James’s W. Price’s Aromatic Stomach Bitters – New Orleans

24 July 2014 (R•021615) (R•053015)

Here is another extremely rare, New Orleans bottle from Courtney Frioux in New Orleans. I ran into Courtney this past weekend at the Houston Antique Bottle Show. We started talking about his examples of some extremely rare New Orleans bitters such as the Morison’s Invigorating Bitters, Malakoff Bitters, Aya Pana Bitters, Commander’s Aromatic Bitters, Old Hickory Bitters and Price’s Aromatic Stomach Bitters. He promised to send pictures and I have cleaned up and posted his example at the top of the post. There are two variants listed in the Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham Bitters Bottles book, both extremely rare:

P 136.5  PRICE’S AROMATIC STOMACH BITTERS

JAMES W. PRICE’S / AROMATIC STOMACH BITTERS // f //
NEW ORLEANS // f //
9 1/8 x 2 3/4 (7) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare

P 137  PRICE’S AROMATIC STOMACH BITTERS

JAMES W. PRICE’S / AROMATIC STOMACH BITTERS // f // NEW ORLEANS LA. // f //
9 1/8 x 2 3/4 (7) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare
S or New Orleans is backwards
Found in an attic in an old house in Dallas.

It’s odd, I would have sworn this was the only example out there but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had an example in my collection that I picked up for $135 or so smakaroo’s in a 2009 Glass Works Auctions event. It is the P 136.5 variant as is Courtney’s example. It was described as:

“8 7/8″h, smooth base, applied tapered collar mouth with a 1 1 /4″ long ‘U’ shaped crack located on the shoulder of one of the label panels. Extremely rare bitters bottle and because of where the damage is located, displays perfectly.”

P 136.5: James’s W. Price’s Aromatic Stomach Bitters – New Orleans – Meyer Collection

What is interesting here, to me a least, is the P 137 example with the “S” of New Orleans backwards that was found in an attic in an old house in Dallas. Let’s see if we can track down Mr. Price. I am also wondering if there is any relationship to the Price’s Patent Texas Tonic that will be exhibited at the Lexington National Antique Bottle Show, the weekend after next.

P 137: James’s W. Price’s Aromatic Stomach Bitters – Bitters Bottles

From the best that I can tell, James W. Price was in to patent medicines in New Orleans from 1874 at least 1870 to 1877. He probably made the bitters in 1875 and 1876. I am not sure how he got there or where he went except possibly Belize for some reason, but I am still looking. Why there are two variants and how one example ended up in Dallas is a mystery. [See below advertisement as to why bottles were in Dallas] I wonder who has this bottle? Notice how one of the advertisements below say Dr. Price. Maybe this post will shake some info loose. Also note the mention of Hostetter’s Bitters and Arabian Bitters in the advertisements below.

UPDATE: 16 February 2015: Earliest bitters listing I could find for Price in New Orleans. Also, the second ad may help explain why one of the bottles turned up in Dallas. Best Regards;  Corey (Stock)

Price’s Aromatic Stomach and Tonic Bitters advertisement – The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger, Sunday, March 20, 1870

Price’s Aromatic Stomach and Tonic Bitters advertisement – The Dallas Herald, March 4, 1871

Price awarded for his bitters – The Times Picayune Friday, May 17, 1872

James W. Price Select Timeline Events

1870: Price’s Aromatic Stomach and Tonic Bitters advertisement (see above) – The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger, Sunday, March 20, 1870

1871: Price’s Aromatic Stomach and Tonic Bitters advertisement (see above) – The Dallas Herald, March 4, 1871

1874: James W. Price, Patent Medicines, bds. Dryades ne. cor. Soniat – New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory

1874: James W. Price, Merchant, bds. Dryades nw. cor. Soniat – New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory

1875: James W. Price, Bitters Manufacturer, 8 Customhouse, r. St. Charles sw. cor. Lower Line. 7th Dist. – New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory

1876: James W. Price, Bitters Manufacturer, 19 Conti, r. St. Charles sw. cor. Lower Line. 7th Dist. – New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory

1877: James W. Price, r. St. Charles, sw. cor. Lower Line. 7th Dist. – New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory

1877: Numerous English and French advertisements in the Ferry Store in Napoleonville, Louisiana (see below)

1881: J. W. Price, Merchant – New Orleans Pasenger List (Says he is from Belize arriving in New Orleans) Born about 1841. Ship name: Wanderer.

English Version: Mention of Hostetter’s, Price and Arabian Bitters in Ferry Store, Napoleonville advertisement – Pioneer of Assumption, July 07, 1877

French Version: Mention of Hostetter’s, Dr. Price’s Bitters and Arabian Bitters in Ferry Store, Napoleonville advertisement – Pioneer of Assumption, December 22, 1877