Lash’s Bitters | San Francisco – Chicago – New York
PART ONE | The Bottles
25 July 2014 (R•020621)
I thought it would be nice to finally tackle the great, Lash’s Bitters brand that was incorporated in 1894 in San Francisco and expanded to Chicago in 1901 and New York in 1904. Lash’s started a bit earlier in 1884 and actually lasted until 1966 if you can believe that! FOHBC member Don Yates wrote a nice article for Bottles and Extras in 1993 called Lash’s – Not Just Bitters. This ties directly back to the Lash’s Pineapple-Ade dispenser I added to my collection this past weekend at the Houston Bottle Show. Lash’s had to do something with Prohibition.
When thinking about the generation of this post, I immediately thought it important to work with bitters ephemera collector and authority Joe Gourd in Chicago as Lash’s was the king of bitters advertising. Joe’s first response was that he possessed well in excess of 100 pieces for Lash’s and suggested a multi-part series. He sent the Lash’s cat and dog advertising cards at the top of this post to lead things off. Even the Carlyn Ring and W.C Ham Bitters Bottles book has eight or so pages of Lash’s listings from bottles to boxes, cork caps, cribbage board, dispenser, funnel, gaming spinner, honey pot, ice chipper, key ring, mirror, mug, signs, wall thermometers, spouts, many different puzzles, playing cards, post cards, hold to light cards, store cards, billheads, letterheads, envelopes and trade cards. So where do we start in this series? Let’s start off with the bottles in Part One. You will notice that I am missing a few bottle examples so feel free to submit your images for consideration.
Read: Lash’s Bitters | San Francisco – Chicago – New York | PART TWO | History
Read: Lash’s Bitters | San Francisco – Chicago – New York | PART THREE | Humorous and Clever Advertising
THE BOTTLES
L 30 LASH’S BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) BITTERS ( s>l) // f // f // f // b // various markings
9 3/8 x 2 3/4 (7 1/4)
Square, Amber, LTCR with screw threading inside, Scarce
Metal screw cap: Lash’s Product’s Company
Label: the original tonic laxative bitters. Known and used for over 30 years for constipation, biliousness, indigestion, headaches, loss of appetite arising from imperfect digestion or inactive liver or bowels.
New Label: Adopted May 1913.
Manufactured by Lash’s Products Company San Francisco, Chicago, Clifton, New Jersey. Intoduced in 1884. Known and used for over 40 years.
L 30.5 LASH’S BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) raised oval in word “lash’s BITTERS ( s>l) // f // f // (faint dots ii rows) // f //
9 1/2 x 2 3/4 (7 1/4)
Square, Amber, LTCR Tooled lip, Very rare
L 31: Sample Lash’s Bitters – Meyer Collection
L 31 LASH’S BITTERS
SAMPLE / LASH’S BITTERS // f // f // f //
4 1/4 x 1 5/16 (3) 3/16
Square, Amber, ABM
L 32 LASH’S BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) BITTERS ( s>l ) // f // NATURAL / TONIC LAXATIVE // f //
New York, Chicago, and San Francisco
9 1/2 x 2 3/4 (7 1/4)
Square, Amber, LTCR, ABM
L 33: Lash’s Bitters sample – Meyer Collection
L 33 LASH’S BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) BITTERS ( s>l ) // f // NATURAL / TONIC LAXATIVE // f //
4 3/4 x 1 1/2 (3 3/4)
Square, Amber, LTC, Scarce
There are three different molds of this bottle
L 35: Lash’s Kidney And Liver Bitters – Meyer Collection
L 34 LASH’S KIDNEY AND LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S (l>s) / KIDNEY ( au ) / AND / LIVER ( ad ) / BITTERS (s>l) // f //
THE BEST CATHARTIC / AND BLOOD PURIFIER // f //
L… Lash’s California Kidney and Liver Bitters
Lash’s Bitters Co. New York, Chicago, San Francisco
8 7/8 x 2 3/4 (7 1/8) 3/8
Square, Amber and Clear, LTC, Common
This differs from the following in that the letters on the reverse side are 3/8 inch.
L 35 LASH’S KIDNEY AND LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S (l>s) / KIDNEY ( au ) / AND / LIVER ( ad ) / BITTERS (s>l) // f //
THE BEST CATHARTIC / AND BLOOD PURIFIER // f //
This differs from the preceding in the letters in the reverse side are 1/4 inch.
Also there is no apostrophe in Lashs.
L 37: Lash’s Kidney And Liver Bitters – Meyer Collection
L 37 LASH’S KIDNEY AND LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S KIDNEY (slants left) AND / LIVER BITTERS (slants right) // f //
THE BEST CATHARTIC / AND BLOOD PURIFIER (slants right) // f //
8 5/8 x 2 5/8 (6 1/2) 3/8
Square, Amber, Red amber and Yellow olive, LTC, Applied mouth and Tooled lip, 2 sp, Rare
L 38: Lash’s Kidney And Liver Bitters in yellow and amber – Meyer Collection
L 38 LASH’S KIDNEY AND LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S KIDNEY AND / LIVER BITTERS // f // THE BEST CATHARTIC /
AND BLOOD PURIFIER // f //
9 x 2 5/8 (7 1/8)
Square, LTC, 2 sp, Amber, Tooled lip – Scarce; Red amber, Applied mouth – Very Scarce
L 39: Lash’s Liver Bitters – Meyer Collection
L 39 LASH’S LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) LIVER (oval) BITTERS (s>l) // f // NATURE’S / TONIC LAXATIVE // f //
// b // 521 enclosed in a diamond
9 3/8 x 2 3/4 (7 1/4)
Square, Amber, LTCR, ABM and Tooled lip, Scarce
L 40: Lash’s Liver Bitters sample – Meyer Collection
L 40 LASH’S LIVER BITTERS
LASH’S ( l>s ) LIVER ( oval ) BITTERS ( s>l ) // f //
NATURE’S / TONIC LAXATIVE // f //
4 7/8 x 1 1/2 (3 1/4)
Square, Amber, LTCR, Scarce
L 41: Lash’s Bitters Co. Ring and Ham Drawing – Bitters Bottles
L 41 LASH’S BITTERS
LASH’S / BITTERS CO. / NEW YORK – CHICAGO / SAN FRANCISCO // c //
11 x 3 1/2 (6)
Round back bar bottle, Fluted shoulders, Amber, LTCR, Tooled lip, Scarce
Lash’s Bitters Company round bottles that follow are either amber, aqua or clear. Although there are slight variations, they are generally 11 x 3 (7 1/2) with LTCR and all lettering on one side of the bottle. They are newer than the square Lash’s and common. The main difference is the punctuation and the city names which are sometimes abbreviated.
L 42 LASH’S BITTERS CO.
LASH’S / BITTERS CO. / NEW YORK CHICAGO / SAN FRANCISCO // c //
L 43 LASH’S BITTERS CO.
LASH’S / BITTERS CO. / NEW YORK-CHICAGO / SAN FRANCISCO // c //
City name in 1/2″ letters
L 44: Lash’s Botters Co. – Meyer Collection
L 44 LASH’S BITTERS CO.
LASH’S / BITTERS CO. / NEW YORK-CHICAGO / SAN FRANCISCO // c //
City name in 1/4″ letters
L 45: Lash’s Botters Co. – Meyer Collection
