A Fancy Gent?
At some point, Bitters master Bill Ham decided to call the G 52 | Dr. Goodin’s Compound Gentian Bitters a ‘fancy square’ in Bitters Bottle Supplement. The first volume of the landmark Caryln Ring & W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles simply says “Square” in describing the bottle general shape.
(Read Dr. Goddin’s Compound Gentian Bitters on eBay!)
” What is a Fancy Square?”
This got me thinking…
While the Dr. Goodin’s is certainly ornate, I see it as more architectural with its strong lines and detail. Like Frank Lloyd Wright designed the bottle. The thinking part was, “what other Fancy bitters might I have?” My first to post will be the Mishler’s Keystone Bitters which certainly is architectural with the keystone motif but obviously more fancy than a typical Mishler’s square which I have also pictured below.
M 103 MISHLER’S KEYSTONE BITTERS
H. L. MISHLER’S / KEYSTONE BITTERS // A SOLVENT REMEDY // ANTI DYSPEPTIC // motif keystone design over flat panel //
9 1/2 x 2 3/4 (7 1/2)
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, 3 sp, Beveled edges are convex. Extremely Rare
Trade Cards available
M 103 Mishler's Keystone Bitters (fancy square) - Meyer Collection
M 99 MISHLER’S HERB BITTERS, Circa 1866 – 1875
MISHLER’S HERB BITTERS // motif ruled marker 1 OZ. 5 OZ. 10 OZ. 15 OZ. /
TABLE SPOON GRADUATION // DR S. B. HARTMAN & CO // f / // s // 40 MED. DOSES // b // STOECKELS GRAD PAT. FEB 6 ‘66
L…Mishler’s Herb Bitters, Prepared Exclusively by the Proprietors, S. B.
Hartman & Co., Successors to B. Mishler, Lancaster, PA, Pittsburgh, PA.
9 x 2 3/4 (6 3/4) 3/8
Square, Amber and Yellow, LTC and LTCR, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, 3 sp, Scarce
M 99 Mishler's Herb Bitters (un-fancy square) - Meyer Collection
Note: Henry L. Mishler, 17 west King Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Henry L. Mishler was the son of Benjamin Mishler, the originator of Mishler’s Herb Bitters. Henry worked for his father in Lancaster prior to leaving his father’s company and founding his own company to produce these bitters. After selling his company, Benjamin Mishler joined his son and operated a gold
and sodium business.
Mishler's Bitters Shipping Crate - Meyer Collection
Mishler's Bitters Trade Card - Meyer Collection
Your Mishler’s KEYSTONE a gorgeous, rare bottle. Had never heard of it ’til I picked up a brass stencil for the wooden shipping box. Fancy squares are great; keep on posting them!