger Globe Bitters – What is your Story?

25 September 2018 (R•092618) (R•092718) (R•100518)

I received an email and pictures this morning from John Throop. “Hi Ferd – was happy to find this Loranger Globe Bitters jug on eBay for a reasonable price. Do you happen to know where this is from or any other info? Thanks!”

A. Loranger & Co. Detroit and Sherwood Brothers of New Brighton, Pennsylvania or most likely Fulper Pottery Company of Flemington, New Jersey

I posted the above pictures on PRG Facebook and stoneware authority Steve Ketcham felt like it might be the work of the Sherwood Brothers of New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Some quick searching online takes me to a fine article called Sherwood Brothers: Under the Radar by whiskey authority Jack Sullivan.

About 1879, the Sherwood brothers, G.W. and W.D., founded their pottery. By 1895 they were employing as many as 140 workers and had the capacity to produce two railroad carloads of pottery per day. Their success extended into the 20th Century.

As far as the jug is concerned, Larry Throop (Johns Uncle) states the following:

I have seen many of this style and they are a Sherwood Bros. product. Sherwood Bros. were probably the biggest competitor to Red Wing and Western in the Midwest. It is possible that this was made at the end of this bitters company’s reign but most of this style of jug is a little later (1900 – 1920). White glazes were just coming on the market in about 1895, however Sherwood Bros were one of the first to use it in the US. The first production white glazes made by the pottery companies still had coatings on the interior of the pieces with Albany slip as they didn’t know if the contents would leach through the white zinc glaze. They had to pour the glaze into the piece and swirl it around and then dump it out before firing the piece. Once they realized the zinc glaze sealed well (which was about 1900), they stopped coating the inside with Albany slip as this saved one extra step in the manufacturing process. They just dipped the whole thing in the zinc glaze then a second glaze dip to get the Albany on the outside. This jug would have been a relatively expensive piece for the merchant because it demanded so many steps to complete plus the gold lettering. This gold lettering was generally just painted on the jug once it was fired, so you see a lot of this style with the lettering worn away.

Further correspondence with Jack Sullivan:

Dear Ferd: Thanks for letting me know about the Loranger Globe Bitters. Had not seen that particular jug before. Unfortunately it is not from Sherwood Bros. of New Brighton PA, though they made many nifty jugs. This one is from Fulper of Flemington, New Jersey. I am including my article on Fulper below so you can send it to your correspondent. I had a fair sized collection of Fulpers years ago and sold most to the couple starting a Fulper museum in Flemington. Unfortunately they were unable to keep it open financially. I still keep a list of all known Fulper jugs that I send out on request and will be happy to send it to you if you wish. Will add the Loranger to it right away as this is the first Fulper bitters bottle I have ever seen. All the best to you and Elizabeth.  Jack

Read: Fulper’s of Flemington

Ferd: In one of those amazing coincidences that come around once in a while, last evening I got a call from Adam Koch of the Ohio Bottle Club. He had been contacted about a bottle from someone who had found it in Arizona and Adam called me for an identification. It advertised Courtland Club Whiskey made in Toledo (my old home town). I knew quite a bit about the company and had even written a piece on the outfit. When he sent me a photo at once I could see it was a Sherwood Brothers bottle, though it lacks an identifying mark. Am sending it along (below) to you so you can see the difference between Sherwood and Fulper whiskeys. Quite a contrast. All the best. Jack

A. Loranger & Company

The bitters seems to be unlisted. I am first getting some quick hits for Amos Loranger who was a grocer in Detroit in 1870 and an A. (Arthur) Loranger & Co. (manufacturing chemists) in the late 1890s, also in Detroit. So possibly Arthur Loranger ordered his stoneware bottles for his bitters from the Sherwood Brothers. Detroit is only about 180 miles northwest of New Brighton. With the new information posted above, the jugs would have come from Fulper Pottery Company of Flemington, New Jersey, quite a distance further.

We first see Arthur Loranger as a clerk in Detroit, Michigan in 1874. By 1877, he is in business with his brother Fred in Bay City as Loranger Brothers, wholesale druggists. They are also partners in L. Fournier & Company in Grayling which was a dealer in drugs and druggist supplies.

They next, in 1877, purchase the business of Globe Extract Works on Jefferson Avenue and move into the business of manufacturing perfumes, flavoring extracts, baking powder and druggists supplies. Here is where the name Globe Tonic Bitters comes from. The firm name is changed A. Loranger & Company. Their building was described as being four stories tall and with a basement. A notice said that they were going to extensively renovate their building and put in an elevator to accommodate plans for an expansion. An advertisement in 1879 states that the firm is the manufacturers of Lorangers Liniment and Liver Pills.

In 1888 and 1889 advertisements and other listings, we see that the firm of A. Loranger & Company were listed as manufacturing chemists and wholesale dealers in baking powders, mustards and spices. They were still addressed at 222 and 224 Jefferson Avenue in Detroit and had a laboratory in Windsor which is west of Detroit in the center of Michigan. The laboratory burnt down in 1890. They went out of business in late 1889 and 1890.

Thanks to Corey Stock for support information on Loranger.

Select Listings:

1870: Amos J. Loranger, grocer, 797 Fort w h same – Detroit Michigan City Directory
1874: Arthur Loranger, clerk, bds 251 16th – Detroit Michigan City Directory
1877: Notice (below): A. Loranger & Company announcement of purchase of Globe Extract WorksCrawford Avalanche (Grayling, Michigan), November 24, 1877

1879: A. Loranger & Company advertisement (below) – Crawford Avalanche (Grayling, Michigan), June 18, 1879

1886 – Arthur Loranger, Druggist, 216 3d – Bay City Michigan City Directory
1887: Loranger Brothers (Arthur & Fred C. Loranger), druggists, 216 3rd – Bay City Michigan City Directory
1888-1889: A. Loranger & Co. (Arthur Loranger pres, H. Raoul Loranger sec & tres), Manufacturing Chemists, 224 Jefferson Avenue, Tel. 1081 – Detroit Michigan City Directory, 1888 & 1889
1889: Newspaper Notice (below): A. Loranger & Co. Hopes to Go In Business – Detroit Free Press, Tuesday, October 8, 1889

1889:  Newspaper Notice (below): Assignee’s Sale A. Loranger & Co. wants to sell entire stock – Detroit Free Press, Tuesday, October 29, 1889

1890: Windsor, Michigan Newspaper Notice (below): Loranger & Company space consumed by flamesDetroit Free Press, Thursday, May 8, 1890

1890-1891: Arthur Loranger, h 51 Lewis, – Detroit Michigan City Directory
1891: Newspaper Notice (below): Loranger & Company insolventDetroit Free Press, Thursday, June 11, 1891

Posted in Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, eBay, History, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Perfume, Questions, Scents, Stoneware | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters – Pittsburgh

Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters – Pittsburgh

H. Obernauer & Company

23 September 2018

I’d forgotten about my Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters with the three embossed cocks until somebody posted a picture of an example on PRG Facebook the other day. What a cool bottle. I always thought it was from New Orleans around 1885 but it is really from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a really late, tooled lip bottle. So late, the proprietor Herman Obernauer could have people place orders for his bitters by phone!

According to Bitters Bottles, the label reads, “Dr. Michael Cox’s Brand Stomach Bitters, H. Obernauer, Pittsburgh” and pictures three fighting cocks. Need to find a labeled example. I suppose the cocks are a graphics representation of the name Cox. Don’t know who Dr. Cox was of if he really existed.

Hermann Obernauer was born in Württemberg, in southern Germany in 1856 and spent his late teens and early twenties traveling throughout Europe as a salesman. He came to America in 1880 and settled in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Obernauer (pictured left) was a life-long liquor man nesting in Pittsburgh. We first see him running a saloon in 1884 on 395 Fifth Avenue. In 1886, H. Obernauer & Co. is listed as Wholesale Liquor Dealers at the same 395 Fifth Avenue address. Eventually this address morphs into 400 Fifth Avenue in the 1890s where Mr. Obernauer continues to sell whiskey and wine both wholesale and retail. He was also listed as a distiller. You can see an H. Obernauer & Co. shot glass on the left from the Pre-Pro Whiskey web site.

You can also see a neat picture taken in May 1911 of his liquor establishment at the corner of Fifth and Stevenson below. He adorned the sides of the building with painted whiskey bottle graphics for Berthana Medicated Wine, Belle of Pittsburg Whiskey and H.O. Brown Gin, the latter two being patented products from the distillery he operated. If you look closely, you can see his stacked bottles on display in his storefront windows.

Read: 1400 Fifth (1892-1915): Herman Obernauer & Co.

In May of 1902, we see the first advertisements for Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters as a cure for stomach and kidney problems. The same ads appear in 1903 with a telephone number. H. Obernauer & Co. were listed as Sole Agents and said the bitters were available at all druggists and saloons. This surprises me a little bit as I thought the product was on the street in the late 1800s. Usually when you have a signature brand, you advertise the first opportunity you get. Obernauer sold his business in 1915 – several years before the enactment of Prohibition – and spent the rest of his career in real estate.

Hermann Obernauer was a member of the Rodef Shalom Congregation 66 years and founder often Beneficial Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. He was also a member of Pittsburgh Lodge No. 11 of the Elks, William Tell Lodge No. 44 of the Odd Fellows, the B’nai B’rith and the fraternal, civic and welfare societies. Oberhauer would die on the evening of 09 Febuary 1947 after a brief illness. He was 91.

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

C 242  DR. MICHAEL COX’S BITTERS
motif of three standing fighting cocks: two facing right and one facing left
/ DR. MICHAEL COX’S BITTERS // f // f // f //
// b // H. OBERNAUER & CO. / PITTSBURGH
L…Dr. Michael Cox’s Brand Stomach Bitters, H. Obernauer, Pittsburgh
10 1/4 x 2 3/4 (8 1/4) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, Extremely rare
Label: Graphic label pictures three fighting cocks.

Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters – Pittsburgh – Meyer Collection

H. Obernauer Billhead (circa 1900) – H. Obernauer & Company, Obernauer Family Papers and Photographs, Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center

H. Obernauer & Company located at the corner of Fifth and Stevenson. See enlarged picture below. – The Obernauer Family – Rauh Jewish Archives

H. Obernauer & Company located at the corner of Fifth and Stevenson. See full picture above. – The Obernauer Family – Rauh Jewish Archives

Select Listings:

1856: Hermann Obernauer was born in Württemberg, in southern Germany in 1856.
1876: Herman Obernauer was discharged from military duty in his native Germany on 22 July 1876. – The Obernauer Family – Rauh Jewish Archives
1880: Hermann Obernauer settles in Pittsburgh.
1884: H. Obernauer, Saloon, 395 Fifth Avenue (Daniel Obermeier, Saloon, 91 Sixth Avenue) – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1887
1885: Herman Obernauer became an American citizen on 19 December 1885. – The Obernauer Family – Rauh Jewish Archives
1886: H. Obernauer & Co., Wholesale Liquor Dealers (H. Obernauer), 395 Fifth Avenue (Dan Obermeier Liquor, 383 Beaver Avenue) – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1887
1887: H. Obernauer & Co., Wholesale Liquor Dealers (H. Obernauer) (Daniel Obermeier Clerk), 395 Fifth Avenue – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1887
1888: H. Obernauer, Liquors, 395 Fifth Avenue – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1888
1889: Notice (below): Obernauer & Co. Moving Back From Ohio to Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Dispatch, Saturday, June 29, 1889

1892: H. Obernauer & Co., Wholesale Liquors, 400 Fifth Avenue – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1892
1893: Ad for H. Obernauer & Co., 400 Fifth Avenue – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1888

1894: Notice (below) H. Obernauer to have their bottles registered – The Pittsburgh Press, Monday, July 16, 1894

1895: Personal Notice H. Obernauer to give away free bottle of wine or liquor – The Pittsburgh Press, Sunday, June 30 1895

1895: Ad (below) A Teaspoonful Prescribed for H. Obernauer & Co.The Pittsburgh Press, Friday, December 27, 1895

1898: Notice (below) Practical Patriotism, H. Obernauer & Co. Gives Money – Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Thursday, June 23, 1898

1899-1900: H. Obernauer & Co., 1400 5th Ave – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1899
1902: Ad (below) for Obernauer & Co. sole agents for Dr. Michael Cox’s Bitters – The Pittsburgh Press, Saturday, June 28, 1902

1902: Ad (below) for Obernauer & Co. sole agents for Dr. Michael Cox’s Stomach Bitters – The Pittsburgh Press, Sunday, Febuary 15, 1903

1907: Herman Obernauer patent and trademarks for various products related to his liquor trade on 05 February 1907. The Obernauer Family – Rauh Jewish Archives
1908: H. Obernauer & Co. Liquors, 1400 5th Ave., Bell phone Grant 1958 – Pittsburgh Directory, R.L. Polk & Company, 1908
1909-1910: H. Obernauer & Co. (Harry Obernauer), Liquors, 1400 5th Ave – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1909
1940: Hermann Obernauer, Age 84, born abt 1856, Birthplace Germany, Home in 1940: 515 Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Also Harold Obernauer 53 – United States Federal Census
1947: Herman Obernauer death notice. – The Pittsburgh Press, Monday, February 10, 1947

Posted in Advertising, Bitters, History, liquor, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Spirits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters – From Tokyo to Peoria

Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters – From Tokyo to Peoria

Lion Manufacturing Company

21 September 2018

Here is a later bitters bottle that never really gets talked about. There is an example in the current Glass Works Auctions | Auction #124 that prompted this post. I got my example back in 2003 at the Baltimore Antique Bottle Show from Ed Herrold. Miss that guy. Many of my early bitters came from Ed who is pictured below with his wife Juanne. Read: Ed Herrold Passing – A True Bottle Friend

Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters was made by Lion Manufacturing Company in 1887 in Peoria, Illinois. Originally the company was called the Lion Vinegar Works. The vinegar company was located at 1202 – 1208 Garden Street and was a concern distinctively engaged in vinegar production in Peoria. They manufactured vinegar and bitters, and had a capital invested of $8,000. Their annual product amounts were $10,00o and they employed five to six hands, with an annual payroll of $2,500. The name change occurred 1887.

Lion Manufacturing Co. filled a Trademark Application on October 1, 1887 and noted that the product had been used since March 1887. The Trademark consisted of the the words ‘DR. VARENA’S JAPAN BITTERS’ with a representation of Japanese landscape. Unfortunately I can not find a labeled example or any color advertising. Bet it’s a nice label. I have no clue who Dr. Varena was, but advertising states he had been a resident physician at Tokyo, Japan according to the original recipe used by the natives.

The bitters sold for $1 a bottle or 6 bottles for $5. They knew their bottle and product was not fancy but claimed that the bitters had been used in the Oriental Countries as a remedy against all disorders of the digestive organs, especially the stomach, liver and kidney.

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

V 12  DR VARENA’S JAPAN BITTERS
sp // DR VARENA’S // sp // JAPAN BITTERS //
9 x 4 x 2 3/4 (6) 3/8
Rectangular, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, 4 sp, Very rare

Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters – Meyer Collection

306. “DR VARENA’S – JAPAN BITTERS”, (Ring/Ham, V-12), American, ca. 1875 – 1885, reddish amber, 8 7/8”h, smooth base, applied tapered collar mouth. Some internal light stain or dried contents exists, otherwise in excellent overall condition. Larry Umbreit Collection. -Glass Works Auctions – Auction #124

Select Listings

1887: Patent 14,88o Bitters, Lion Manf. Co., Peoria, Ill. “The words Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters and the representation of a Japanese landscape.” –  The Druggists’ Journal, Volume 6, Geo. A. Frey, 1887
1887: Patent 14,880.—BITTERS: Lion Manufacturing Company. Peoria. Ill. Application filed October 1, 1887. Used since March, 1887. “The words ‘DR. VARENA’s JAPAN BITTERS and the representation of a Japanese landscape.” –  Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 41, 1888
1887: Notice (below): Certificate filed to record the increase the capital stock of the Lion Vinegar Company, in Peoria, Illinois from $6,000 to $12,000 and change name to Lion Manufacturing Company. – Chicago Tribune, Thursday, May 26, 1887

1887: Advertisement: Dr. Varena’s Japan Bitters, Lion Manufacturing Co., Peoria, Illinois – Monmouth Evening Gazette, Friday, September 09, 1887

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

Dr. Hills Restorative Strengthening Bitters – Farmer N.Y.

Dr. Hills Restorative Strengthening Bitters – Farmer N.Y.

20 September 2018

The Dr. Hills Restorative Strengthening Bitters is a hard-to-find bottle that I have only seen once at a bottle show and now twice at auction. Read: Two Exceptional Western New York Bitters

As far as auctions, Glass Works Auctions #107 previously sold the top pictured example from the Jack Stecher collection and last week, one was sold at Heckler Auction #167 (pictured below). I do not think it is the same bottle. Apparently there is a pontiled aqua example too.

The bottle has a smooth base, is 9 1/2″ tall and has an applied double collar mouth. The GWA write-up said, “Perfect ‘attic’ found condition. Extremely rare and to our knowledge the only one to ever come up for auction! Possibly earlier than we indicate as an aqua example exists with an iron pontil. In 1907 the town of Farmer became Interlacken, which it is today.”

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

H 122  Dr. Hill’s Restorative Strengthening Bitters, Farmer N.Y.
// f // DR. HILL’S // RESTORATIVE / STRENGTHENING BITTERS // FARMER, N.Y. //
9 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 (6 1/4) 3/8
Rectangular, Applied mouth, 3 sp; Black amethyst and Amber, DCM – Extremely rare; Aqua, Metallic pontil mark, LTC, – Extremely rare
Trade Mark in 1894 (I doubt this applies here)

Lot: 138 “Dr. Hill’s / Restorative / Strengthening Bitters / Farmer. N.Y.” Bitters Bottle, America, 1860-1870. Rectangular with beveled corners, medium to deep amber, applied double collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 1/2 inches. R/H #H-122 Extremely rare with bold embossing and a wonderful exterior surface. Fine condition. Estimate: $4,000 – $8,000 Minimum bid: $2,000, Price Realized:  $4,973 – Heckler Auction #167

Lot: 138 “Dr. Hill’s / Restorative / Strengthening Bitters / Farmer. N.Y.” Bitters Bottle, America, 1860-1870. Rectangular with beveled corners, medium to deep amber, applied double collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 1/2 inches. R/H #H-122 Extremely rare with bold embossing and a wonderful exterior surface. Fine condition. Estimate: $4,000 – $8,000 Minimum bid: $2,000, Price Realized:  $4,973 – Heckler Auction #167

Farmerville, then Farmer, and Farmer Village now Interlaken, New York

From Wikipedia. Interlaken is a village in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 602 at the 2010 census. The name is related to the village’s position between two lakes. The Village of Interlaken is in the northern part of the Town of Covert and is northwest of Ithaca, New York.

Postcard front Lehigh Valley RR Depot Interlaken, New York ca 1910 – eBay

First settled in the late 1790s and early 1800s, the Village of Interlaken was home to many families from the New England and New Jersey areas. Early businesses included hotels, blacksmiths, post office, bank, and in time the railroad station. All designed to support the local families and the farmers from the surrounding area.

Four churches were established to serve the community, Union Baptist in 1819, Reformed Church of Farmerville in 1830, a Universalist church in 1850 and St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in 1874.

Originally called Farmerville, then Farmer, and Farmer Village, the hamlet continued to grow. Prosperous homes were built on Main Street, Lodi Street (now West Avenue), and along the side streets. LeRoy, Lake View, Clinton and Knight Streets were the last to be added.

Dr. John O. Hill – Death by Strychnine

So, I have no positive confirmation that Dr. John O. Hill is the same Hill in Dr. Hills Restorative Strengthening Bitters but I am pretty darn sure. You see, there is no label or advertising that I could find to assist in identification. What we do have is that the bottle is also embossed Farmer NY which is a huge clue. Dr. John Oscar Hill was born in 1821 in New York and lived in the village of Farmer. He practiced for many years in Ithaca, New York and would commute by train each day from Farmer or Farmer Village. He was very well known and respected. Dr. Hill must have liked to tinker with compounds and chemicals too and could have made his bitters product in his lab while ordering his bottles from Pittsburgh.

“I was tired and in a hurry, and took a drink of water out of a graduated glass in which I had dissolved strychnine. The water was bitter, but not much so. I can’t have taken very much. I shall soon be over it; don’t you think so?”

One day Dr. Hill died a horrific death by accidentally drinking a glass of water where he had dissolved some strychnine. Reported as an accidental poisoning, he died over the next half hour or so from leaving his office and catching his train home. The train was alerted of the death before leaving Seneca 20 minutes late and the local passengers were shocked with the terrible news. When the train arrived in Farmer, his daughter was waiting as she usually did each evening. She overheard many passengers saying,”Dr. Hill is dead!” She comprehended the words and in a cry of agony ran to her village home to tell her mother.

You could make a movie here. Bitters usually say that they can cure many ailments but they did not claim to cure strychnine poisoning.

Please read both newspaper accounts below.

A Sad Affair in Ithaca – Pittsburgh Daily Post, Thursday, August 5, 1875

Poisoned, Dr. John O. Hill – Geneva Courier, 1875

Dr. John O. Hill grave marker – Interlaken, Seneca County, New York

Select Listings (John Oscar Hill):

1821: Dr. John O. Hill, Birth Date: 2 Feb 1821 – Find A Grave Index
1850: John O. Hill, Physician, Age: 29, Birth Year: abt 1821, Birthplace: New York, Home in 1850: Ovid, Seneca, New York, USA, Gender: Male, Family Number: 1787, Household Members: John O. Hill 29, Mary Hill 24, Alice .J Hill 1, Len L. Hill 25, Isaac E. Hill 19 – United States Federal Census
1860: John O Hill, Physician, Age: 39, Birth Year: abt 1821, Birth Place: Delaware County, Home in 1860: Covert, Seneca, New York, Post Office: Farmer, Dwelling Number: 1800, Family Number: 1800, Real Estate Value: $3,000, Personal Estate Value: $2,000, Household Members: John O Hill 39, Mary Hill 33, Alice Hill 10, Marian Hill 7, Arthur Hill 5 – United States Federal Census
1863: John O. Hill, Physician, Age 42, 24th Congressional District, Seneca, New York – U.S. Civil War Draft Registration Records
1870: J. O. Hill, Physician, Age in 1870: 49, Birth Year: abt 1821, Birthplace: New York
Dwelling Number: 66, Home in 1870: Covert, Seneca, New York, Race: White, Gender: Male, Personal Estate Value: $7,000, Real Estate Value: $4,000, Inferred Spouse: Mary E. Hill, Inferred Children: Alice J. Hill, Arthur Hill, Frankie Hill, Household Members: J.O. Hill 49, Mary E. Hill 43, Alice J. Hill 20, Arthur Hill 15, Frankie Hill 7 – United States Federal Census
1875: Dr. John O. Hill Death, 24 July 1875, Cemetery: Lake View Cemetery, Burial or Cremation Place: Interlaken, Seneca County, New York, Spouse: Mary Elizabeth Hill (Taft), Children: Marian I. Hill – Find A Grave Index
Posted in Auction News, Bitters, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Caldwell’s Wine & Iron Bitters – Medina NY

Caldwell’s Wine & Iron Bitters – Medina NY

13 September 2018 (R•051019-FBN)

The other day I did a post on the triangular Caldwell’s Herb Bitters which was centered around York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It reminded me of another Caldwell named product from Medina, New York called Caldwell’s Wine & Iron Bitters. That is a pretty strange ingredient combination that just underscores the intent to sell alcohol as medicine. I quickly confirmed that there is no relationship between the Caldwell brands mentioned above.

Anyway, I picked up my light honey amber Caldwell’s Wine & Iron Bitters square, pictured below, from Jack Stecher at the FOHBC National Show, in Wilmington, Ohio in in 2010. It is extremely rare and the only one I’ve seen.

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

C10  CALDWELL’S / WINE & IRON // f // BITTERS / MEDINA N.Y. // sp //
W. C. Caldwell, Sole Proprietor
9 7/8 x 2 3/4 (7 1/4) 3/8
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, 3 sp. Extremely rare
The Wayne County Journal (Palmyra, N.Y.) April 23, 1874.

Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York and is part of the Rochester metropolitan area. The village developed after construction of the Erie Canal, which bends as it passes through the village, creating a basin that served as a stopover point. This became the center of businesses that served trade and passenger traffic on canal boats. In addition, mills were constructed on Oak Orchard Creek to take advantage of its water power. The fertile lands around the village yielded fruit which was exported to major markets of New York City and west via the canal. At the start of the 20th century, Medina was a thriving industrial town.

Caldwell’s Wine & Iron bitters was only advertised in 1874 and was put out by William C. Caldwell of Medina, New York who was the proprietor and manufacturer. His newspaper ads appeared in places like Canton, Ravenna, Akron and Findlay, Ohio and Pisston, Pennsylvania. He said his bitters were a cure for Dyspepsia, Indigestion, Kidney Diseases, Liver Complaints, Nervous Affections, General Prostration and could be used as a morning appetizer. The usual broad claim by bitters manufacturers of this era. He also manufactured Caldwell’s Cough Cure, Caldwell’s Magnetic Chloroloid and Caldwell’s Lily Balm.

Caldwell must have only been around a year or two because after 1875, he is gone, possibly dieing in 1877.

Now just a single bottle on my shelf with a story, albeit short.

Facsimile Bank Note. Caldwell’s Wine and Iron Bitters – Ben Swanson Collection

Advertisement for Caldwell’s Wine and Iron Bitters – The Democratic Press, Thursday, December 3, 1874

Select Listings:

1850: William C. Caldwell born – New York State Census
1873: Marriage: William C. Caldwell, Marriage Date: 1 Oct 1873, Marriage Place: Medina, New York, Spouse: Annie E. Hedley – England Select Marriages
1875: William C. Caldwell, Druggist, Age: 25, Birth Year: abt 1850, Residence Date: 1 Jun 1875, Residence Place: Shelby, Orleans, New York, USA, Election District: Shelby, Household number: 55, Relation to Head: Head, Spouse’s Name: Anna Caldwell, Household Members: William C. Caldwell 25, Anna Caldwell 22 – New York State Census
Posted in Advertising, Bitters, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking at the two Caldwell’s Herb Bitters lattice variants

Looking at the two Caldwell’s Herb Bitters lattice variants

The Great Tonic

12 September 2018

I thought I would circle back to two tall triangular bitters bottles I picked up in 2002 when I first started collecting bitters. I’m talking about the Caldwell’s Herb Bitters with the 16 lattice grid and the Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters with the 24 lattice grid. Note the addition of “Dr.” in the second example. Both are pictured below from my collection. Also, notice the different mouths.

Bitters authority Frank Wicker has written about this brand before on Bottlepickers.com and done a fine job. I just wanted to retrace his steps and fill in a few gaps in my mind.

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

C 8  Caldwell’s Herb Bitters
THE GREAT TONIC / CALDWELL’S / HERB BITTERS // f // f //
Manufactured by L.A. Marshall & Co. Goshen, Indiana
12 3/8 x 2 1/2 (6 5/8) 1/4
16 squares in lattice panel
Triangular, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, With and without Metallic pontil mark, Scarce
Turner’s Gazeteer of the St. Joseph Valley (Michigan, Indiana) 1867

C 9  Caldwell’s Herb Bitters
THE GREAT TONIC / DR. CALDWELL’S / HERB BITTERS // f // f //
L…Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters Manufactured By Lawrence & Co.,
204 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa.
12 3/4 x 2 1/2 (6 1/2) 1/4
Triangular with 24 squares in lattice panel, Amber, LTCR, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, Scarce
Note: The C9 Dr. Caldwell’s embossing is different than the C8 bottle. There is a minor variation in the motif; there are 16 squares in the lattice work in the C8 mold and 24 in the C9 mold.
Trade cards from Blattenberger & Co. Manufacturers and proprietors. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
C.9.5 has a misspelled “Tonic”.

History

From the best that I can tell, it looks like L. A. Marshall & Co. were first listed as manufacturers of Caldwell’s Herb Bitters in Goshen, Indiana in 1867. I suspect this might have been a labeled brand that was purchased by Keech & Frey located on Market Street in York, Pennsylvania the same year. Maybe they were different brands advertised the same year, but that would be to much of a coincidence.

Keech & Frey would order the first Caldwell’s Herb Bitters bottles with the 16 lattice grid that were metallic pontiled and eventually smooth-based. There was no “Dr.” reference in front of Caldwell though Frank Wicker reports he has an example. A mystery here. They would sell the bitters for two years as The Great Tonic. It’s interesting, E. Mishler of Mishler’s Herb Bitters fame was listed as an agent for Caldwell’s Herb Bitters in Berks County, Pennsylvania the same year.

1n 1872, Lawrence & Brother were offering empty Caldwell’s Herb Bitters bottles at auction at the Hartman’s Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I suppose they were ramping up for the second variant, Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters with the 24 lattice grid. We next see Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters for they first time noted as being manufactured and sold by Lawrence & Company at 204 N. Second Street in Harrisburg in the late mid to late 1870s.

By 1882, Blattenberger & Co., located at 102 Market Street in Harrisburg was listed in newspaper advertising wanting to buy empty bottles of Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters. Crazy all this recycling that was going on. Horace Blattenberger would then sell the bitters through 1885. That’s a long run explaining why there are so many bottles of both variants out there. Still a super-cool bitters bottle.

Trade Card

Advertising Trade Card (circa 1882) for Blattenberger & Co., Manufacturers and Proprietors of Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, 106 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From the Joe Gourd collection.

Framed Poster

Framed, behind glass advertising poster for The Great Caldwell’s Herb Bitters. The Greatest Remedy of the Age, Sold Here, Try It! Spotted at the 2012 Houston Bottle Show.

Newspaper Advertising

L.A.Marshall & Co. Manufacturers of Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Goshen, Indiana – 1867 Gazetteer of the St. Joseph Valley, Michigan and Indiana

Advertisement: The Great Tonic, Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Manufactured by Keech & Frey, Market Street, York, Pennsylvania – The Herald and Torch Light, Thursday, November 28, 1867

Advertisement: Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Kech (sp) & Frey, York, PA, E. Mishler of Mishler’s Herb Bitters agent for Berks County, Pennsylvania – Reading Times, Tuesday, September 15, 1868

Lawrence & Brother offering Caldwell’s Herb Bitters bottles at Hartman’s Building – The York Daily, Wednesday, March 13, 1872

Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters advertisement, Manufactured and Sold by Lawrence & Co., 204 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Saturday, January 31, 1880

Blattenberger & Co. (102 Market Street) wanting to buy empty bottles of Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Thursday, May 25, 1882

Horace Blattenberger representing Caldwell’s Celebrated Herb Bitters – The News, Saturday, May 23, 1885

Select Listings:

1867: Advertisement (above): L.A.Marshall & Co. Manufacturers of Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Goshen, Indiana – 1867 Gazetteer of the St. Joseph Valley, Michigan and Indiana
1867: Advertisement (above): The Great Tonic, Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Manufactured by Keech & Frey, Market Street, York, Pennsylvania – The Herald and Torch Light, Thursday, November 28, 1867
1868: Advertisement (above): Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, Kech (sp) & Frey, York, Pennsylvania –  Reading Times, Tuesday, September 15, 1868
1872: Advertisement (above): Lawrence & Brother offering Caldwell’s Herb Bitters at Hartman’s Building – The York Daily, Wednesday, March 13, 1872
1877: Advertisement: Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters Manufactured by Lawrence & Co., 204 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Saturday, October 27, 1877
1878: Advertisement: Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters Manufactured and Sold by Lawrence & Co., 204 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Saturday, September 21, 1878
1880: Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters advertisement (above), Manufactured and Sold by Lawrence & Co., 204 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Saturday, January 31, 1880
1882: Notice (above): Blattenberger & Co. (102 Market Street) wanting to buy empty bottles of Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters  – Harrisburg Daily Independent, Thursday, May 25, 1882
1882 (circa): Advertising Trade Card for Blattenberger & Co., Manufacturers and Proprietors of Dr. Caldwell’s Herb Bitters, 106 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From the Joe Gourd collection.
1885: Horace Blattenberger representing Caldwell’s Celebrated Herb Bitters – The News, Saturday, May 23, 1885
Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Druggist & Drugstore, History, Medicines & Cures, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking at Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters and The Fish Bitters

Looking at Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters and The Fish Bitters

Ware & Schmitz, Philadelphia

31 August 2018

I can not believe that I have not definitively written about the original figural fish bitters bottles before so I thought I would dust off my laptop and put something together. There are three variants worth noting and that includes Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters and The Fish Bitters (centered and off-centered mouth versions). There are also later 20th century bottles.

William Harrison Ware patented the bottle design in 1866 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bitters recipe was from “the great scientist, Dr. Gottlieb Fisch of Berlin, Prussia.” I guess we can see where the the fish bottle design originated. W. Harrison Ware was a liquor dealer who was born in New Jersey around 1835. The fish bitters brand sold from 1866 to 1882 or so. Ware & Schmitz (William H. Ware & Charles M. Schmitz) were the proprietors. They typically marketed with the “Fisch” name although many bottles are embossed “Fish”.

W. H. Ware, Design for a Bottle, Patent No. 2522, dated December 4, 1866

The bottle label reads, “An unequaled beverage and appetizer invaluable for dyspepsia, general debility, languor, loss of appetite and any complaint requiring a tonic bitters. Free from the deleterious effects of alcoholic drinks, for which it is an antidote. It is prompt in action, palatable to the taste, and bracing and invigorating in its effects upon both the body and mind.”

Cast iron Fish Bitters mold – Philadelphia Museum of Art

The bottles are extremely collectable and come in a wide range of colors including clear, aqua, amber, yellow, citron, medium green and cobalt blue. The fish bottles were made at Whitney Glass Works in Glassboro, New Jersey. Advertisement below from 1874.

Ware died in 1882 and is buried in Philadelphia at Mount Moriah Cemetery.

Later figural fish bottles.

In 1922, Eli Lilly & Company began using the blown glass fish bottle for cod liver oil and continued its use until 1933. The bottles were manufactured by the Faimont Glass Company of Indianapolis. The bottles were produced in four sizes: one pint (10″ long), one-half pint (8 1/2″ long), 4 oz (6 1/4″ long) and a salesman bottle (3″ long) which was not filled but used as an empty sample.

Wheaton Glass Company later made cute little Dr. Fisch’s Bitters in a variety of colors.

Read: Early Cod Liver Oil Bottle

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listings in Bitters Bottles  for the Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters and The Fish Bitters are as follows:


Doctor Fisch’s Bitters

F 44 Doctor Fisch’s Bitters
DOCTOR ( ad ) // FISCH’S BITTERS ( ad ) // W.H. WARE / PATENTED 1866 //
11 3/4 x 3 5/8 x 2 3/8
Fish, Applied mouth and Rolled Lip, Amber – Common; Aqua, Clear – Very rare
Label: On bevel or stomach a picture of a fish with details in German and English.
Drug Catalogs: 1876-77 and 1880 Goodwin
In 1922, Eli Lilly & Company began using the blown glass fish bottle for cod liver oil and continued its use until 1933. The bottles wee manufactured by the Faimont Glass Company of Indianapolis. The bottles were produced in four sizes: one pint (10″ long), one-half pint (8 1/2″ long), 4 oz (6 1/4″ long) and a salesman bottle (3″ long) which was not filled but used as an empty sample.

F 44 Doctor Fisch’s Bitters


The Fish Bitters (centered mouth)

F 45 The Fish Bitters (centered mouth)
THE ( ad ) / FISH BITTERS ( ad ) // W.H. WARE ( ad ) / PATENTED 1866 ( au ) //
Ware & Schmidz, 3 & 5 Granite Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11 1/2 x 3 5/8 x 2 1/2
Fish, Applied mouth and Rolled Lip, Amber – Common; Aqua, Clear, Yellow, Green,
Yellow olive, Lime green and Reddish puce – Very Rare; Cobalt – Extremely Rare
Label: Prepared from the recipe of Dr. Gottlieb of Berlin, Prussia. An unequaled beverage and appetizer invaluable for dyspepsia, general debility, languor, loss of appetite and any complaint requiring a tonic bitters. Free from the deleterious effects of alcoholic drinks, for which it is an antidote. It is prompt in action, palatable to the taste, and bracing and invigorating in its effects upon both the body and mind.
Fish Bitters

F 45: The Fish Bitters (centered mouth)


The Fish Bitters (off-centered mouth)

F 46 The Fish Bitters (off-centered mouth)
THE ( ad ) / FISH BITTERS ( ad ) // W.H. WARE ( ad ) /
PATENTED 1866 ( ad ) // // b // W.H. WARE / PATENT 1866
Ware & Schmitz, 3-5 Granite Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11 3/8 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/2
Fish, Mouth off center, Applied mouth and Rolled Lip, Scales like cobble-stones,
Amber-Scarce; Clear – Rare; Aqua – Extremely rare, Cobalt Blue – Extremely rare

F 46: The Fish Bitters (off-centered mouth)


Newspaper Advertising

$100,000 if Fish Bitters does not create an appetite – The Baltimore Sun, Thursday, February 20, 1868

Advertisement: Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters – Jacksonville Republican, Saturday, September 9, 1871

Ware & Schmidt, Philadelphia, Proprietors for Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters – The Montgomery Advertiser, Friday, June 21, 1872

The Great Tonic of the Age – Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s Bitters advertisement – Quad City Times, Monday, August 19, 1872

Dr. Fisch’s Bitters advertisement – The Rock Island Argus, Thursday, July 17, 1873


Trade Cards

Two kitten-themed W. Harrison Ware advertising trade cards from the Joe Gourd collection. Both promoting Doctor Fisch’s Bitters on the reverse side. Circa 1880.


Tough to Catch Fish

F 46: Extremely rare medium green The Fish Bitters (off-centered mouth)

F 46: Extremely rare cobalt blue The Fish Bitters

F 46: Extremely rare aqua The Fish Bitters

Fish Bitters – FOHBC Virtual Museum

F 46: The Fish Bitters in Clear glass


Fish Tank Gallery

The Fish Bitters – Ed Gray photograph

Fish Bitters – Krist Collection

Fish Bitters at 2014 Houston Bottle Show – Meyer collection


Select Listings:

1835: William Ware, Birth Date: Abt 1835, Birthplace: New Jersey
1863: William Ware, merchant, 1433 Spruce – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1866: W. H. Ware, Design for a Bottle No. 2522, dated December 4, 1866
1868: Ware & Schmitz (William H. Ware & C. M. Schmitz), liquors, 19 N Water – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1870: Advertisement: The Fish BittersThe Tri-Weekly Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, March 1870.
1870: William Ware, Liquor Dealer, Age: 33, Birth Date: Abt 1837, Birthplace: New Jersey, Home in 1870: Philadelphia Ward 10 District 28, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Married: Amelia M. Ware, Household Members: William Ware 33, Amelia Ware 41, Charles Ware 11, William Ware 7, Morris Ware 4 – United States Federal Census
1870-77: Ware & Schmitz (William H. Ware & C. M. Schmitz), liquors, 3 Granite – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1871: Advertisement: Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s BittersJacksonville Republican, Saturday, September 9, 1871
1872: Advertisement: Ware & Schmidt, Philadelphia, Proprietors for Dr. Gottlieb Fisch’s BittersThe Montgomery Advertiser, Friday, June 21, 1872
1873: Advertisement: Dr. Fisch’s Bitters – The Rock Island Argus (Illinois), Thursday, July 17, 1873
1877: Ware & Schmidt, liquor – The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tuesday, May 15, 1877
1880: William H. Ware, Liquor Dealer, Age: 45, Birth Date: Abt 1835, Birthplace: New Jersey, Home in 1880: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 135 North Thirteenth Street, Married: Amelia Ware, Father’s Birthplace: New Jersey, Mother’s Birthplace: New Jersey, Household Members: William H. Ware 33, Amelia Ware 30, Charles A. Ware 1 – United States Federal Census
1880-82: W. Harrison Ware, liquors, 3 Granite, h 135 N 13th – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City Directory
1882: William H. Ware, Birth: unknown, New Jersey, Death: Sep 1882, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Burial: Mount Moriah Cemetery
Posted in Bitters, Cod Liver Oil, Collectors & Collections, Color Runs, Ephemera, Figural Bottles, History, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Tonics, Trade Cards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Edward H. Hartshorn – Hartshorn’s Family Medicines

Edward H. Hartshorn – Hartshorn’s Family Medicines

Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters

25 August 2018 (R•092018)

Recently, I saw the above Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters bottle on eBay (see listing) and liked the color and label which features a key. I don’t have an example in my collection as they are fairly common so I figured I would add one somewhere down the road. In the meantime, I thought it might be nice to pull together some information and support imagery as Dr. Hartshorn was rather well-known and put out a lot of products and advertising like these Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters “Key to Health” advertising trade cards to support his brand.

Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice or Dyspepsia Bitters “Key to Health” advertising trade card (front) – Joe Gourd Collection

Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice or Dyspepsia Bitters “Key to Health” advertising trade card (back) – Joe Gourd Collection

Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters “Key to Health” advertising trade card. – University of Rochester Miner Library

Dr. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters “Key to Health” advertising trade card. – Joe Gourd Collection

The subject bottles here at the top the post are not embossed bitters but are embossed “Dr. Hartshorn’s Family Medicines” on the reverse. This copy surrounds an embossed bunghole or circle around a dot. Two sizes of bottles exist.

Reproductions of this bottle were made with the base embossed “Crownford China Co.” with a monogram logo. Crownford China Company appears to have been a wholesale glass product company based in New York City, active during the period of approximately 1964-1973.

Edward Hartshorn was born on 28 June 1817 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Hartshorn was a pharmacist and drug manufacturer whose advertising stated that he was a graduate of Harvard Medical School. He first located his practice in Berlin, Massachusetts around 1841. The following year he married Lucy Elizabeth Howe, daughter of Solomon and Sarah Howe of Berlin. Their only children were Edward Howe and William Henry Hartshorn.

After several years of successful practice, Hartshorn moved his practice and business to Boston under the name of Hartshorn’s Family Medicines. They manufactured quite a variety of medicines and cooking extracts. He said his bitters would cure just about anything (see label copy further below). Dr. Hartshorn took his sons into co-partnership and changed the business name to Hartshorn and Sons. Dr. Hartshorn died in Worcester, Massachusetts at the age of 89, on 25 July 1906.

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows. The listing may want to be updated to include the additional information presented here and the bunghole embossing.

H 62 L…No. 42. Dr. Hartshorn’s Family Bitters
c // DR. HARTSHORN’S ( vertical ) / FAMILY ( cu ) / MEDICINE’S ( vertical ) //
Dr. E. Hartshorn, Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts
9 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 (6 1/4)
Oval, Aqua, LTC
Label: No. 42. The sure (motif key) to health. Is not warranted to cure every disease, but will invariably relieve the dyspeptic and bilious class, embracing two-thirds of the people, of pain, dizziness and dullness of the head; costiveness, pain and fullness of the bowels; acidity, distress, burning and distension of the stomach; sallowness, itching, burning, prickling, and humors of the skin, pain, numbness, cramp, tingling and coldness of the limbs; loss of appetite, and flagging spirits, distressing dreams, sleepiness, weariness, difficult breathing, and perfect circulation of blood, rheumatic and neurologic pains, piles, or worms, fever and ague, or any symptom depending on derangement of the stomach, liver, bowels and kidneys, or the cost will be refunded period.
The experience of the Dr. Hartshorn in a medical practice of 30 years, has availed to condense in this medicine the purest and most effective vegetable tonics and laxatives, in such nice proportions, that it may be taken under all circumstances, excect fever, (if in laxative doses), for all bitters should act on the bowels so as to quicken the secretion of all the organs, and purify the blood.
Price 75 Cents
H 62.5  L… Free Sample DR. HARTSHORN’S DYSPEPTIC OR JAUNDICE BITTERS (Key to Health) E. Hartshorn (au ) // & Sons / ESTABLISHED ( au ) / monogram E H & S / 1850 ( au ) / BOSTON //
5 x 1 7/8 (3 5/8) 3/16
Rectangular, Aqua, NCS
Label: The  remedy of thousands for 25 years, for sick nervous dull headache, dyspepsia, bilioness, jaundice, poor appetite, languor, geneal illness, or any derangement of the stomach, liver or kidneys.
Drug catalog: 1892 Goodwin

Here are two billheads. The “Key to Health” graphics appears on the first billhead and drops off on the second 1891 billhead. Both prominently note Dr. E. Hartshorn’s Jaundice Bitters.

1870 Dr. E. Hartshorn’s Jaundice or Dyspeptic Bitters billhead – Joe Gourd Collection

1891 Dr. E. Hartshorn & Sons Family Medicine House Jaundice Bitters billhead – Joe Gourd Collection

Here is a nice grouping of Dr. Hartshorn bottles on eBay now (see listing) for $68. That is quite a deal. Along with his anchor bitters product, Dr. Hartshorn also put out many other remedies such as Hartshorn’s Hive Syrup, Hartshorn’s Syrup of Rhubarb, Hartshorn’s No. 18, Hartshorn’s Cough Balsam, Hartshorn’s Sarsaparilla and Iron, Hartshorn’s Ammonia Compound, Hartshorn’s Worm Extract and Hartshorn’s Cotton Seed Oil. He even sold sauce and flavoring in bottles like Hartshorn’s Pure Jamaica Ginger.

Dr. Hartshorn bottles – eBay

7. “DR. HARTSHORN’S / MEDICINE” (in an oval), (Odell, pg. 165), American, ca. 1855 – 1865, yellowish ‘old’ amber, 6”h, smooth base, applied mouth, 99% original label in part reads: ‘Hartshorn’s Syrup of Rhubarb, Price 38 cents, Berlin Series Co 73’. Perfect like new condition, extremely rare original label. A great labeled medicine bottle, possibly blown at Stoddard, New Hampshire. – Glass Works Auctions | Auction #124

Three Dr. Hartshorn advertising trade cards. Many other Hartshorn cards are generic or stock cards with the Hartshorn product information on the reverse. – eBay

Hartshorn’s “The New Book” of cooking flavors (front and back covers) – Joe Gourd Collection

Here below is a biography of Dr. Edward Hartshorne (note additional “e” at the end of Hartshorne”) from Transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. 1887 

This is not our man and can confuse the researcher with the similarity of names, education, and years of operation. I included this part as I admired all that this man accomplished.

EDWARD HARTSHORNE, A.M., M. D.

Edward Hartshorn E, the second son of the late Dr. Joseph Hartshorne, was born in Philadelphia, in 1818. Early in boyhood he manifested a somewhat nervous temperament, whose vivacity and impulsiveness remained through life; though mostly, as he grew toward maturity, brought well under control by his trained judgment and will. Having been prepared for college at a private academy in Philadelphia, he went to Princeton, and was there graduated B.A. in 1837; taking his degree of A.M. in 1840. His desire to study medicine was not at first approved by his father, whose large experience of the toils and anxieties of the profession made him hesitate about their acceptance by his son. Edward’s choice, however, was very positive; and his father consented, with a determination that he should have every advantage attainable in fitting himself for the work of a medical man. While a student at the University of Pennsylvania, he embraced an opportunity to gain early experience in dispensary practice, under the direction of Dr. W. W. Gerhard. His degree of Doctor of Medicine was taken in 1840. His graduating thesis, on “Pseudarthrosis, its Causes and Treatment,” was published by request of the Faculty of the University; and occupied thirty-six pages in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences. It was an exhaustive and well-digested monograph upon its subject, giving, from authoritative sources, all that was then known concerning the causation and various modes of management of ununited fracture. It might be consulted with advantage by writers or practitioners at the present time.

Immediately after graduating, Dr. Hartshorne was engaged for several months as first Assistant Physician, under Dr. T. S. Kirkbride, in the newly established Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, in West Philadelphia. From 1841 to 1843 he was one of the Resident Physicians of the Pennsylvania Hospital in the city, where he developed the special interest in surgical practice which afterward characterized him; as well as that enthusiastic love of the medical profession, which grows warm more often within the walls of a hospital than elsewhere.

His acquaintance with the care of the insane, and with institutional life, was afterward added to by short periods of service with Dr. Kirkbride, and once for some weeks with Dr. Pliny Earle at the Friends’ Asylum for the Insane, at Frankford, near Philadelphia. But a more important and conspicuous duty came to him, as the first Resident Physician in the Eastern Penitentiary, in Philadelphia. In 1843 he was called to this position, taking the place of a distinguished mediciil gentleman, whose appointed service had been only that of occasional or periodical visitation of such inmates of the prison as required special medical attendance. The system of separate confinement in prisons was then a comparatively new experiment; for the success of which a truly scientific apprehension of its conditions, and its best possible practical administration, were of considerable public importance.

This critical notice, in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences, for April, 1844, of Dr. Hartshorne’s first Annual Report as Physician to the Penitentiary, says:

“The Pennsylvania Penitentiary system has been, for some years past, vehemently and repeatedly assailed by certain philanthropists, who, misguided by their prejudices or too tender sensibilities, have denounced it as injurious to the health and sanity of prisoners. The friends of the system have thus far looked in vain to the proper source for sufficient statistical data to enable them to silence these imputations. Most happy are we to say that this want will not much longer remain unsatisfied. The present enlightened and clearheaded physician of the Eastern Penitentiary, in the able report before us, adduces many statements calculated to disabuse the public on this subject, while the discernment it displays holds out the promise, which we are sure, from our knowledge of Dr. Hartshorne, will be fulfilled, that all the facts calculated to throw light on the subject will hereafter be most sedulously collected, and faithfully presented.”

In this report, statistics are given, proving the entire absence of evidence to show that there is any cause of disease or impairment of general health peculiar to the separate system of imprisonment. There were sent out from the Penitentiary during the year, after confinement for more than two years, in unimpaired health, 50 inmates; improved health, 21; said to be impaired, 8. Eleven prisoners died during the year. Nearly all of those put down as in impaired health were but slightly indisposed, or merely stated that they were not so well as they had been before admission. Of the deaths, the causes were, phthisis in six cases; scrofulous peritonitis in two; scrofulous enteritis in one; marasmus and incipient phthisis in one; syphilis and erysipelas in one. Only four of the eleven cases could be said in any sense to have originated in the prison; while a comparison with the records of five State prisons on the Auburn congregate plan showed their mortality to be greater than that of the Eastern Penitentiary. The ratio of mortality, moreover, in the latter, was a little below, with the white inmates, and with the colored but a little above, that of the general population of Philadelphia for the same year. The report goes into an elaborate analysis of these comparative estimates, with reasonable explanations of the observed differences.

On another important question, often agitated, Dr. Hartshorne expressed in this report a decided conviction, based on facts within his view. This was, the influence of separate confinement on the minds of prisoners. Because of the mistaken idea that theirs was solitary confinement (the fact being that they see a number of persons, officials and others, daily, being merely separated from other prisoners), many people imagined dreadful things in regard to the frequent production of insanity within the walls of the Penitentiary.

This imagination was embodied before the world, in the lively style natural to a writer of works of fiction, by Charles Dickens; his picture being suggested particularly by an interview with a certain prisoner in his cell. It happens, however, in contradiction to the great novelist’s apprehension, that this same prisoner lived on, in a fair condition of cheerfulness, for many years, being known to present no marked symptoms of insanity.

Dr. Hartshorne’s observations afford no support for the above-mentioned popular misconception. There were, during the year 1843, among 487 prisoners, only five recent cases of mental derangement; of these, three had existed before admission, and of the two which seemed to originate in the institution, one was a doubtful case, probably feigned, and the other was one of hypochondria rather than hallucination. If, even, there should be discovered more instances of insanity in a prison where the inmates arc under separate inspection and treatment, this might be accounted for by the better opportunity for a careful and correct diagnosis of the mental condition of every one, than where they are kept under the in terrorem discipline of the congregate system. On the whole, this report must be regarded as a contribution of unusual practical value to the scientific basis of modern penology. A second edition of it, published by the Inspectors of the Penitentiary, in 1845, was largely circulated in England, besides being translated and republished in France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland.

In 1844, Dr. Hartshorne went to Europe, to extend his studies, especially by observation in the large hospitals of the Continent. Two years were thus passed; with only a moderate indulgence in visits to such celebrated places as are of interest to all tourists.
Returning home, he at once began the work of a practitioner; which continued throughout his life. For one year, he edited the Philadelphia Journal of Prison Discipline. After that, his whole interest was concentrated in his profession. His contributions to medical literature became frequent; beginning with articles and reviews in the Philadelphia Medical Examiner, then edited by Dr. Hollingsworth; afterward, reviews and numerous bibliographical notices in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences, especially between 1850 and 1870; also, in the North American Medico Chirurgical Review, so brilliantly conducted for a time in Philadelphia by the late Professor S. D. Gross. Most of these reviews and notices were upon surgical topics; notable among them were those of Nekton’s, Miller’s, and Erichsen’s treatises upon surgery, Curling on the testis, and elaborate reviews of Barwell on the joints, of Tripler’s, Gross’s, and Hamilton’s works on military surgery, and of the first two volumes of the English edition of Holmes’s System of Surgery. In his notice, written in 1857, of Lyman on ovariotomy, he indicated misgivings, shared at that time by many surgeons, which prevented him from anticipating the remarkable triumphs belonging to a later day, in abdominal surgery.

Dr. Hartshorne wrote an extended notice of Wharton and Stille’s Treatise on Medical Jurisprudence, at the time of its publication. This subject received from him a large degree of attention. He delivered one course of lectures on Medical Jurisprudence in connection with an Association of medical gentlemen, all of whom obtained subsequent distinction as public instructors. With him, however, although gifted with great fluency and clearness of expression, the toil of lecturing, with that of preparation to meet his own exacting standard, proved to be disproportionate to its probable returns; and the course was not repeated. In 1853, he was called upon to edit, with notes and additions, the American edition of Taylor’s masterly work on Medical Jurisprudence. This task was so well accomplished as to meet with general approbation. A reviewer mentions among his important additions, his remarks upon ” the non-immediatefatality of fractures of the skull; the sometimes fatal administration of oil of tansy to produce abortion; the rights and interests of persons of doubtful sex, or afflicted with sexual malformation; the pathology and treatment of asphyxia, from drowning, hanging, and poisonous inhalations; and the various perplexing questions connected with mental aberration in its various forms.” Most of theseand other additions were incorporated by Dr. Taylor in his subsequent editions; and the able cooperative service of his American editor was acknowledged by Dr. Taylor in a very friendly manner.

Dr. Hartshorne married, in 1850, Adelia C. Pearse, widow of Oliver Pearse, and daughter of John Swett, formerly of Boston. This lady survives him, with one son, Joseph Hartshorne, the only one left of five children who were born to him.

In the life of a practitioner of medicine and surgery, full as it is of profound personal as well as professional interest, events are few; at least those of a kind that will well bear narration. Dr. Hartshorne was for seven years an attending surgeon to the Wills Hospital for the Blind and Lame; afterward, till 1864, surgeon to the Pennsylvania Hospital. With many others usually engaged only in civil practice, he was, during the war, on duty for a time as assistant surgeon, in the field, after the battle of Antietam; and for two or three years, as attending or consulting surgeon at the McClellan, Nicetown, and other Army Hospitals, in and near Philadelphia. In the course of this service, a poisoned wound of his left hand, incurred while amputating a very bad limb, induced a severe illness; and this had, no doubt, a depressing influence upon his health throughout the rest of his life. He was actively concerned in the organization of the Philadelphia branch of the United States Sanitary Commission, during the war, being Secretary of its Executive Committee.

Dr. Hartshorne’s energy of character, tact, and sagacity, led to his being frequently called upon for official duties requiring fidelity, discernment, and willingness to work for a useful purpose. He was Secretary of the first National Quarantine and Sanitary Convention, which met in Philadelphia a few years before the war. For several years he was Secretary of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia; afterward Secretary of its first Building Committee; then one of its Censors, and Chairman of its Hall Committee. Few Fellows of this College have shown a more zealous or more continuous practical interest in its welfare. He was, for a long time, a Manager of the Episcopal Hospital of Philadelphia; and, until the time of his death, one of the Managers of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; also, for some time, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Medical Alumni Association of the University, and Vice President of the Princeton Alumni Association of Philadelphia. He was successively elected Vice-President and President, of the Pathological Society, and of the Ophthalmological Society of Philadelphia. When the American Medical Association met in this city, in 1872, he was Chairman of its Committee of Arrangements. In the performance of the duties, sometimes arduous, belonging to these various appointments, while he was always decided in his opinions, and very outspoken in regard to them, no one could say that he was not fair in dealing with others, or was actuated by any motives apart from his desire of general usefulness.

When the Penn Mutual Life Assurance Company of Philadelphia was organized, in 1847, he was chosen its first Medical Examiner. At that time, the business of life assurance, especially in regard to the right estimation of the probability of life in individual cases, was comparatively immature. Dr. Hartshorne brought his strong natural judgment and trained diagnostic ability to bear upon this subject, in what was, in this community at least, a pioneer service. For nearly thirty years he performed this duty assiduously for the Penn Mutual Company. At one time, while suffering from a bronchial attack, which ought to have kept him within doors, he was summoned as an important witness for the Company in a lawsuit. Fatigue and exposure for several hours, in the court-room and in the transit between it and his home, aggravated his attack into a serious illness. Slow convalescence and attendant debility necessitated his going South to recruit; and, indeed, his vigor of health was never thereafter entirely restored. The failure of the Company fully to appreciate this faithfulness and self-sacrifice, shown by his being not very long afterward superseded in his office, stands without reasonable justification; having its place only in that category of facts which has given rise to the proverbial expression, which may be thus freely rendered into Latin: in corporibus corporatorum corda nusquam sunt.

Early in his married life, Dr. Hartshorne became a member of the Episcopal Church. He was for some years a vestryman in the Church of the Epiphany, and afterward in St. Andrew’s, Philadelphia.

Inheriting from his father a strong constitution, with much capacity for work, he would probably have attained quite long life but for the impairment of his vital energy by the two attacks of illness which have been mentioned. After contending for eight years with chronic nephritic disease, during which period he availed himself from time to time of the very kind and able counsel and attendance of Drs. Alfred Stille, James Tyson, and Louis Starr, he passed tranquilly from this life, near midsummer, 1885, aged sixty-seven years.

Dr. Edward Hartshorne was, throughout his adult life, typically a medical man. No interest ever took his attention or activity far, or long, outside of the profession. Within its limits, he was a great reader; having in his library and on his table not only standard works, but many of value picked up in such ways as only specialists know, while looking out for publications agreeable to their tastes or useful in their labors. He was naturally conservative. This was shown by his withholding approval from the movement actively going on in his time, toward the admission of women into the medical profession. In surgery, allusion has been already made to his early hesitation in reference to the acceptance of the legitimacy of ovariotomy. Brought up under the regime of the lancet, of which his father, Dr. Joseph Hartshorne, was a frequent, though always a careful and moderate user, he never surrendered the opinion that there are cases in medical practice in which venesection is not only safe, but one of the most valuable of remedies. While, however, thus tenacious in regard to matters of principle, he was ever ready to avail himself of new discoveries applicable in practice. So far was he from being antiquated in this respect, that few physicians were better acquainted with recent developments in materia medica and pharmacy; and very few are so well provided with the knowledge of those many lesser resources and expedients, outside of all the books, which help in the make-up of a thoroughly equipped practitioner.

As to his conservatism, his position, deliberately taken, was, that it is better to be somewhat slow in the acceptance even of new truths and real improvements, than, by reckless haste in the pursuit of novelty, to be often caught by false pretensions, or follies which last but for a day. Especially may such caution be respected, indeed commended, in connection with the medical profession; on account of its weighty responsibilities in regard to the health of individuals and communities.

Personally, Dr. Hartshorne was very affable; fond of the society of his professional confreres; always deeply interested in his patients, and winning from them implicit confidence and warm attachment. Besides his skill and efficiency as a surgeon in hospital and private practice, and his sound judgment and executive ability as an active member of two important hospital managing boards, he represented, in its most attractive and estimable features, the character of a thoroughly trained, devoted, trustworthy, and always trusted, indispensable, family physician.

Select Listings

1850: Edward Hartshorn starts his business.
1870: Edward Hartshorn, Age in 1870: 53, Birth Year: abt 1817, Massachusetts, Home in 1870: Berlin, Worcester, Massachusetts, Physician, Inferred Spouse: Lucy E Hartshorn, Children: William H Hartshorn, 24, Ellen A. Hartshorn, 26 – United States Federal Census
1877-86: Hartshorn & Sons (E.H. & W.H. Hartshorn), medicines & extracts, 71 Blackstone, house at Berlin
1890: Edward Hartshorn, Physician, 71 Blackstone – Boston, Massachusetts City Directory
1906: Edward Hartshorn death, 89, 25 July 1906 in Berlin, Mass.
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Goldheim Bitters featured in Bottles and Extras

Goldheim Bitters featured in Bottles and Extras

08 August 2018

The July | August 2018 issue of Bottles and Extras has a super article on the extremely rare, Goldheim Celebrated Swiss Stomach Bitters from Baltimore. The article was written by Susan Helen Adler. This is a pretty tough-to-get Baltimore bitters square.

All FOHBC members can read online (or in the magazine, of course). Become a member of the FOHBC.

Opening spread – Bottles and Extras

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

C 101  GOLDHEIM SWISS WINE STOMACH BITTERS
L. GOLDHEIM / CELEBRATED SWISS WINE / STOMACH BITTERS // f //
NO. 278 WEST PRATT ST / BET. SHARP & HOWARD / BALTIMORE, MD. // f //
9 3/4 x 2 3/4 (7) 3/8
Square, Amber, LTCR, Applied mouth, 2 sp, Extremely rare
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