Hop Bitters trade card – Joe Gourd Collection

The Doyle’s & Soule’s Hop Bitters

Rochester, New York

07 January 2014 (R•010814) (R•052315) (R•100518)

$1,000 in gold will be paid for a case they will not cure or help.

Bitters trade card collector and authority Joe Gourd, has provided a series of Hop Bitters trade cards, a postal card and a pamphlet from his collection allowing us to look at the sometimes confused, Doyle’s Hop Bitters and Dr. Soule’s Hop Bitters from Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company in Rochester, New York. Joe’s e-mail is noted below:

Ferd, saw your post for Doyle’s Hop Bitters. It got me checking with Ring and Ham (Bitters Bottles and Bitters Bottles Supplement).

I have a number of trade cards that just say “Hop Bitters”. Some also say “Hop Bitters Co., Rochester, N.Y.” According to your post, these cards could be for Doyle’s Hop Bitters (D 93), Hop Bitters (H 171 L), or Soule’s Hop Bitters (S 145). Since they didn’t specifically say “Doyle’s”, I had catalogued them as “Hop Bitters” (H 171 L). But now I think they are more likely Doyle’s Hop Bitters*. And, because most trade cards were printed between 1880 and 1900, these cards are most likely some of Soule’s advertising. What do you think?

Joe

Hop Bitters trade card front, Rochester, N.Y. – Joe Gourd Collection

Hop Bitters trade card back, Hop Bitters Mfg. Co., Rochester, N.Y. – Joe Gourd Collection

PRG: Yes, Joe. These are Asa T. Soule cards from the Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company in Rochester, New York. Soule succeeded Doyle. Soulke also put out New York Hop Bitters.

One Cent advertising postal card promoting Hop Bitters, Hop Bitters Mfg Co., Rochester, N.Y. – Joe Gourd Collection

DOYLE’S HOP BITTERS – John D. Doyle

John D. Doyle of Rochester, New York patented Doyle’s Hop Bitters in 1872. That same year he gave sole proprietorship to Asa T. Soule, a Quaker and long-time patent medicine salesman. Asa and his son Wilson devoted all their energies and money to immediately promoting the brand and evidently bought ownership from Doyle the following year and became the primary owner of the Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co., with Doyle receiving a small royalty.

For general debility, biliousness, nervousness, neuralgia, indigestion, fever and ague, liver complaint, mental depression and all kidney and urinary diseases. Compounded from hops, buchu, mandrake, dandelion, etc. Under the best medical ability existing.

D 93 – John D. Doyle, Proprietor and Manufacturer, DOYLE’S HOP BITTERS, Nos. 48 and 50 Mill Street, Rochester, N.Y., Nov 26, 1873 – Bitters Bottles Supplement

Doyle’s Hop Bitters tonal color and hop leaf study run – Meyer Collection

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles for the Doyle’s Hop Bitters is as follows:

D 93 DOYLES HOP BITTERS

// s // DOYLES // HOP // BITTERS // 1872 //
sp // sp // sp // motif hop berries with leaves //
Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co. Rochester, N.Y. Toronto, Ont. London, England
9 5/8 x 2 3/4 (6 1/4)
Square, DLTC, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, 4 sp, Amber – Common; Yellow and Yellow olive – Rare

Label: For general debility, biliousness, nervousness, neuralgia, indigestion, fever and ague, liver complaint, mental depression and all kidney and urinary diseases. Compounded from hops, buchu, mandrake, dandelion, etc. Under the best medical ability existing. Dosage in English and German.

“Here’s a photo of my Hop Bitters. What is cool is the base has a large E embossed on it. I have never seen another one, have you? Not a rare find but still interesting.” – Jim Bender

Doyle’s Hop Bitters advertisement from John D. Doyle, Nos. 48 and 50 Mill St., Rochester, N.Y. – 1873 City of Rochester, NY Directory

John. D. Doyle

For general debility, biliousness, nervousness, neuralgia, indigestion, fever and ague, liver complaint, mental depression and all kidney and urinary diseases. Compounded from hops, buchu, mandrake, dandelion, etc. Under the best medical ability existing.

SOULE’S HOP BITTERS – Asa T. & Wilson Soule

Asa Titus Soule was born in Duanesburg, New York on August 2, 1824 and died on January 17, 1890, at his home in Rochester. He was one of eleven children born to Enos and Mary Titus Soule. His early life was passed in comparative obscurity, but he became famous shortly after 1872, when he incorporated a company with a capital of $125,000 to manufacture a medicinal preparation, known as Hop Bitters. Soule strengthened the formula, changed the name to Hop Bitters, the invalid’s friend and hope, and moved the plant to Rochester in 1873. The product took off, and Soule eventually became a millionaire. He began to sponsor amateur sports, offering prizes. Baseball was gaining in popularity and Soule took on the city of Rochester team. Soon he bought the bankrupt club of Albany and re-named them the “Rochester Hop Bitters”; The local ballpark became “Hop Bitters Park”. Soule ventured into other sports promotions, none of which were very successful.

Rochester Hop Bitters Base Ball Club photograph – Legendary Auctions

The sale of the Hop Bitters preparation reached astonishing proportions and led to the establishment of branch offices and laboratories in Toronto, London, Antwerp, Belgium and Melbourne, the sale being in turn stimulated by these agencies. Mr. Soule gained a fortune from his industry, which he invested mainly in lands in Kansas, where, at one time, he controlled a whole county.

Asa was married to Marilla S. Hubbard in September 1852. His son, Wilson Soule was born in South Butler, Wayne county, New York on September 4, 1854 and died in Rochester in July 25, 1894, in consequence of injuries received from a runaway accident. Wilson attended schools in the country and one at Lyons, New York, until nearly of age, and then in 1873 joined his father in the manufacture of Hop Bitters, becoming secretary of The Hop Bitters Co. After his father’s death in 1890, he retired to give his whole attention to the management of an estate, which included not only lands but the securities of irrigating canal companies, railroads and banks. Mr. Soule was a man of generous nature and gave liberally from, ample means to charities and education. Married in 1881 to Miss Frances Parkhurst, he became the father of Martha, Ethel and Asa Titus Soule. He was a member of the Rochester, Whist and Genesee clubs and of the Knights of the Mystic Shrine.

Hop Bitters poster at Newcastle on Tyne in England in 1880. – submitted by Billy Embleton

Asa was somewhat of an eccentric in many ways including the way he advertised their medicines and perhaps that’s what made him a fortune by the 1880s. Soule also had very large interests in Western Kansas ands thereunder of Soule College at Dodge City and the president and owner of the First National bank there. He also owned more than half the town of Ingalls, which became the county seat of Gray County. When H. H. Warner, out of Rochester began making inroads into his medicine business. Soule returned and went on to very successful.

The glass bill for bottles was $40,000 to $50,000 yearly, and from 70,000 to 80,000 boxes were used in the shipment of goods, which were handled by 30,000 dealers.

Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company

Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co. – The Industries of the City of Rochester, 1888

As noted above, Asa T. Soule was the president of the Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company and Wilson Soule was the secretary. This is noted on the advertisement below. Their company was located on Mill Street in Rochester, New York and occupied four floors. The trade was general, including England, France, Belgium, Holland, Australia and South America. The annual advertising bills were $170,000 to $180,000. The glass bill for bottles was $40,000 to $50,000 yearly, and from 70,000 to 80,000 boxes were used in the shipment of goods, which were handled by 30,000 dealers.

Hop Bitters advertisement from Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co., A .T. Soule, Pres. and Wilson Soule, Sec’y, No 50 Mill St., Rochester, N.Y. – 1878 City of Rochester, NY Directory

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

S 145 DR SOULES HOP BITTERS

// s // DR SOULES // HOP // BITTERS // 1872 //
sp // sp // sp // motif hop flowers & leaf // b // 5913 ( ) //
9 1/4 x 2 11/16 (6)
Square, Amber, Yellow and Yellow Olive, LTC, Applied mouth, 3 sp, Common
See note at Doyle’s. Also manufacturers of Dr. Soule’s Pills.

The very similar, Dr. Soule’s Hop Bitters – Meyer Collection

Promotion pamphlet for Hop Bitters, Hop Bitters Mfg,. Co., Rochester, N.Y. – Joe Gourd Collection.

New York Hop Bitters – New York Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company

New York Hop Bitters was made by Asa Soule and the New York Hop Bitters Company in Rochester New York. Many of the examples were made in Australia.

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

N 28 NEW YORK HOP BITTERS

Motif of American flag with 20 stars and 11 stripes / NEW YORK / HOP / BITTERS / COMPANY // f // f // f //
9 3/4 x 2 7/8
Square semi-cabin, LTC, Applied mouth, Aqua, Common
Pale green, Extremely rare; Yellow-olive, Very rare

Note: There are a number of variants of the New York Hop Bitters with variations in the flag, size of embossing and sizes, with the square beveled corner mold. Examples in colors other than shades of aqua and those with the raised rounded corners are rare.

New York Hop Bitters Manufacturing Company bottle – ABCR Auctions

New York Hop Bitters Company bottle in aqua – Meyer Collection

Advertisement for Hop Bitters from Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co., Melbourne, Australia, Rochester, N.Y., Toronto, London, Antwerp and Paris – The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), Saturday, August 25, 1883

I am wondering if the next trade cards might be more directly related to the labeled Hop Bitters. Hard to tell…

H 171 L… Hop Bitters // s // DOYLE’S // HOP // BITTERS // 1872 //
Hop Bitters Manufacturing Co.
48 & 50 Mill Street, Rochester, New York
9 3/8 x 2 3/4 (6)
Square, Amber, LTCR, 4 sp
Label over motif of hop flowers

Use Hop Bitters trade Card – Joe Gourd Collection

Use Hop Bitters trade Card – Joe Gourd Collection

Try Hop Bitters trade Card – Joe Gourd Collection

References: The Industries of the City of Rochester, The Sole Society, America’s successful men of affairs. An encyclopedia of contemporaneous biography

The Doyle’s & Soule’s Hop Bitters – Rochester, N.Y.