Fenner’s Capitol Bitters – Fredonia NY

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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

About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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