Dr. Von Hopf’s Curacoa or Curaco (or Curacao) Bitters

Posted on 14 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Dr. Von Hopf’s Curacoa or Curaco (or Curacao) Bitters

14 June 2012 (R•070414) (R•102914) (R•102015) (R•091416)

Apple-Touch-IconAIt is always exciting to hear and get information about a Bitters bottle that I do not have. In this case it is the recently surfaced (dug) DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS in a yellow amber (pictured below). The bottle is in transit to Peachridge for inspection. The sender noted, “There are quite a few olive streaks running both vertically and  horizontally. They REALLY jump out in natural light, especially in the neck. You can see them in the pics. The longest line runs through the length of the  neck, curving down and culminating at the “V” in Von. Stunning”.

I can see from the pictures that the Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham number in Bitters Bottles is V 27. I am also very interested to see if this example has an applied top.

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS – Top two represent pictures of the bottle as it appeared on eBay in late 2011. Description as follows. It has a nice applied Trapezoidal Top. There are characteristics consistent with a bottle that has been dug up after many years underground including iridescent staining over most of it’s entirety. If held to the light there appears to be 2 cracks inside the bottle but it may be some staining, I’m not sure. It has whittle marks on the neck and top. I think all of the staining will clean up on this bottle. From the sender: The bottom two pictures show a light cleaning as described. The bottle has not been polished, but I cut it for two days to remove stain and some crazing. A light polish for 2-3 days would give it a high lustre, without causing the orange peel or waxy finish we don’t care for. The embossing was protected, so there was no loss there. There are quite a few olive streaks running both vertically and horizontally. They REALLY jump out in natural light, especially in the neck. You can see them in the pics. The longest line runs through the length of the neck, curving down and culminating at the “V” in Von. Stunning.

I presently have an example of the Dr. Von Hopf’s Curacao Bitters rectangular flask that is numbered V 28 (pictured further below).

“There are quite a few olive streaks running both vertically and  horizontally. They REALLY jump out in natural light, especially in the neck. You can see them in the pics. The longest line runs through the length of the  neck, curving down and culminating at the “V” in Von. Stunning”

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS showing olive striations starting in lip

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS showing olive striations in neck

This prompted me look around for more variants and additional information. I have posted what I found below. Please note the different embossing on each bottle and the spelling of CURACO. The alternate spelling on some of the bottles is CURACOA. The liquer spelling, that we are familiar with, is Curacao.

According to Wikipedia: Curaçao s a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved unsuitable to Valencia cultivation, resulting in small bitter fruit on the trees. But the aromatic peel maintained much of the essence of the Valencia varietal, and the trees were eventually bred into the current laraha cultivar, whose fruits remain inedibly bitter.

The drink was first developed and marketed by the Senior family (an old Caribbean family of Spanish Jewish descent) in the 19th century. To create the liqueur the laraha peel is dried, bringing out the sweetly fragranced oils. After soaking in a still with alcohol and water for several days, the peel is removed and other spices are added.

The liqueur has an orange-like flavor with varying degrees of bitterness. It is naturally colorless, but is often given artificial coloring, most commonly blue or orange, which confers an exotic appearance to cocktails and other mixed drinks. Blue color is achieved by adding of food colorant, most often E133 Brilliant Blue. High-end Curaçaos, like Grand Marnier, are based on cognac (or other aged spirits), giving the Curaçao a natural rust-orange color.

Some other liqueurs are also sold as Curaçaos with different flavors added, such as coffee, chocolate, and rum and raisin.

Chamberlain Medicine Company advertisement. Note the Dr. Von Hopf’s Bitters listings.

Chamberlain Medicine Company

There are two distinct bottles made by Chamberlain Medicine Company. One is a square and the other is the more common flask, both being made in various shades of amber.  There are three distinct variations of the flask and two varieties of the square bottle.

[from The Antique Bottles of Iowa, 1846- 1915, by Burggraaf & Southard, 1998.]

You can tell the difference in Chamberlain bottles by the embossing used. Mainly, those bottles having the Chamberlain & Co. embossing date from 1882 to 1892 while the bottles that are embossed Chamberlain Medicine Company date after 1892. All of the Chamberlain bottles can be dated this way except for the bitters. After the name change in the company in 1892, all of the bottles ordered were embossed with the new company name while the bitters bottles retained the old Chamberlain & Co. embossing.

The difference in the two different eras can be identified by several subtle details. On the flasks, the earlier examples have a diagonal hinge mold base mark while the newer examples have the typical style base seen on bottles manufactured during the 1890s up to 1910. The earlier flasks also have a definite raised panel effect on the front panel while the newer examples do not. The older flasks may also have a slightly cruder applied or gloppy top as opposed to the more perfect tooled tops of the newer flasks. A new discovery in 2001 produced perhaps the first flask used by the Chamberlain & Co. firm in Des Moines. The embossing is identical to the early amber flasks including the hinge mold base mark. This example however is aqua and has a crude, gloppy lip that would ordinarily make you think it was an 1860s bottle, but of course could only be dated to 1882 at the earliest.

The age difference in the squares can be identified by similar traits found in the flasks.  The earlier squares have the older base mark and applied tops and more variation in color while the newer examples are more uniform with little variation in the amber coloration.

Overall, the flasks seem to outnumber the squares by at least a five to one

I guess my biggest surprise was the postal history and covers that I found online for Chamberlain Medicine Company. The number of their products expanded greatly and sales reached to an international scale, for the company had branches in Australia, South Africa and Canada (see postal covers below).

[from Australian Postal History and Social Philately]

As the state of Iowa grew so did the businesses and industries. In the spring of 1872, Lowell Chamberlain moved to Marion, Iowa to engage in the druggist trade. He formed a partnership with Dr. Norman Owen who had practiced in Marion since 1863, establishing the firm of Owen & Chamberlain producing various patent medicines for local sale. In 1882, Davis Chamberlain bought out Dr. Owen’s share and the 2 brothers moved to Des Moines, establishing what would become the largest patent medicine business in Iowa. In 1892 the name of the firm was changed from Chamberlain & Co. to Chamberlain Medicine Company.

By 1900 the company was flourishing in a large new plant located at 702 Sixth Avenue, Des Moines. The number of products expanded greatly and sales reached to an international scale, for the company had branches in Australia, South Africa and Canada. In the early 1900s the Sydney branch of the company published a sixteen page booklet about Stomach Diseases – Alternative treatment, a copy of which is held at the National Library of Australia.

About 1910 Davis bought the business from Lowell, and Davis also built the Chamberlain Hotel in Des Moines (see postcard picture below). Around 1925, Davis Chamberlain sold the Chamberlain Medicine Company to St. Louis, Missouri interests, retaining only the Chamberlain Golden Touch Lotion.

A copy of Chamberlain’s Almanac in 1923 advertised popular products such as Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy, Chamberlain’s Liniment and Chamberlain’s Pain Balm. The bottles and containers for many of the Chamberlain Medicine Co. can be found on the internet, including a pre-1892 Chamberlain & Co. ‘Diarrhoea Remedy for colic, cholera and ( ); Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy for Coughs, Colds, Croup, Sore Throat; Chamberlain’s Eye & Skin Ointment priced at 25 cents for sore eyes, tetters, ring worm, scald head, barber’s itch, piles, burns, scalds, frostbites, chilblains, frozen feet, sore nipples, chapped hands , chronic sores, and for diseases of horses, etc; and, Chamberlain’s Pain-Balm, a liniment for external use only for Rheumatism, neuralgia, sciatica, lame back, lumbago, gout, etc.

V 27  DR VON HOPF’S CURACOA BITTERS, Circa 1880s & 90s
f // DR VON HOPF’S / CURACOA BITTERS // f // CHAMBERLAIN & CO / DES MOINES IOWA // f //
9 1/4 x 2 3/4 (6 3/4) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, 2 sp, Scarce
Drug Catalogs: 1887 MP small & large, 1901-2 JP&K Co.

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS (recently dug)

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS (recently dug)

V27_AGG13

V 27 DR. HOPF’S CURACO BITTERS – American Glass Gallery Auction #13

v27vonhopfs_heckler141

“Dr Von Hopf’s / Curaco Bitters” – “Chamberlain & Co / Des Moines Iowa” Bitters Bottle, America, 1860-1880. Square with beveled corners, brilliant yellow amber, tooled sloping collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 1/2 inches; (1/8 inch flake from mouth edge). R/H #V-27 Beautiful bright color. Bold embossing. Generally fine condition. – Heckler Premier Auction #141

V 28  DR VON HOPF’S CURACOA BITTERS, Circa 1890
f // DR VON HOPF’S // CHAMBERLAIN & CO / DES MOINES / IOWA // CURACOA BITTERS //
7 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 1 1/2 (5)
Lettering on raised panels
Rectangular, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, Common
Drug Catalogs: 1896 -7 and 1901-2  JP&K Co

V 28 DR VON HOPFS CURACOA BITTERS – Meyer Collection

V 28 DR VON HOPFS CURACOA BITTERS – Meyer Collection (I added this bottle after the post. Look at the great character. Applied top too. Could be one of the best out there. Thanks to Jeff Burkhardt)

084

“DR VON HOPFS – CURACOA BITTERS – CHAMBERLAIN & CO / DES MOINES / IOWA”, (Ring/Ham, V-28), Iowa, ca. 1880 – 1895, yellow amber, 7 7/8”h, smooth base, tooled mouth, 95% original label and contents. The bottle is perfect. A common bottle but we have never sold one with label and contents. – Glass Works Auctions

LabeledVonHopfs

What is interesting is that the label reads Dr. Von Hopf’s Curacao Tonic Bitters…but the embossing on the bottle reads Dr. Von Hopf’s Curacao Bitters. – Marlena VanHelsing

chamberlainsaqua_heckler141

“Dr. Von Hopfs / Curacoa Bitters / Chamberlain & Co / Des Moines / Iowa” Bitters Bottle, America, 1870-1890. Rectangular with strap sides and rounded corners, aquamarine, applied sloping collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 7 3/8 inches; (professionally cleaned, potstone near reverse base has two radiating legs and loss of surface glass). R/H #V-28 One of two known examples in this rare, unlisted color. – Heckler Premier Auction #141.

V 29  DR VON HOPF’S CURACOA BITTERS, Circa 1870’s
DR VON HOPF’S // CURACOA BITTERS // f // O & C / MARION / IOWA // f //
O & C – full size, Marion, Iowa – half as large
O & C. – stands for Owens and Chamberlain
9 1/4 x 2 3/4 (6 3/4) 1/4
Square, Amber, LTC, 2 sp, Extremely rare
von-hopfs_heckler141

“Dr Von Hopf’s / Curaco Bitters” – “O & C Marion / Iowa” Bitters Bottle, America, 1860-1880. Square with beveled corners, medium amber, applied sloping collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 1/8 inches; (areas of heavy scratching and roughness on mouth, neck and shoulder). R/H #V-29 Listed as extremely rare. Bold embossing. – Heckler Premier Auction #141

vonhopfs2_heckler141

“Dr Von Hopf’s / Curaco Bitters” – “O & C Marion / Iowa” Bitters Bottle, America, 1860-1880. Square with beveled corners, medium amber, applied sloping collared mouth – smooth base, ht. 9 1/8 inches; (areas of heavy scratching and roughness on mouth, neck and shoulder). R/H #V-29 Listed as extremely rare. Bold embossing. – Heckler Premier Auction #141

Directory of Marion City – 1878 Linn County History

Dr. Norman W. Owens and his medical career; an earnest student of analytical yet comprehensive mind, he became a pioneer in the discovery of new remedies for human ailments and while he formulated and compounded many preparations now of common use, his greatest achievement was the discovery and composition of Owen and Chamberlain’s now Chamberlain’s Colic, Cholera and Diarrhea Remedy, a world wide panacea, of which Dr. Owen’s was the sole and undisputed originator. This alone places him among the “immortals” in the realm of medicine. He died in Marion in 1880. This, then, is the original and oldest of the Dr. Von Hopf’s.

It is likely that V 29, as listed in the original book, was inaccurate. It seems the addition of O & C makes the description complete as the bottle with the initials fits the rest of the description.

V 29.9  DR VON HOPF’S CURACOA BITTERS
DR VON HOPF’S // O & C / MARION / IOWA // CURACOA BITTERS
7 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 1 5/8 (5 3/4)
Rectangular, Clear, LTC, Scarce
Lettering reads base to shoulder

Original Chamberlain Medicine Co. Billhead with Dr. Von Hopf’s Curocoa Bitters listed – eBay

The cover is unusual in that it appears to have originated at the Chamberlain Medicine Co. Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, the block of five red 1d ‘N.S.W. Shield’ stamp has been cancelled SUVA/ 23/ JAN 12/ (FIJI) and it has been addressed to the Chamberlain Medicine Co., Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. There were no cancellations on the reverse. – Australian Postal History and Social Philately

The second cover has the identical return address and the green ½d and blue 2d N.S.W. stamps have been cancelled in a suburb of Sydney ULTIMO/ 2( ) DE 11 4 15 P/ N.S.W. It is addressed to Miss E. May Spring, c/ Chamberlain Medicine Co., Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. – Australian Postal History and Social Philately

The reverse of the cover pictured above has a roller cancel SYDNEY, NSW, 1911 and a red label is stuck on the flap and reads in part: Just what you need/ CHAMBERLAIN’S TABLETS/ Stomach & Liver/ For Sale By/ ALL CHEMISTS and STOREKEEPERS – Australian Postal History and Social Philately

Des Moines Iowa IA 1910 Royal, Chamberlain & Elliott Hotels Vintage Postcard

Posted on Civil War Medicine (and Writing) by Jim Schmidt – Here are some photos of the latest addition to my patent/quack medicine collection: Chamberlain’s Colic Remedy (c. 1935). The medicine was introduced in the 1880’s by the Chamberlain Medicine Co. of Des Moines, Iowa. It seems to have been sold into the 1940’s. There are several reports in the early 1900’s to this medicine and it is not hard to see why. The ingredients included 45% alcohol, ether, chloroform, and chlorbutanol (1930’s)…earlier formulations included narcotics such as morphine.

ChamberlainCrate

FROM CHAMBERLAIN MEDICINE COMPANY – DES MOUNES. IOWA Shipping Crate

Posted in Bitters, Digging and Finding, eBay, Liqueurs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cool Bottle Embossings

Posted on 13 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Cool Bottle Embossings

13 June 2012

Apple-Touch-IconAThe recent post for RADAM’S MICROBE KILLER (read: From Texas – Wm. Radam’s Microbe Killer) with the uniquely embossed patient beating off death and a skeleton, I started to think about other bottles and jars that had cool embossing. In this gathering exercise, I excluded all of the great Historical Portrait and Eagle Flasks and glass with embossing such as monuments, trains, trees or non-living objects like a mug of beer. I just wanted to look around for full figure humans or animals.

This is a living and breathing post, meaning I would like to collect and add other examples if the subject image fits the criteria noted above. An obvious missing example would be an Indian. Thanks!

The popular and strongly embossed walking bear on the western OLD PIONEER WHISKEY – photo Jeff Wichmann

‘The Dancing Indian” Cologne – The whitest of white opaque glass, attributed to Stanger glass works; circa 1848-1853. – Gary Katzen Collection

TRAVELLERS BITTERS (note spelling of Travellers) with prominently embossed man with walking stick. Man is most likely General Robert E. Lee – photo Ferdinand Meyer V

The gorgeous PACIFIC CONGRESS WATER with embossed running deer – photo Jeff Wichmann

The walking Dingo on a SYDNEY TRADE MARK DINGO FRUIT JAR – ABCR Auctions

Lions head embossing on a LYON & SONS BREWING beer bottle from Newark, N.J.. – photo Jim Eifler

Jockey on racing horse – LONDON CLUB HOUSE GIN. My wife Elizabeth, has a recently dug horse and rider shard. She wants to make a piece of jewelry. – photo Ferdinand Meyer V

Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods is embossed on the QUANT BREWING bottle. This embossing and color is fantastic. – photo Rick DeMarsh

The classic embossed alligator on a THE RIVER SWAMP CHILL AND FEVER CURE bottle from Augusta, Georgia

On of my favorites is the SCOTT’S EMULSION of PURE COD LIVER OIL with embossed fisherman and fish. Hate to walk a mile with that guy on my back!

Three embossed cocks on a DR. MICHAEL COX’S BITTERS. Notice how the rooster on the right is facing the other two cocks. Notice the word relationship between Cox and Cocks. – photo Ferdinand Meyer V

One of my favorites, embossed general on an OLD CONTINENTAL WHISKEY. New Meyer acquisition – photo Ed Gray

The elaborately embossed stags head on a FLACCUS BROS Fruit Jar. This has to be the most ornate fruit jar out there.

Embossed patient beating off death and a skeleton on a RADAM’S MICROBE KILLER. This is the piece that prompted this post.

Exceptionally embossed servant with bottle of PHILADELPHIA HOP BITTERS. I love the bow tie. – photo Travis Dunn

Embossed running horse on a HORSE SHOE BITTERS. I tried many years to get this bottle and was successful in the Grapentine Auctuin. – photo Ferdinand Meyer V

Patent medicine with embossing of a huge bird/man/dragon embossed on the front which is known to people in the area as the Piasa Bird. The Piasa Bird was painted by Indians on the bluffs above the Mississippi River near Jerseyville. JERSEYVILLE, ILLS embossed on one side and P.W.B.L. Co. This stood for Pitts Wonderful Black Liniment.

Here is a unusual rare colored western medicine bottle. Circa 1880’s, Honey Amber, 4 1/2″ tall, 2 ” x 1 3/8″ in diameter at the base. flared tooled top, base embossed with: “W.T.& Co.”. All embossing is on the front panel: DAMASCUS. TRADE MARK STODDART BROS. COR. GEARY & MASON STS. SAN FRANCISCO. Motif embossed with an Arabian Prince, Camel and a landscaped palace. – left photo Randy Taylor (notice Benicia iridescence)

Pegasus, the winged devine horse is proudly embossed on a HARTMANN & FEHRENBACH BREWING CO. WILMINGTON, DELAWARE beer bottle submitted by Rick DeMarsh. Matt Greig comments that there are over 40 different Hartmann & Fehrenbach bottles from Wilmington.

SINGLE STROKE ANTISEPTIC THE GREATEST GERM DESTROYER OF ALL MANUFACTURED BY THE WALKER CHEMICAL COMPANY DALLAS TEXAS. Both one of a kind. The company was only in business for one year. The bottles are from two different molds. The graphic is of the myth of St. George who cured a village of illness by slaying a dragon – Brad Seigler

Posted in Ales & Ciders, Bitters, Breweriana, Cologne, Fruit Jars, Gin, Medicines & Cures, Mineral Water, Spirits, Whiskey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

James Noyes – Hollywood, Mississippi & the Imperial Levee

Posted on 13 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

James Noyes – Hollywood, Mississippi & the Imperial Levee

13 June 2012 (R•032319)

For the past few months I have been tracking down leads on some extremely rare Mississippi Bitters bottles where I am developing separate posts thru a few leads provided by Richard Kramerich.

More leads and information came in yesterday when Richard connected me to Justin McClure in Jackson, Mississippi. Justin is an authority on Mississippi bottles and their history. Justin compiled the information and was the editor of Mississippi Antique Bottles and Jugs (above) put out by the Mississippi Antique Bottle Club in 2004 (revised Third Edition).

During our conversation, we discussed the famous IMPERIAL / LEVEE / J. NOYES / HOLLYWOOD, MISS and a previous post on Peachridge Glass. Justin was kind enough to provide some outstanding new information which I am posting below. He also sent pictures of two, one-of-a-kind Imperial Levee examples, one being in green and the other having an altered mold. Wow. This is really exciting. Thanks Richard and Justin.

Top post picture courtesy Heckler Auctions, 2019

In this nice lineup of Mississippi bottle, you will see the only known example of a IMPERIAL LEVEE in green (far right)

Unembossed (no typography) example found at a local yard sale in Sacramento. – Kevin

JAMES NOYES

HOLLYWOOD, MISSISSIPPI

By Sim Callon & George Chatham

Several examples exist of the most spectacular known bottle from Mississippi. The relatively large number remaining, from what must have been a very small original production, attests that these beautiful bottles were “keepers” at the time they were issued.

Fashioned to resemble a tree stump covered with grape vines, embossed “IMPERIAL / LEVEE. / J. NOYES. / HOLLYWOOD / MISS.”, and with iron or open pontil, these are truly attractive and unusual examples of the glass blower’s art.

Three variations are known to exist: one in green and a number in amber, one of which was altered with a “doughnut” on the shoulder and with lip flared to form a sort of decanter (see picture below).

Typical amber IMPERIAL LEVEE (left) and the IMPERIAL LEVEE (right) that was altered with a “doughnut” on the shoulder and with lip flared to form a sort of decanter.

James Noyes was born at Bristol, England, in 1799. He emigrated to Natchez, Mississippi as a young man, and declared for citizenship in 1835. This was granted in 1837.

James’ older brother, William B., also moved to the Natchez area. William died in October, 1823. There is some speculation that James may have married his brother’s widow, Elizabeth.

Noyes apparently was a versatile individual. He placed newspaper ads in 1835 offering himself as a sign and house painter, paper hanger and glazier, and in 1839 for gardening and grounds work. During this period, his wife made and sold corsets to the ladies of Natchez from their home on Franklin Street. In the 1840’s Noyes authored several widely read articles explaining the fine points of successful grape culture.

Noyes obtained 41 acres of land three miles north of Natchez on the road to Washington, Mississippi, by purchasing adjacent parcels in 1842 and 1844. He moved there from his house in Natchez, and named the property “Hollywood”. He planted 2 1/2 acres in scuppernong grape vines and farmed approximately 18 acres. The remainder was unimproved woodland.

Under his expert care the vineyard flourished and quickly yielded record sized grapes of superior quality and unusually fine flavor. Actual pressing of wine began in September of 1846, and in January of 1848 Noyes carried his first bottle to the Louisiana State Fair at Baton Rouge.

The census of 1850 shows James Noyes to be a “vintner” (sic) and his wife, Elizabeth, also born in England, to be ten years his senior. There were no children listed in the household. Noyes was not a wealthy man. He did own two slaves valued at $1,800. The census shows that he also owned one horse and four sheep and produced 25 bushels of Irish potatoes and 100 bushels of sweet potatoes. The total value of his holdings in 1850 was $8,000.

Noyes died suddenly on August 23, 1852 after being seized by a “congestive chill”. He was buried near his beloved grape vines on Hollywood. The exact location of his grave has long been lost. Elizabeth sold Hollywood to Natchez druggist George W. Fox in 1857.

Noye’s estate included slave Foster, 34 years old, and George, age 15. Also 70 gallons of wine and, fortunately for today’s collectors, four cases of “fancy bottles”.

Questions are generated by the artistically detailed wine bottles bearing J. Noyes name. Where were they made? What was the meaning of “Imperial Levee”? And how could this small and immature vineyard justify the variety of fancy bottles that must have been expensive even 150 years ago?

The answer may never be found. But bottle collectors are very appreciative of the legacy left by this obscure resident of antebellum Mississippi.

Read More: The big star in Hollywood, Mississippi is the Imperial Levee

Unembossed example Figural Grapes

Cobalt blue IMPERIAL LEVEE on right – Aprill Collection

Lot: 76 Early Figural Wine Bottle, America, 1860-1870. Cylindrical with heavily embossed grapes and grape leaves, brilliant cobalt blue, applied mouth with ring – smooth base, ht. 9 7/8 inches. This is the unembossed mate to “Imperial / Levee / J. Noyes. / Hollywood / Miss.” figural bottle. The unembossed bottle is rarer than the embossed example. Extremely rare color. One of two known examples. Fine condition. Dr. Charles and Jane Aprill collection. Estimate: $12,000 – $24,000 Minimum bid: $6,000 Closing Price: $24,000 – The Aprill Collection: Blue Bottles & Glass, Session I Premier Auction 172 at HECKLER.

Posted in Article Publications, Club News, Figural Bottles, History, Publications, Wine & Champagne | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I didn’t know I had a Robert Portner Bottle

Posted on 13 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I like it when I hear from someone who has been looking at a topic on the Peachridge Glass site. In this case it is in regards to my comments to Rick DeMarsh and his fine Robert Portner Brewing Co. – Alexandria, Virginia page over at RicksBottleRoom.com. This creates dialogue and interaction. Rick has given new life to a bottle and put a story with the glass. Others have connected with it.

Email and pictures from Jack Stecher in Rochester, New York.

Hi Ferd.

I continue to enjoy all your postings. Wonderful forum and interesting group of subjects, as always. Thanks for all you do.

Your recent post on the Robt. Portner Brewing Co., Alexandria, Va. and a great history post by Rick DeMarsh got me thinking. At the Rochester bottle show last April, I traded a couple local souvenir booklets at the for a “green” beer bottle. I hadn’t paid much attention to the name, but thought it might be an interesting bottle to a collector from Va. We don’t see many “green” glass beers up this way.

I put it out for sale at the Mansfield show last May, but I don’t think anyone even bothered to look at it, probably because it wasn’t local? Anyway, I just retrieved it from the sale box, and lo and behold it’s a Portner bottle. I don’t collect “beers” or Va. bottles, but thought someone of your readers might be interested. I have attached photos. The “bail” type stopper is still attached, but somewhat rusty. The bottle is overall nice and clean, with only minor scratches, etc. I find it interesting too that the reverse is embossed “this bottle not to be sold” so it could be reused, I assume.

Rick’s bottle room is also an interesting and informative site. Thanks for the reference.

Jack 

Read More: The Robert Portner Brewing Co. – Alexandria, Virginia

The Robert Portner Brewing Co. - Alexandria, Virginia - Tivoli Beer

The Robert Portner Brewing Co. - Alexandria, Virginia - Tivoli Beer

The Robert Portner Brewing Co. - Alexandria, Virginia - Tivoli Beer

The Robert Portner Brewing Co. - Alexandria, Virginia - Tivoli Beer

Posted in Ales & Ciders, Breweriana, News, Peachridge Glass | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dale Sanders – Photojournalist – Editor – Travel Photographer

Posted on 12 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Recently Dale Sanders wrote a story in the Antique Bottle and Glass Collector magazine about the upcoming FOHBC Reno Expo this 27-29 July. I immediately connected with his wonderful photography and asked for more information as I knew I had seen and heard his name before. After some correspondence back and forth and looking at all his great photos, Dale allowed me to develop this post. Small world. What an extraordinary individual.

Visit Dales web site: Dale Sanders – Photojournalist – Editor – Travel Photographer

Diving photograph credited to Dale Sanders (travel Editor for Antique Bottle and Glass Collector)

Dale is a multi-award winning photojournalist and travel photographer specializing in: Islands & coastal destination travel, cruise & adventure travel, luxury destination travel, tropical resort destinations, historical travel, antiques & collectibles, outdoor & water sports travel, spa & well being travel, boating & maritime history, and other specialty destination topics. He is also the Travel Editor for Antique Bottle and Glass Collector Magazine (See Article) and a member of the Suncoast Antique Bottle Collector’s Association.

Dale allowed me to post a few of my favorite pictures. I will also connect you back to a gallery with more pictures of Dales work with bottles. See Dale Sanders photography gallery.

Reno Bottle Collector - photo Dale Sanders

Reno Bottle Collector - photo Dale Sanders

Reno Bottle Collector - photo Dale Sanders

Posted in Article Publications, Collectors & Collections, Diving, News, Photography | Tagged | Leave a comment

From Texas – Wm. Radam’s Microbe Killer

Posted on 12 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Hunt's Remedy art and Radam's Microbe Killer art

I developed a post yesterday on the wonderful graphics and associated material related to Hunts Remedy from Providence, Rhode Island. (Read: Fighting Skeleton and Beating off Death – Hunt’s Remedy). The symbolic skeleton, scythe, hour glass and patient using a bottle of Hunt’s Remedy to beat away death is outstanding. During the post I was constantly thinking of Radam’s Microbe Killer and wondering how similar the graphics were as they both used similar art (see above).

GERM BACTERIA OR FUNGUS DESTROYER Wm RADAM'S MICROBE KILLER {man beating skeleton} REGISTERED TRADE MARK DEC 13, 1887 CURES ALL DISEASES - Cure Bottle Hall of Fame - antiquebottles.com

Many of us own an example of a Radam’s simply because of the pronounced embossed graphics on the bottle face (see above). If you look at the graphics, (refer to the advertising art as it is easiest to see) you will notice the absence of the hourglass and that the scythe is broken into pieces. The gentlemen is also not using a bottle to beat the skeleton as in the Hunt’s Remedy art. The Radam’s Microbe Killer art substitutes a club with the Radam’s product name written on the club side.

Mr. Radam was an interesting man as you will see and really knew how to spin a story and appeal to peoples fears. He represented quack medicine to the fullest with his outlandish boasts. I think it is interesting or alarming, depending on how you look at it, that there is very similar medicinal product advertising happening today that makes incredible promises. The only difference is a page full of small copy to warn of side effects and sometimes death…so consult your doctor first right?

The symbolic skeleton, scythe, hour glass and patient using a bottle of Hunt’s Remedy to beat away death is outstanding. 

Radam's Microbe Killer label - 1887

“William Radam probably perpetrated the biggest medicinal hoax of all with his celebrated Microbe Killer”.

William Radam working on his Microbe Killer - 6 Microbes and the Microbe Killer

“Germ, Bacteria or Fungus Destroyer”

Since its annexation into the United States in 1845, Texas has provided a home to its share of medical quacks who made their living off of the desperate and the scientifically illiterate.

Of the many Texan nostrum peddlers throughout history, however, William Radam probably perpetrated the biggest medicinal hoax of all with his celebrated Microbe Killer. This elixir was even more successful because it made its debut just as the link between microbes and disease was first being documented. As science would eventually demonstrate, the Microbe Killer was absolutely worthless.

William Radam was a native of Prussia, and once served in the Prussian army; however, his first love was gardening. Radam eventually moved to Austin, Texas, and established a gardening store and nursery, tending to his 30 acres of land for nearly two decades. Then he was taken ill with malaria, and sought out doctors who prescribed various drugs for him; in his 1890 book Microbes and the Microbe Killer, Radam stated: “I swallowed the contents of bottle after bottle, until their number became too great for calculation. I took quinine until it failed to have any effect.” Rheumatism and sciatica made Radam’s life even more difficult, and then two of his own children died. At that point, the broken-hearted and ailing Radam, no longer strong enough to attend to his affairs, began his own quest to cure himself. [William Radam and the Microbe Killer]

Read Further: William Radam and the Microbe Killer – An Account of Classic Medical Quackery from the Heart of Texas by Daniel R. Barnett

Read Further: William Radam’s Microbe Killer by Joe Widman

Read Further: Radam v. Capital Microbe Destroyer Company by John Odell

The Daily Gazette, Xenia, Ohio, 16 November 1889

Wm RADAM’S MICROBE KILLER

Nearly all well-read people are familiar
 with the scientific investigations of Profs Koch and Pasteur, respectively of Germany and France, as well as a number of other
 scientists of almost equal renown, whose experiments have proven conclusively that all
 diseases are causes by microbes in the blood. 
They are called microbes, because they are a
 living matter, and only discovered by the
 aid of powerful microscopes.

But until
 William Radam discovered his Microbe Killer 
Medicine there was absolutely nothing
 known in the annals of Medicine that would 
destroy these Microbes or Germs of Diseases 
existing in the blood. The Microbe Killer 
does Kill the Microbes in the blood without 
fail, as the thousands of testimonials we have
 in our possession demonstrate. 
Microbes being the cause of all diseases,
 Microbe Killer will therefore cure them.

WE EXCEPT NO DISEASES WHATEVER. 
Ladies and  gentlemen desiring light upon
 the Microbe Theory, as well as upon any disease they may be afflicted with, are cordially 
invited to call and get pamphlets for full particulars. We will forfeit $1,000 if any single 
one of our testimonials can be proven as 
not genuine. 
RADAM’S MICROBE KILLER CO.


For sale by E.C. FLEMING, Druggist, No.
 South Detroit Street

Trademark for the Radam's Microbe Killer. Note the broken scythe lying at the skeleton's feet - 6 Microbes and the Microbe Killer

Wm Radam's Microbe Killer - Meyer Collection

Graphics for William Radam - Microbes and the Microbe Killer, 1890 - from William H. Hefland's book Quack Quack Quack

Radam's Microbe Killer in Ceramic Jugs - SHA.org

Vintage Radam's advertising Shaving Mug...from a friends collection - ChiefMike Murro

Posted in Advertising, Article Publications, Druggist & Drugstore, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fighting Skeleton and Beating off Death – Hunt’s Remedy

Posted on 11 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Rare variant of the classic trade card showing a man using Hunt's Remedy to beat off death.

One of the really great advertising graphics that you will find relating to medicines, cures and the bottles that we collect is the Hunt’s Remedy. The symbolic skeleton, scythe, hour glass and patient using a bottle of Hunt’s Remedy to beat away death is outstanding.

“Never Known to Fail”

Hunt’s Remedy – the Great Kidney Medicine dated back to the very early days of Manhattan, and was manufactured for some time before William E. Clarke of Providence came into possession of it in 1872. Clarke subsequently added Health Pills and Liver Cure, as well as Hunt’s Infallible Eye-Wash, to his products. The three-cent private die stamps were issued briefly in 1880. Only 9,000 were printed, on watermarked paper (see picture below).

Hunt's Remedy bottle embossing

On advertising pieces, trade cards, revenue stamps and other ephemera you will see patient beating off death with a bottle of Hunt’s Remedy. Mr. Hunt was afflicted with Bright’s Disease and dropsy, and came under the care of Dr. David Hosack, a physician who practiced in the 18th century and until 1835. He and the Dutch Brevoort family believed in the curative powers of a mixture of a particular root and other vegetable substances. This remedy cured many cases of liver, kidney and bladder disease; dropsy always yielded. Or so it was claimed.

Hunt's Remedy Trade Card Graphics

Mr. Hunt took the medicine about a year, and “his bloated flesh was reduced, and his vigor restored. He remained portly, but until he died from another disease he was well and happy.” His remedy was used by both regular and homeopathic physicians. It was perhaps New England’s most popular product.

This remedy came into the possession of William E. Clarke of Providence, RI, who trademarked the name in 1872 and advertised it for Bright’s Disease and Diabetes. It also “has cured every case of dropsy in which it has been given.”

“has cured every case of dropsy in which it has been given.”

The 3c stamp (see below) was used on a bottle which sold for 75 cents (a six cent stamp was required for the $1.50 bottle), and the bottle was a blue glass, about 17.5 cm tall and with raised letters embossed on the glass, “Hunt’s Remedy” and “William E. Clarke, Providence, R.I.” Although the product was advertised as “For sale by all druggists,” more than likely it was hawked by traveling salesmen. (source: Samford University – McWhorter School of Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama).

What is Dropsy?

More commonly known today as edema in the United States and oedema in the United Kingdom,dropsy is the accumulation of large amounts of excess fluid below the surface of the skin or in some cavity of the body. Inflammation is often one of the underlying causes for dropsy or hydropsy and can occur just about anywhere in the body. Fortunately, the condition is treatable in most situations, unless complications from a concurrent health problem arise.

One of the leading causes of the development of dropsy has to do with the condition of the blood vessels. For example, if there is some type of obstruction in the vessels running through a leg, this will lead to a drop in the oncotic pressure with the vessel system. Fluid will begin to build up, leading to swelling in the leg and possibly the ankle. Locating and eliminating the obstruction can allow the proper amount of pressure to resume and thus alleviate the pain in the swollen region. (source – wiseGEEK)

Labeled example of a Hunt's Remedy

Hunt's Remedy Three Cents Revenue Stamp - Only 9,000 were printed, on watermarked paper.

Hunt's Remedy postage Stamp - Issued in 1998 to commemorate the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act. - The stamp was in the 1st sheet of the Celebrate the Century, 1900's, Scott #3182.

Page from a druggist's catalog dating around 1881 advertising Hunt's Remedy

Hunt's Remedy Co. Almanac - some of the Hunt's advertising graphics did not include the skeleton graphics.

Posted in Advertising, Druggist & Drugstore, Ephemera, History, Medicines & Cures, Tax Stamps, Trade Cards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A selection of Medical Almanacs

Posted on 10 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Almanacs143

A selection of Medical Almanacs

10 June 2012

I came across Rulon – Miller Books in St. Paul, Minneasota while looking for some information on a post I am developing. Within their site are some really wonderful Almanacs related to some of the medicines, cures and bottles we collect. Check it out.

Visit Rulon – Miller Books – Mostly Medical Almanacs

I have re-posted some of my favorites. In many cases, I possess examples of the product and related advertising. This is really a nice resource.

A. B. C. of society. Providence: Hunt’s Remedy Co., n.d., (1883) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Burdock Blood Bitters 1890 almanac and key to health. Buffalo: Foster Milburn & Co., n.d., (1889) – image Rulon – Miller Books

De Witt’s 200 year calendar and biographies of the world’s greatest men and women. Chicago & New York: E. C. De Witt & Co., n.d., (1912) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Green’s diary 1882- 83 almanac. Woodbury, NJ: G. G. Green, n.d., (1882) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Hostetter’s illustrated United States almanac 1897, for merchants, mechanics, miners, farmers, planters, and general family use. Pittsburgh: Hostetter and Smith, (1896) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Ladies’ note-book and calendar. Buffalo: World’s Dispensary Medical Assn., 1899. – image Rulon – Miller Books

The New York almanac 1888. New York: n.p., (1887) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Dr. Sawens’ family manual and Empire State almanac 1877. Lockport, NY: Dr. W. Sawens & Co., n.d., (1876) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Merchant’s Gargling Oil dream fate calendar songster. Lockport, NY: Merchant’s Gargling Oil Co., n.d., (ca. 1882) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Dr. Kilmer’s swamp-root almanac and weather forecasts for 1928. Binghamton, NY: Dr. Kilmer & Co., n.d., (ca. 1927) – image Rulon – Miller Books

People’s free almanac 1854. St. Louis: A. G. Bragg & Co., n.d., (ca. 1853) – image Rulon – Miller Books

Rexall family almanac 1917. Boston (?) – image Rulon – Miller Books

HARTMAN, SAMUEL B., MD. The ills of life or the encyclopedia of family medicine. [Columbus, OH: S.B. Hartman, 1901, i.e., 1904. – image Rulon – Miller Books

Posted in Advertising, Advice, Bitters, Ephemera, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters and the Bottle Gods

Posted on 10 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters and the Bottle Gods

10 June 2012 (R•021514 Playing Cards added) (R•032214 Marriage Puzzle Card added) (R•111817 Top image added from AGG) (R•101018) (R•060320-H 51)

Apple-Touch-IconADennis Humphrey posted the following pictures over on the Peachridge Glass facebook page for a recently found shard and a new Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters miniature in a gorgeous pale lemon yellow color. His enthusiasm is contagious. Congratulations Dennis!

Went creek walking in Walker County, Alabama and thought it was gonna be a good day when I found a Dr Harter’s Wild Cherry Shard. – Dennis Humphrey (03 June 2012)

My buddy Bobby McGraw told me that if I find a good broken bottle or shard, to keep it and the Bottle Gods will bring you a better one. Remember the Dr Harter’s shard? Well here is a photo of the one I picked up today at the Atlanta Bottle Show in as light of color as I have seen. Can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday. It is a dug bottle but I don’t care. I love this small little bottle.

Dennis Humphrey

DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS sample (H 52)  – Dennis Humphrey (recent purchase at Atlanta Bottle Show)

I like when fellow collectors send me pictures and stories as it prompts me to dig into my collection archives and to re-look at a certain brand.

The Dr. Harter’s is fun because it is a later bottle and common, so you can find some great examples and material. A bottle does not have to be expensive.

DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS

DR. HARTER’S MEDICINE CO. – St. Louis, Missouri (1855 – 1898)

The company was established in Saint Louis in 1855 (according to company advertising) by Milton George Harter, Samuel K. Harter and Thomas W. Boyer, believed to be from Ohio. Dr. M. G. Harter died around 1890.

In 1895, the business had relocated to Dayton, Ohio and by the end of the century had been taken over by the San Antonio Drug Company.

 The company’s products included Dr. Harter’s Fever and Ague Specific, Dr .Harter’s Fever and Ague Pills, Dr. Harter’s Pile Ointment, Dr. Harter’s Little Liver Pills – Do not Gripe or Sicken, Dr. Harter’s Iron Tonic, Dr. Harter’s Lung Balm , Dr. Harter’s Soothing Drops, Dr. Harter’s Liniment, Dr. DuChoine’s Nerve Pills, Dr. DuChoine’s Female Regulating Pills, Dr. Harter’s German Vermifuge Candy and the famous Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters.

 Dr. Harter’s daughter, Mary Jayne Harter Coleman, married William Hayner of Hayner Distillery fame in 1891.

Business name timeline:
 M G & S K Harter & Co. (1855 – 1872), The Dr. Harter’s Medicine Co. (1873-?)

Read More: A Train Load of Health – Dr. Harter’s Family Medicines

Read More: Dr. Harter’s Wild Cherry Bitters Cast Iron Advertising Lemon/Lime Juicer

This article appeared in the Dayton Daily News

DR. HARTER’S IRON TONIC WAS AN ELIXIR OF LIFE FOR DAYTON

by Roz Young

About a century ago in St. Louis after the death of their founder, owners of the Dr. Harter Family Medicine Co. hired W.M. Hayner, president of the Hayner Distilling Co., Troy, to manage the business. The company manufactured “Dr. Harter’s Iron Tonic,” a proprietary medicine that was a staple on the shelves of every drug store in the country. As soon as Hayner became a member of the firm, he proposed that the company needed a new building in a new location.

He came to Dayton and talked to prominent businessmen here about the idea. J.K. McIntire, wholesale grocer and vice president of the Weston Paper Co., A.C. Marshall, partner in the North Star Tobacco Works, Col. Harry E. Mead, secretary of the Mead Paper Co., Inc., W.H. Nesbitt, real estate, Fred Reibold, president of the Teutonia National Bank, John Kirby, Jr., manager of the Dayton Manufacturing Co., Will H. Kinnard, secretary-treasurer of the Crume and Sefton Co. and secretary of the Dayton Autographic Register Co., and Torrence Huffman, president of the Fourth National Bank and the Union Safe Deposit and Trust Co., formed a committee to raise funds for a site and building if the company would agree to move here. The company agreed.

The committee bought land on the northeast corner of First Street and the canal (now Patterson Boulevard), erected a five-story building and placed a giant wooden medicine bottle on the top.

Aug. 5, 1895, a train carrying the first of the manufacturing equipment and the officers of the company left St. Louis for Dayton. Newspaper reporters from Dayton and every town on the route between St. Louis and Dayton went to St. Louis to accompany the train.

Local businesses declared a holiday, and when the train arrived at Union Station, the whistles of every Dayton manufacturing plant blew, and the huge bell at the Central Fire Station rang. At the signal, thousands of Daytonians hurried downtown, some to inspect the 18-car train, and others to crowd along the curbs to watch the parade. At 7:40 p.m. Col. Torrence Huffman, grand marshall, gave the signal and led by the Springfield Cadet Band and a platoon of mounted police, the parade began. All the houses along the route were decorated and lighted with Japanese lanterns. Dayton businesses were represented by company express wagons. The Harter company express wagons followed, and at the last of the parade were 200 carriages filled with Dayton citizens. All occupants of the wagons and carriages had been given red flares and Roman candles to shoot, and the entire parade was a ribbon of colorful explosions as it countermarched along Main Street to the Atlas Hotel.

Officials of the Harter company were feted at a banquet at the Atlas, attended by 150 invited guests of the Dayton business community. Ebenezer M. Thresher, manufacturer of varnish and linseed oil, president of the Board of Trade and toastmaster, greeted the company on behalf of the citizens of Dayton, and Hayner accepted the greetings. He introduced Thomas Kyle, Harter spokesman, who said he had been told that Dayton had a population of 80,000 but he had seen 800,000 at the parade.

The next day the new plant opened with Hayner as manager and Walter C. Kidder as assistant manager. For many years thereafter, Dr. Harter’s Iron Tonic carried the name of Dayton, Ohio on its bottle labels.

Hayner and Kidder in 1901 sold the business to B.H. Winters of Springfield, and O.F. Davisson and opened the first mail-order whiskey business in the country with a distillery at Troy and the offices and storerooms in Dayton. The company went out of business in 1911.

Dr. Lee T. Cooper, who had a family practice at 812 E. Fifth St., started a new tonic business in the old Harter building, calling his product “Cooper’s New Discovery.” He sold his product throughout the country in the approved medicine-wagon style, with music, a health talk and vaudeville acts and his tonic at $1 a bottle. When a newspaper reporter asked him what was in his medicine that made it so successful he became a millionaire in a very short time, he winked and said, “It’s about 90 proof.”

DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS

DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS sign – eBay

Labeled with cork DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS (H 50) – Meyer Collection

H 50  DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS
Circa 1885 – 1900
DR. HARTER’S / WILD CHERRY / BITTERS / ST. LOUIS // sp // sp // sp // b // DESIGN / 40 / PATENTED facing front
7 7/8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/8 (5 1/8)
Rectangular, Amber, SCM, Tooled lip, sp, Common
Label: For the relief of all Distresses of the Stomach. Will check immediately all sickness and tendency to vomiting, settles and sweetens the stomach, correct acidity, improve appetite, aid digestion. Unequaled as a remedy for all kidney troubles. The combination of wild cherry bark, juniper berries, buchu and dandelion is the best general tonic and light stimulant on earth.

Labeled with cork DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS (H 50) – Meyer Collection

H 53  DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS
DR HARTER’S / WILD CHERRY / BITTERS / ST LOUIS // sp //sp // sp
// b // DESIGN / PATENTED facing front
4 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 7/16 (2 7/8)
Rectangular, Yellow, Gold and Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, 4 sp, Common

Amber DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS (H 53) miniature  – Meyer Collection

Amber DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS father and son pair (H 48 & H 50) – Meyer Collection

H 52  DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS
DR. HARTER’S / WILD CHERRY / BITTERS / ST LOUIS // sp // sp // sp // b // DESIGN / PATENTED facing front
4 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 7/16 (2 7/8)
Rectangular, Yellow, Gold and Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, 4 sp, Common

Light lemon yellow DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS (H 52) miniature – Meyer Collection

H 48.5  DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS
DR HARTER’S / WILD CHERRY / BITTERS / DAYTON, O. // sp //sp // sp // b // DESIGN / PATENTED facing front
4 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 (2 7/8) 1/2
Rectangular, Amber, LTC, Tooled lip, 4 sp, Rare

Yellow amber DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS (H 48.5) miniature – Meyer Collection

Very rare DR. HARTER’S WILD CHERRY BITTERS poster – previously sold by Showtime Auction Services

1898? Pictorial advertising cover for “Dr Harters Wild Cherry Bitters for Medicinal Use” with picture of bottle & all over reverse advertising, franked Presidents 2c & 5c pr with m/s cancels & tied by indistinct” … quarter” cds – Stamp Auction Network

DrHarterMedicineStamp1898

2 1/2 Cents Dr. Harter Medicine Company U.S. Internal Revenue Proprietary Stamp, April 3 1899

HarterIronTonicCard

Dr Harters Wild Cherry Bitters Blood Cure bottle poem HTL Advertising Trade Card – DavesGreatCardsGalore.com

HartersCards3

1881 Dr. Harters Wild Cherry Bitters Card Fabrique Register/ Poker Playing Cards – ebay

HartersMarriagePuzzle_DGC

Dr. Harter’s Marriage Puzzle, circa 1889, Testimonials on Back – Daves Great Cards

H 41.5  Dr. Harter’s Cherry Bitters w/ Label, Saint Louis – North American Glass | Fall 2018 Auction

(Cluster of Cherries) – “DR. HARTERS / WILD CHERRY / BITTERS / ST LOUIS” – (Cluster of Cherries), (Ring/Ham, H-51), Missouri, ca. 1885 – 1900, reddish amber, 7 1/4”h, smooth base, tooled lip. Perfect condition, scarce cherry embossed side panels. – Glass Works Auctions #140
Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding, Medicines & Cures, Miniatures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Reno EXPO 2012 Update

Posted on 8 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

July | August cover of Bottles and Extras

All Antique Bottle and Glass Collector sights are set for…

FOHBC Reno EXPO 2012

Antique Bottle and Collectible Show

July 27th – 29th

The Biggest Bottle Show in the Biggest Little City in the World!

UPDATE

Dealer Tables are Sold Out!

Folks this could be the biggest show ever with tables selling like pancakes. Look for close to 350 tables filled to the brim with antique bottles, glass and related collectibles. There may not be a 3-day show like this for years to come!

Antique Bottle and Glass Judged Shoot-Out!

The event will be sponsored by Norman C. Heckler & Co.  This will be a landmark chance and great opportunity to see many great examples together in one event which rarely happens. A cocktail event will occur simultaneously. Categories to be displayed and judged include Drakes Plantation Bitters (4 log , 6 log and Arabesque), J H Cutter Whiskey (Circle Cutter, #43 in Thomas Whiskey Book, Sole Agent, plain reverse) and Umbrella Inks (pontiled base, smooth base).

Exceptional Educational Seminars!

The FOHBC is pleased to host a wonderful selection of Educational Seminars that you will not want to miss. This includes “Values and Investing”,  “The Label: A Wealth of Information”, ”Grace Bros. the Company and its Products”, “EC&M Insulators”, “Altered Glass Colors”, “San Francisco Beer and Western Sodas”, “Hutchinson Sodas” and “The World of Bitters Bottles”.

Fantastic Display Gazebo

Bring your two favorite bottles. The Northwestern Bottle Club is going to take to Reno their famous Gazebo and set up a feature for people that want to display bottles in a non-competitive setting. The Gazebo will hold all sizes of bottles from inks to tall bitters. The bottles will be signed in with the person’s name on the bottom and that person is the only one able to remove them. There will be hired security along with others watching this display.

The Banquet

It gives us great pleasure to announce that Warren Friedrich will be the guest speaker for the banquet at the FOHBC Reno Expo and will also be one of the two 2012 FOHBC Hall of Fame inductees at the event. We hope to see you for some good food, great company as well as an informative presentation on a brief history of the “Early Glassworks of California” from the first commercial bottle factory in 1859  to the demise of the largest factory in 1899.

Visit FOHBC.org for all related show information…see you soon!

July | August Bottles and Extras Expo interior spread

May | June Bottles and Extras Expo interior spread

March | April Bottles and Extras Expo interior spread

January | February Bottles and Extras Expo interior spread

Posted in Advice, Article Publications, Bottle Shows, Bottles and Extras, Club News, FOHBC News, News, Publications | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment