Electric Bitters Bucklen Laboratory Trade Card

Posted on 8 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Electric Bitters Trade Card

08 August 2013

Apple-Touch-IconAPicked up this cool Electric Bitters trade card on ebay from Dave Cheadle with Dave’s Great Cards. Dave also had the Electric Bitters “Three Little Pigs” (read: Electric Bitters and the Three Little Pigs) card. Just love these advertising pieces that show so much information about the brand. He we have the name, logo, city, products, building, interior departments and other historical information. All illustrated! Dave’s write-up is as follows:

DavesGreatCardsRARE: Electric Bitters, H.E. Bucklen & Co., Chicago & Hamilton, Canada, Dr. King’s New Discovery, Dr. King’s New Life Pills Office & Laboratory, 275 & 276 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, factory view …. Bucklens Arnica Salve / Consumption Printed by Shober & Carqueville Lith. — printed on heavy cardboard stock – folds open to almost 11 inches wide!

Read More: H.E. Bucklen & Company of Chicago – Electric Bitters

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Posted in Advertising, Bitters, Bottling Works, eBay, Medicines & Cures | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Houston paths and long forgotten scenes – Part III

Posted on 8 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V
Paths

Aerial view showing my downtown Houston Studio (bordered in red) at Crawford and Commerce Streets. Yellow dashes indicate Buffalo and White Oak Bayou path access.

I can only imagine what must be beneath the soil, along the banks, beneath the criss-crossing Interstate Highway overpasses, under the office towers and parking lots and beneath the bayou when I take my frequent runs or when I walk the dogs.

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My paths take me along the sleepy Buffalo Bayou that leads to the Houston Ship Channel and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Long forgotten railroad bridges are covered up by a web of Interstate Highway overpasses.

The Paths

Apple-Touch-IconAI started a series of posts a few months ago (see below links) to sort through some local material that I have mentally and digitally gathered over time and to inspire myself to look closer at the history beneath my feet and all around me here in downtown Houston. My studio offices here at FMG Design are so close to Buffalo Bayou and Allen’s Landing where Houston got its start. I can only imagine what must be beneath the soil, along the banks, beneath the criss-crossing Interstate Highway overpasses, under the office towers and parking lots and beneath the bayou when I take my frequent runs or when I walk the dogs.

Read: Allen’s Landing – Houston (not everything is new here) – Part I

Read: What was here, Early Houston Advertisements – Part II

Read: What was here, Early Houston Advertisements – Part IIA

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Newer areas of path development along the Sabine Street Bridge and Buffalo Bayou.

You can see my studio offices in the red rectangle in the top aerial plan and the early photograph below of the Eller Wagon Works bulding. My particular studio office is beyond the three corner windows in front of the people posing. I use the yellow dashed connector paths in the map above to avoid the roadways and to hug the bayous.

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Eller Wagon Works Building – FMG Design studio – Corner of Crawford and Commerce Streets, Houston, Texas

Inspirational E-mail

A couple of years ago I received this really neat e-mail from Floyd Boyett (read below) that got me thinking. I mean, why was this killer Best Bitters in America from Kalamazoo, Michigan found in the mud of Galveston Bay?

Read: Is the Best Bitters in America the Best Bitters in America?

BEST BITTERS IN AMERICA - Meyer Collection

Best Bitters in America – Meyer Collection

Ferdinand,

I started collection bottles as a young family man in 1969 while living in Houston, Texas. While participation in on of the earliest Gulf Coast Bottle and Jar Club shows a young black fellow came in with a box of bottles. I was one of the first to see the bottles as they came out of his box. Among the bottles that he had found in the mud of Galveston Bay was two badly broken Best Bitters in America and one near mint example. I bought the good one as fast as I could get my money out and have kept it in a sock and metal box ever since. I have never seen one come up for sale. How many do you know about? Thanks for posting the info on this great bottle.

My main interest was in cures and I got to visit with Dr. Sam Greer and Bill Agee many times.

Floyd Boyett
Lumberton, Texas

Buffalo Bayou An Echo of Houston’s Wilderness Beginnings – G&HJ Railroad – a short line with a long history by Louis F. Aulbach

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The Original Plan of Houston

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The G&HJ railroad bridge over Buffalo Bayou as depicted on the Wood map of 1869 – Buffalo Bayou – An Echo of Houston’s Wilderness Beginnings by Louis F. Aulbach

“Houston, where 17 railroads meet the sea” used to be the slogan of the Houston Chamber of Commerce.

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Houston Street Map – 1869

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Main Street & Texas Avenue

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A giant old counter balance used for a railroad draw bridge. Path is on the right under the freeways. The Buffalo Bayou is on the left.

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Workers posting at Locomotive wreck at 4C Mill

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Old warehouses and industrial buildings once lined Buffalo Bayou. I can see the old foundations covered in brush like an old Mayan city. Some of the buildings have been converted to contemporary lofts.

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Houston Skyline, from Old MKT Railroad Trestle over White Oak Bayou, near Studemont & I-10, Houston, Texas

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Developed path from Allen’s Landing up to Main Street. We almost purchased one of the historic buildings in the upper right for FMG Design. Parking was a problem.

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The paths overlook raw banks along Buffalo Bayou. There are so many clues as to what was on the banks before. You have to wonder about all of the bottles that were thrown in the bayou during the early Houston boom days.

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Allen’s Landing now

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Two guys fish beneath the Jensen Street bridge.

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The gorgeous Houston skyline.

I imagine that there are crates of long forgotten Lacour’s, Cassin’s and Bryant’s Stomach Bitters covered in dirt and dust.

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Every time I run on this path I look across Buffalo Bayou and see the growth of plants, bushes and trees in from of old warehouse foundation. During the winter, I can see two locked steel doors. I imagine that there are crates of long forgotten Lacour’s, Cassin’s and Bryant’s Stomach Bitters covered in dirt and dust. Man I would like to get in there.

Posted in Digging and Finding, Diving, History, Questions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Pink Dream

Posted on 7 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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MY PINK DREAM

07 August 2013 (R•102013)

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Apple-Touch-IconADid I dream this? I can not remember. Was a Memory Bottle found recently that had a hint of a Drake’s Plantation Bitters within as the covered bottle structure? Was it at Manchester? When the attached memory pieces were removed, a “PINK” Drakes was revealed. My memory is foggy. I am tired. Now us Drakes collectors know there is no such thing as a “Pink” Drake’s right? Stay tuned. 

MEMORY BOTTLES

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American Glass Gallery Auction 11

20 October 2011
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“S T / Drake’s / 1860 / Plantation / X / Bitters – Patented / 1862″, America, 1862 – 1880. Light to medium pink with a slight salmon tone, cabin form with 6 logs above the label panel, applied sloping collar – smooth base, ht. 9 3/4″, near mint; (a 1/8″ surface bruise on one of the side logs; a couple of tissue-paper-thin open surface bubbles, a 3/8” tissue-paper-thin surface flake at edge of base, a touch of interior residue and a very hard-to-see, iridescent bruise at corner of base on reverse). R/H #D105. An exceedingly rare, light color, strong embossing. Exceptional! – American Glass Gallery Auction 11

This is the 1st time that this exceptional Drake’s Bitters Bottle is being offered to collectors since it’s “unveiling” from well over a century of being covered in plaster and trinkets, disguised as a folk art “memory bottle”. Although as noted, there are a handful of minor condition issues, they are all minor, and non-distracting.

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“S T / Drake’s / 1860 / Plantation / X / Bitters – Patented / 1862”, America, 1862 – 1880. Light to medium pink with a slight salmon tone – American Glass Gallery Auction 11

It is one of the great colors for a Drake’s Cabin, every bit as difficult to obtain as a green example. Very few of even the advanced collectors will have one anywhere close to this on their shelf, particularly with this degree of pink, and in this light of a tone.

Posted in Bitters, Digging and Finding, Folk Art, News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Mystery surrounding the Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters

Posted on 6 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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The Mystery surrounding the Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters

06 August 2012 (Updated 07 August 2013 with Jeff Burkhardt information) (R•061317)

Apple-Touch-IconAWhy yes, I have written about the extremely rare, Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters before, but ahah, now I possess the fourth known example which sits proudly on one of my shelves. This is a tough one to get folks. Two known examples are in amber and two are in an extraordinary olive yellow coloration. Now I am curious about the brand history.

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Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters (left) and typical Drake’s Plantation Bitters (D 105 – right). Obvious similarities yet big differences.

And guess what, there is absolutely NOTHING I can find on the Woodgate’s which gets jumbled in with the Drake’s Plantation Bitters which is pictured above for comparison. Obvious similarities yet big differences. 100 to 1 odds that the Woodgate’s was tailgating or piggy-backing on the Drake’s success. What is puzzling and mysterious about the Woodgate’s, is that there is no advertising, no directory listings, no labeled example etc. Only some sparse clues…

1.) The Drake’s was made by Whitney Glass Works in Glassboro, New Jersey.

2.) Woodgate’s Example #3: This was a new find to the market in the spring/summer of 2011, coming out of a home in Northern New Jersey. The irony of it, is that the consignor of this bottle found one of the other two, 40-years ago! (This is what I call the Knock – Knock bottle). I am trying to track down Jim Hagenbuch to expand on this.

3.) Woodgate’s Example #2: The extraordinary yellow olive example is ex. Carlyn Ring who purchased it from Mark Vuono’s father (Charles Vuono) in the very early ’80s and then sold it to Jim Hagenbuch when he purchased the Ring collection. Jim kept the bottle all these years in his collection and I got it from him last year – Sandor Fuss.

4.) If memory serves correct, Woodgate’s Example #1 is in the Ted Krist collection and is also yellow olive.

5.) Why did Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham only list the bottle in amber?

*Examples are numbered by appearance in collections

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

W 160  WOODGATE’S PLANTATION BITTERS
// c // WOODGATE‘S ( au ) / PLANTATION ( au ) / BITTERS // 8 ribs // 8 ribs // 8 ribs //
9 3/4 x 3 (6)
Square cabin, Amber, Yellow olive, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare
15 horizontal logs in each of 2 sides. 8 ribs on 3 shoulders
*Suggest Bill Ham add apostrophe in WOODGATE’S and Yellow olive as color in next edition of Bitters Bottles Supplement.

Read: Knock – Knock

Read: Glass Works Auction #93 – Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters makes its Appearance

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Example #2: The legendary Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters in yellow olive – Fuss Collection

Woodgate's Plantation Bitters - Glass Works Auction #93

Example #3: “WOODGATE’S / PLANTATION / BITTERS”, (W-160), American, ca. 1865 – 1875, This is a new find to the market, coming out of a home (This is the Knock – Knock bottle) in Northern New Jersey. The irony of it is that the consignor of this bottle found one of the other two, 40-years ago! – Glass Works Auction #93

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Color Plate from Bitters Bottles by Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham. The Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters (Example #2) is pictured on the left. Oddly enough it is not called out by name in the image caption.

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Color Plate from Bitters Bottles Supplement by Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham. The Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters (Example #2) is pictured on the left. The extremely rare California Herb Bitters is now in the Meyer Collection. You can see John Feldmann’s “JF” initials beneath the bottle picture noting the bottle was in his collection. The Woodgates is now in the Fuss Collection.

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Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters (see above) – Bitters Bottles Supplement

The extremely rare, and unique in color Woodgate’s Plantation Bitters from the Sandor P. Fuss collection. From thirty-six (36) rotational photos by Alan DeMaison for the FOHBC Virtual Museum project.

Posted in Auction News, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Figural Bottles, Questions | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Yesterday was a Good Bottle Day

Posted on 5 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Yesterday was a Good Bottle Day

“What you spend on the peanuts, you save on the bananas”

BruceSilvaRenoShootoutFerdinand:

Yesterday was a good bottle day, a very good day. One of my pickers from up north paid me a visit.

The flask, the wickedest color Drakes 6 log I’ve seen, a western glop top whiskey and a few smalls were a package deal. What you spend on the peanuts, you save on the bananas. Both the seller and I are pleased with the outcome.

The Drakes is a kind of weird smoky peach color, hammer whittled, and has the sloppiest top I’ve seen on a six log. It’s got a weird base mark with six dots. Oh, and then there’s the flask;

“found wrapped up in a mid 19th century blanket chest in one of the oldest settlements at the end of the Oregon trail”

GI-47 quart. It’s got a good range of color densities, and a decent swirl of tobacco juice at mid section. All bubbles are intact and it is attic mint. This piece was found wrapped up in a mid 19th century blanket chest in one of the oldest settlements at the end of the Oregon trail.

Colors are a little washed out in the pictures but you get the idea~

B (Bruce Silva)

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Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Digging and Finding, Historical Flasks | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The devotion that so many of us feel toward the objects that we collect

Posted on 5 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

RandeeKaiserSodaPopHello Ferdinand:

My brother-in-law recently came for a visit and while here I showed him some of our more interesting sodas. Of course, I rattled on and gave him a brief dissertation. He later wrote this thoughtful email and I wanted to share it with you because of the included quote from an article by David Mamet. The quote is, as you will see, a lead paragraph from a recent article in The Smithsonian. I thought it was an apt description of the devotion that so many of us feel toward the objects that we collect. Not sure if Mamet’s paragraph would be appropriate for our use but it does seem to capture our “zealotry” and “fanaticism.”

Randee (Kaiser)

*PRG added the imagery.

The devotion that so many of us feel toward the objects that we collect

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Hi Sue:

I came across the quote I wanted to show Randee. When the Russians launched Sputnik, the media went into a panic and tried to rile everybody up. From The Nation of November 23rd, 1957, p. 381… “each week a publisher must look for new ways to build circulation in a culture screaming with huckster’s calls. It is all right for journalists to be constantly racing press deadlines, but when they begin to share their professional headaches with the readers, they give the nation a continuous case of ideological jitters”. It can’t be said any better to explain the decrepit news media of today. And this is from 1957.

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This morning I was reading an article by David Mamet in the April 2013 issue of The Smithsonian. I thought about Randee telling me the history of glass bottles and the talks he gives to groups. Here is what David Mamet said at the beginning of the article.

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“When they were young, I took my two eldest daughters browsing on London’s Portobello Road. Down in the basement stalls, we found a fellow selling empty jam jars. These when full, had held Dundee marmalade. They were now empty, and their apparent similarities fell before his lecture on the evolution of the jar.

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We were talked through the early Victorian birth of the great potteries, through the difference in tint from clay mined in the north and in the south; he explained how subtle changes in the lip of the jar were due to increased automation, and he taught us to date the jars by judging the smoothness of the glaze, and the brightness of the ink. It was the best learning experience we three had shared. It has not been surpassed, and, for 25 years, has informed and been the basis of my opinion on education: One may need a special disposition to see the world in a grain of sand, but there was the world on offer in an empty jar of jam to any who gave the enthusiast the first moment of attention.

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The antique stalls on Portobello Road, the tables at the flea market and the swap meet, the driveway at the lawn sale are a university in the rough. One will not be harassed there by the schoolmaster, but may be fortunate enough to encounter the zealot, fanatic or fellow lovelorn devotee of the comic book, penknife, cowboy boot, model train and so forth through the very catalogue of the stuff of life.”

And reading this I thought of Randee and Sue and was proud to have spent time listening to you both talk about soda bottles.

Best Regards, Larry Ault

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Randee Kaiser – FOHBC Midwest Region Director

Randee Kaiser is a retired health care professional who, along with his wife Susan, is a twenty-five year collector of applied color label soda bottles. Kaiser is an active collector who attends a number of bottle shows and other related events each year. He holds membership in several historical organizations and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC). The Federation is a national, non-profit organization supporting the collectors of historical bottles, flasks, jars and related items. Many of the organization’s members provide educational programs for interested historical societies, museum groups and other organizations.

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Randee is also one of the two co-chairs for the FOHBC 2014 National Antique Bottle Show in Lexington, Kentucky. When I asked Randee for something more than his posted bio he responded…

“Sue and I collect painted label sodas mainly from the 30s thru early 50’s with subject rather than script labeling. We have concentrated on Missouri sodas for about 25 years but still find an occasional treasure that we did not know existed. These account for about 30% of the collection with the remainder being rare, unusual bottles with unique artwork. I also collect embossed sodas from my home town of Webb City, Missouri, including hutchinson, slug plates, straight-side embossed and fancy embossed.  Although a small town, Webb City had three sodas companies from the late 1800s to the 1930s.”

Posted in Advice, Article Publications, Collectors & Collections, FOHBC News, History, Jelly & Jam, Soda Bottles | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Saint Jacob’s Bitters – Cincinnati, Ohio

Posted on 3 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Saint Jacob’s Bitters – Cincinnati, Ohio

Celebrated St. Jacob’s Bitters, St. Jacob’s Bitters Co., Cincinnati, Ohio

St. Jacobs Bitters, Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.

03 August 2013 (R•060719)

Apple-Touch-IconAMy friend and bottle show table mate Jerry Forbes (Big Sur, California) scored a nice, whittled, Saint Jacob’s Bitters at the FOHBC 2013 Manchester National a couple of weekends ago. The bottle is pictured at the top 0f the post. I kind of wish I picked it up myself as it was quite an example.

The bottle listing in Ring and Ham says amber examples are known, but as you can see from Jerry’s example and mine below, you can get some variance in the color range.
The listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 2 will be updated:

S 13 SAINT JACOB’S BITTER’S // f // f // f // // b // KYGW CO // b // McC
L … Celebrated St. Jacob’s Bitters, St. Jacob’s Bitters Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
8 3/4 x 2 3/4 (6 1/2) 3/8
Square, Amber, Red amber, Yellow, LTC, Tooled lip and Applied mouth, Rare
BAR p100, TMS 359, WAT L114
Trade Mark December, 1882
Variant bottle known with an unmarked base.

Saint Jacob’s Bitters in amber – North American Glass

Kentucky Glass Works embossing on a Saint Jacob’s Bitters base – History of Drug Containers and Their Labels

Frank Wicker notes the following:

There is very little information about this bitters bottle. It’s from the St. Jacob’s Bitters Co. Cincinnati, Ohio. This bitters was trademarked in December of 1882. The photo below of this square amber SAINT JACOB’S BITTERS is a unlisted variant. The bottle has an unmarked base and is not embossed with KYGW Co. or MC C.

Frank Wicker – BottlePickers.com

There is also another St. Jacob’s Bitters from St. Louis, Missouri put out by Julius Falke. For now, I do not see a relationship.

Here is a cool advertisement below for the Celebrated Saint Jacob’s Bitters made by the Saint Jacob’s Bitters Company, Cincinnati from the Carlisle Evening Herald on November 27, 1894. Very late. Hard to tell if this bottle was embossed but it sure takes on the bottle shape of the subject bottles.

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Saint Jacob’s Bitters in yellow – Meyer Collection

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Saint Jacob’s Bitters in yellow – Meyer Collection

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Saint Jacob’s Bitters in amber – historical ebay

Saint Jacob

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St Jacob, first bishop of Nisibis, took part in the Council of Nicaea. He was renowned in the Syriac Church for his learning and holiness, and for building a basilica and founding the theological school of Nisibis. His relics are preserved at Edessa. Jacob died at Nisibis in 338. His Feast Day is July 15.

[Wikipedia] Jacob of Nisibis, died c. AD 338, is a Syriac saint. He was the second bishop of Nisibis,spiritual father of the renowned Syriac writer Ephrem the Syrian, and celebrated ascetic. Jacob was appointed bishop, in 308, of the Christian community of Nisibis in Mesopotamia (modern Nusaybin, located near the Turkey/Syria border). Jacob of Nisibis, also known as James of Nisibis and as Jacob of Nusaybin, is recorded as a signatory at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. He was the first Christian to search for the Ark of Noah, which he claimed to find a piece of on a mountain, Mount Judi (Turkish Cudi Dağı), 70 miles (110 km) from Nisibis.

He founded the basilica and theological School of Nisibis after the model of the school of Diodorus of Tarsus in Antioch. It was not until the 10th century that the “Persian Sage” who had been incorrectly identified with Jacob of Nisibis was finally identified with Aphrahat. Jacob was the teacher and spiritual director of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, a great ascetic, teacher and hymn writer who combatted Arianism.

Much of Jacob’s public ministry, like that of other Syrian ascetics, can be seen as socially cohensive in the context of the Late Roman East. In the face of the withdrawal of wealthy landowners to the large cities, holy men such as Jacob acted as impartial and necessary arbiters in disputes between peasant farmers and within the smaller towns.

Saint Jacob of Nisibis’s relics are in the church he founded in Nisibis. He is commemorated in the Coptic Synaxarion on the 18th day of Month of Tobi (usually 26 January). In the Roman Catholic Church he is commemorated on 15 July.

St. Jacob’s Bitters Company

In 1883 a patent was granted for a Celebrated Saint Jacob’s Bitters by the St. Jacob’s Bitters Co. We see this company list until Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. begins advertising St. Jacob’s Bitters in 1884.

Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. – St. Jacob’s Bitters

Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. ran a large distilling and liquor business in Cincinnati, Ohio from about 1883 to 1918. They specialized in Fruit Brandies. The partners in 1890 were Morris Mihalovitch, Victor Fletcher and Bernie Mihalovitch. Morris established himself in 1874 in Cincinnati.

In 1884, they were advertising a St. Jacob’s Bitters, primarily in New Orleans.

Letterheads list Morris Mihalovitch as President, Bernie Mihalovitch as Vice President, Victor Fletcher as Treasurer, Charles S. Sibbald as Asst. Treasurer, S. F. Mihalovitch as Secretary, Clarence Mihalovitch as Asst. Secretary, and Albert Mihalovitch as Superintendant. They also listed agencies in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Louisville, Denver, and Galveston.

The company used the brand names: “Fletcher’s Bitters“, “Golden Wheat”, “Hopewell”, “I.C.U.”, “Lucky Mystic”, “Mihalovitch’s Hungarian Blackberry Juice”, “Moonshine Bourbon”, “Old Bass Island wines”, “Old Kaintuck”, “St. Jacobs Bitters“, and “St. Jacobs Malt.”

This Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. 1890 letterhead below, from the Joe Gourd collection, notes both the Fletcher’s Bitters and St. Jacob’s Bitters. The second letterhead is also from Joe’s collection.

Select Listings:

1883: Celebrated Saint Jacob’s Bitters Patent Listing, St. Jacob’s Bitters Co. – Congressional Serial Set – 1883
1883: Label, July 31st, 1883, “St. Jacob’s Tonic.” St. Jacob’s Bitters Co., Cincinnati, Ohio – New Remedies, Volume 12, Wm. Wood & Company, 1883
1884: Patent listing (below) 3404 for St. Jacob’s Tonic by St. Jacob’s Bitters Company, Cincinnati, Ohio – United States. Patent Office, 1884
1884: Newspaper advertisement (below) Ahead of All Competitors, St. Jacobs Bitters, This Tonic has no Equal, Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co., Cincinnati, O. – The Times Picayune, Saturday, October 4, 1884
1884: Newspaper notice (below) B. Mihalovitch of Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co., proprietors of the St. Jacob’s Bitters in town – The Times Picayune, Thursday, November 20, 1884
1885: Newspaper advertisement (below) H. Grossman & Co., Sole Agents for St. Jacob’s Bitters – 1885 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
1887: Newspaper advertisement (below) Mihalovitch’s Hungarian Blackberry Juice For Men Women and Children. Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co., – The Saint Pau Glob, Saturday, July 23__1887
1894: Newspaper advertisement (below) Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. Distillers of Fruit Brandies, Native Wines, Cased Liquors, 168, 170, 172 East Pearl St. Admission of Furst Bros. & Co. Morris Mihalovitch, Bernie Mihalovitch, Victor Fletcher, Jos. C. Furst, Samuel Furst, – The Cincinnati Enquirer, Saturday, January 13, 1894
1894: Newspaper advertisement (above in post) Celebrated Saint Jacob’s Bitters made by the Saint Jacob’s Bitters Company, Cincinnati, Carlisle Evening Herald, November 27, 1894.
1896: Newspaper notice (below) Fire Record. Two Hundred Thousand Dollars’ Worth of Property Destroyed in Cincinnati. Mihalovitch, Fletcher & Co. distillery destroyed. The Times Democrat, Wednesday, March 11, 1896
Posted in Bitters, Collectors & Collections, History, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jerry’s Hippie Dippie Bottle

Posted on 3 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Jerry’s “Hippie Dippie“ Bottle

Apple-Touch-IconAI was sitting at my table at the FOHBC Manchester National show and Dr. Charles Aprill alerted me to a real oddball striated flask somewhere far across the showroom floor, almost as far as San Francisco is to Houston.

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When I arrived at the table and saw the bottle I immediately thought of tie-tied shirts, hippies, Mary Jane and my friend Jerry Forbes from Carmel, California. Yes, the “Left Coast”. Jerry saw the bottle, did some quick negotiations and added this wonderful piece to his collection. This bottle is a real treat with all of the colors running in layers throughout the bottle. Tough to photograph, one of those bottles you really need to see and admire in person to see the amber, green, yellow and blue coloration. It was fun to see the bottle in New England after admiring so many olive and amber historical pieces.

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For you youngsters, the hippie (or hippy) subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The word ‘hippie’ came from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into New York City’s Greenwich Village and San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. Hippies created their own communities, listened to psychedelic rock, embraced the sexual revolution, and some used drugs such as cannabis, LSD, and magic mushrooms to explore altered states of consciousness. [Wikipedia]

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Posted in Collectors & Collections, Color, Digging and Finding, Flasks, FOHBC News, Humor - Lighter Side, Whiskey | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Labeled Wyoming Cordial Bottle

Posted on 2 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

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Wyoming Cordial – Wyoming Remedies

The Great Life Preserving Tonic and Blood Purifier

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C. H. Nearing and Mr. Wakefield of Homer, were in the place Monday selling patent medicines, salves, etc.

Apple-Touch-IconAHere is another bottle that a person at the Manchester National wanted me to photograph. My apologies, as I misplaced the name and my memory of the gentleman who prized this bottle. As a scroll through my show shots, I thought I would spent some special time looking at the Wyoming Cordial prepared only by C. H. Nearing, Homer, NY. No, not a western bottle, just a western name.

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A quick search online shows a wonderful example previously sold by Jeff and Holly Noordsy. Apparently the bottle is rare though these are two different examples. The label and graphics are truly spectacular.

WyomingCordialNoordsy

RARE HOMER, NY WYOMING CORDIAL WITH ORIGINAL GRAPHIC LABEL – MINT, LABELED “WYOMING CORDIAL / PREPARED ONLY BY C. H. NEARING, HOMER, N.Y.”, aquamarine, rectangular, smooth base, 9 1/8″H x 2 7/8″W x 1 3/4″D, applied square collar, a mint, attic-found bottle that retains some contents residue. American, 1870-1880, rare. It is this bottle’s wonderfully graphic label that truly puts it “over the top.” – Jeff and Holly Noordsy

What little I could find is positioned below. The four advertisement clippings below were provided by Brian Wolff. Much to my surprise and pleasure, Mark Yates provided a motherlode of material for Homer Nearing. Please read further below.

NearingClip1

Clipping under Glen Haven, NY for C. H. Nearing in the Courtland Evening Standard, Friday, January 28, 1894

A Cyclone

The Wyoming Medicines are Sweeping Over Fulton Co., Like a Cyclone. The Sale of Wyoming Cordial in This City Already Exceeds That of Any Other Remedy.

CH_Nearing1

Two testimonials for Wyoming Cordial. One from Vermont (1896) and one from New York (1900)

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Wyoming Cordial advertisement

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1904, Mexico, New York testimonial advertisement for Wyoming Cordial

HORTON WHO?

by Mark Yates

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Horton Nearing and his top hast pitching his Wyoming Cordial

I first learned about Horton Nearing about 4 years ago when I met Sylvia. I was following a lead someone gave me about a rare spring water bottle and arranged to meet Sylvia at her home in Pompey. What a wonderful surprise it was! Sylvia lives in the original house on the her family homestead, one of the original 100 acre land grants known as the Military Tract given to veterans after the Revolutionary War. The house is furnished with heirloom treasures handed down over the 200 years; however the real treasure is Sylvia. She was the Pompey historian for many, many years and her knowledge of local history is legendary. She shared with me her family history, gave me research ideas and the time just flew by.

Obviously, the subject of bottles soon came up and that brings us to Horton Nearing. Horton was a medicine man “back in the day” prior to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 which nearly killed the patent medicine industry. Not much is known about Horton, but I will share what little there is. He was born in 1852 and grew up on the family property in Pompey and died in 1918. He was Sylvia’s grandmother’s brother on the father’s side. He had a wicked, mischievous sense of humor and was well loved and known as an “honest” medicine man in an era of unscrupulous con men. He may have been a carpenter for a while and it is not known if he went to college to learn medicine or chemistry.

Sylvia does have his ledger (see picture below) which has many handwritten notes and recipes for different medicines from the 1890s. His medicines were put up in rectangular bottles with ornate paper labels. Unfortunately, label only bottles do not survive the test of time well and only a few examples are known. One of the bottles was on ebay several years ago that had beautiful depiction of an Indian princess and advertised WYOMING CORDIAL which was bottled in Homer, NY. He also made WYOMING CATARRH CURE and WYOMING COUGH SYRUP

WyomingCordialRecipes

Example of the ledger that Sylvia had which has many handwritten notes and recipes for different medicines from the 1890s. His medicines were put up in rectangular bottles with ornate paper labels.

I read a letter from Horton written in 1892 while he was visiting in Pittston, PA describing his fascination with the beauty and history of the Wyoming Valley and the story of the great Indian massacre of settlers there in 1778. This apparently had a profound effect on him and most likely led to his decision to name his medicines. Sylvia still has a scrap book with some of these original labels and coupons as well as some wonderful photos showing a very dapper, bearded man with a top hat holding a bottle of the Wyoming Cordial. These photos were the originals used to advertise the medicine. Sylvia clearly enjoyed telling me about Horton, and in dramatic fashion she saved the best for last… She brought out to show me his mortar and pestle used to mix the medicine as well as the wonderful top hat Horton was wearing when he posed for the photos over 110 years ago. It almost felt as if he was there in the room with us.

NearingScrapBook

Sylvia still has a scrap book with some of these original labels and coupons as well as some wonderful photos showing a very dapper, bearded man with a top hat holding a bottle of the Wyoming Cordial. These photos were the originals used to advertise the medicine.

Since meeting with Sylvia, I did some searching and learned that he lived in Cortland during the late 1880s and in East Aurora in 1916 and found newspaper ads for his Wyoming Cordial in central NY papers from 1893 to 1904, but none after that. Perhaps the Pure Food and Drug Act ruined his business after all.

NearingsHat

Nearing’s original mortar and pestle used to mix the medicine as well as the wonderful top hat Horton was wearing when he posed for the photos.

Posted in Cordial, History, Medicines & Cures, Remedy, Tonics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mailbox Letters – August 2013

Posted on 2 August 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

www.studiomathewes.com

Apple-Touch-IconAPlease feel free to send any antique bottle or glass questions to ferdinand@peachridgeglass.com. The information will be posted if relevant or of interest to the readers. I will try to answer or wait for another reader to respond. Quality images are very important. Thanks! If you want to see previous questions,go to “Mailbox Letters” in “Categories” on the right column of each page.

Perky – Pet (embossed hummingbird) Since 1958

hummingbird feeder 2

Hi Ferdinand. Hope you and your family are doing well. My wife and I were at Lowes Home Improvement Store. While walking down a aisle at the store, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted what looked like a bright red up-side-down Warner’s Cure bottle. After making a sharp bee-line turn and heading toward the bottle, this is what I found. Pics attached. A brand new bottle that is embossed Perky – Pet (embossed hummingbird) Since 1958 / Lititz, Pa. The price was $17.99 My wife had to have it to hang in our wooded area.

Frank (Wicker)  www.bottlepickers.com

hummingbird feeder

Irish Ginger Beer and Stone Stout Bottle Book

IrishGingerART

Greetings everyone, Just a quick update on the Irish Ginger Beer and Stone Stout Bottle Book. The last eighteen months have been somewhat of a trial with negotiations with NAMA to photograph bottles within their possession (which incidentally were to prove fruitless), the ill health of my good friend and joint editor Eugene Markey and a thousand and one other challenges. However the deadline for material has arrived and the final curtain on photographs and information regarding new bottles will descend on the last day of September. So please would any outstanding offers of photos of new bottles be followed up and the necessary information forwarded to me as a matter of urgency. Thanking you all for the help and support previously given.

Sincerely, Neil Cutcliffe

Mossley Rectory 558 Doagh Road, Newtownabbey
email: rathdunebottles@hotmail.co.uk
Tel 028 90 832726

Website: Irish Ginger Beer and Stone Stout Bottles

Unembossed Imperial Levee Find

ImperialLeveeKevin

Hi Ferd, I’m hoping that you can help me a little bit. I came across this bottle at a local yard sale here in Sacramento. Unfortunately, it’s not green, blue, or even embossed. If I’m correct in my research, this appears to be an un-embossed version of the Imperial Levee bottle. The bottle is free from any nicks, chips, or cracks – and appears to be an iron pontil as well. If it is an Imperial Levee bottle, what would be a reasonable value to expect out of a bottle like this? Thank you in advance for any help/information you can give me.

Kevin Korper

PRG: Great find Kevin! Always a favorite. You could get between $2,200 and $3,000, maybe a bit more if the bottle really sang.

Read: James Noyes – Hollywood, Mississippi & the Imperial Levee

Warrock Confectioner – Jacksonville, Florida

Ad1879JacksonvilleWarrock

Doing some research and ran across this advertisement. I know you are a graphics man.
1879 Jacksonville City Directory. Pretty cool, didn’t see any Bitters related items. – Bobby (Hinely)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

PRG: Bobby: You are right. This is pretty cool. The peppermint or candy cane sticks reminded me of getting a cut lemon and half a stick of peppermint at fairs and carnivals in Baltimore as a child. The peppermint stick would be inserted in the lemon like a straw and you would suck the lemon juice. My wife though I was nuts when I mentioned this memory to her this morning. In Texas you ask for big Dill Pickles before movies. I think that is weird. She tried that on the east coast at a theatre and they looked at her like she was a Martian. Nice to see you at Manchester.

F

Veterinary Clinic Bottles

VetBottlesPeter

My wife worked for a veterinary clinic and acquired a set of various bottles. I was wondering if you thought anyone at the Houston Bottle Show may be
interested in taking these of her hands. You know many folks and we were just asking.

Peter Marshall

Baby Feeder Question

InfantFeederPhilHi. Found you on the internet. Could you tell Me about this baby bottle? Made by Evans Eclipse, Made in England. My Parents came from Ireland. I believe My Mom said it was hers when she was kid. I’m in Missouri now. Thanks! – Phil

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PRG: Suggest you pursue question or visit website of American Collectors of Infant Feeders (ACIF)

Boy Holding Clock Figural

BoyClock_Holzwarth

I have been searching for 50 years for any information on my glass bottle my
daughter found it for me on your site. It is the boy holding the clock on his
shoulder. What can you yell me about it? I Am so thrilled to find you. Sue

Restoration of the WWII Destroyer HMS Cavalier

A4 VE Day Cavalier

Hallo, I am one of the several Ships Volunteers working on the restoration of the Memorial and Historic WWII Destroyer HMS Cavalier in the Historic Dockyard at Chatham.

I have taken on the job of restocking the Naffi shop onboard with appropriate items 0f the 1960’70’s era. I am thinking in particular of the Quix Ink, Black or Blue Black. This ink was so significant to us for we all wrote many letters home with our Parker pens and Quix ink while well away from our loved ones. I wonder if you can find a source of donors of those famous rectangular squat bottles, or even a good small advertisement showing them. I have many shelves to fill and hopefully look forward to a succsesful response while appreciating your help.

Mike J. Fleet.

N. K. Brown’s Iron & Quinine Bitters

Iron&Quinine_HamDear Ferdinand,

I happened across your site while looking for images of either or both of the bitters mentioned in the letter written by Robert B. Watkins of Kernersville, NC, which you have on your site. I grew up in Kernersville and in the last few years have written two local history books with a friend of mine.

Read: N. K. Brown’s Iron & Quinine Bitters – Burlington, Vermont

We have just completed a third book and it has a story in it about this same Robert B. Watkins called “A Hot-Headed Druggist.” I would very much like to find an image or two of these Bitters to illustrate this story in the book, but have been unable to find one that seems to have no copyright issue attached to it. I thought you might have a suggestion for me.

By the way, I lived in Maryland from 1967-1987 and attended law school at the U. of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore and later became a member of the Maryland bar. I am retired now and living in NC again.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I should add you have a great website and can see why people get so interested in collecting bottles and such.

Michael L. “Mike” Marshall

PRG: No problem to use any pictures with a caption Meyer Collection.

All Laxative Stomach Bitters Question?

All Laxative1

Greetings!! Was hoping you could help me figure out what to do with
this bottle (see attached pics). It is full and the seal is intact. The
label is in nice shape but loose in a couple places. Tried to sell it
on E-Bay but they wouldn’t take it because of the alcohol content and
someone else said to pour it out and sell the bottle but I hate to ruin
the authenticity of the piece. Help! What do I do? Thanks for your help!

Skip Ellis
Bradenton, FL

Skip: This is a later bottle as far as what I collect. I certainly would not empty the bottle.

Augauer Bitters Wanted

AugauerBitters1stChicago

Hello, Mr. Meyer. I read with interest your article about Augauer Bitters. If you happen to know of anything else for sale, I would be interested, although my funds are limited. Augustin Gauer was my g-g-g-grandfather, and I’m looking for some items for my mom. Thanks!

Janet Payne Beck

Read: Augauer Bitters and the Gauer Family – Chicago

Janet: Please watch ebay and I will also keep my eye out for an example. They are not pricey.

JJ765.1Kx

Dear Ferdinand & Elizabeth,

I am currently producing an editorial of glass making history, which is envisaged to be published in USA. My own expertise of glass spans 45+ years and I am consulted by many due to my knowledge. I would like to include American glass within my editorial, and my current research has led me to your site.

With your permission I kindly ask to include one of your a photographs and its attribution for the perusal of the publishers, which may or may not be used, however full credit and acknowledgment to yourselves would be included if used. Please get back to me at your convenience.

Best regards
Colin Boone

www.rubylane.com/shop/classyglassantiques

Hundreds of Quality Jars

I have hundreds of quality jars that belong to my mother that I am wishing to sell to a collector or dealer in one lot. I am in Owensboro Kentucky. Please pass the word and let me know if anyone is interested. I have pictures I can forward. Thanks

Allen Lake

Not a common sense type Inkwell

Green inkwell a

Mr. Meyer:

I recently found your website. I’ve only been collecting inkwells, mostly common sense-types, for about six months. A week ago I purchased one because it caught my eye. It’s not a common sense type. In fact, I was unable to match it with anything on the internet. That is, until I found your website. The inkwell I found – see attached – looks a lot like one pictured on your site as C-1173.

The inkwell I have is light green with 14 ribs and it measures 2 inches high by 2 1/8 inches in diameter. I’m bringing it to your attention because you seem to have a passion for all things glass. Any insights you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Frank E Wiedmann

NOTE: Gray mark on the inside of the base is actually a dead spider which came with the inkwell.

Green inkwell b Green inkwell c

Subject: William James Moxham

By 1883 Hotaling's successful ventures in Australia led him to trademark a brand of whiskey especially for the Colonies. This time, he chose Sydney, New South Wales, and the Barron, Moxham Co as his agents. The new brand was to be known as Kangaroo Whiskey, and featured a boldly embossed "Roo" on the bottle's face. The bottles were blown in San Francisco, filled at Hotaling's Jackson Street warehouse and shipped to NSW. To date, the Kangaroo bottles remain extremely rare, with only a handful coming to light, and only one actually making it to the US. I "discovered" the existense of this bottle quite by accident. A number of years ago, while going through some early papers, I came across one of Hotaling's circulars that advertised this product. WHOA!! That started the ball rolling, and after many phone calls and letters back and forth to Aussie collectors I finally tracked the bottle down. The problem was that the owner was a notorous "flip-flopper", a guy who played me like a fish. He found the bottle while diving in Sydney harbor, so really had no idea of it's value or history. Well, no sooner did I explain the entire story to him and express my desire to purchase the bottle from him, he got a big case of the "gimmies". At first he wanted $1500AUS, but that changed almost immediately after he talked to some of his buddies. Suddenly, the price jumped to $7000AUS, which I agreed on. Maybe I sounded a bit too eager, so he backed off again. Somehow, he got wind of Glass Works Auctions and the big bucks that Yanks were paying for bottles, and he contacted them. When the bottle finally came up I was so disgusted with the entire proceedings that I could care less about bidding on it. The bottle sold for a very high price and now resides in Ken Schwartz' collection. Included below are some of the advertisements and information for the Kangaroo Whiskey. As far as how many were actually blown, I have no idea. All records have been lost, so the numbers will never be known, but they could be substantial. In my searches, 6 examples have turned up. There is one "mint" bottle and 4 with some sort of "minor" damage in Australia. All came from Sydney area tips. Ken's Kangaroo, and those other 5, represents the entire known population of this most desired Western Whisky. - Michael Dolcini

Dear Sir,

I came across a posting of Barron Moxham Whiskey Label that read as quoted below on your website, headed Mail Box February 2013. It was as shown as being signed by a Jane Melbourne. Moxham is a very unusual name and I thought I knew of all his descendants. I am William Moxham’s Great Grandson and it is fascinating to think that there is a Jane in Melbourne of that line. There is a Jane Moxham in Sydney but she is unwell and I doubt she is doing anything about the family tree often passing on to me material which the Sydney Jane says I might do more with the she.

Can you please tell me what you can about how I can contact this Jane in Melbourne. If you feel that there are privacy issues which need to be respected can you please pass onto the Melbourne Jane my email address and ask her to contact me telling her I too have been researching William both in Australia and his British Naval Records.

Can I please thank you in anticipation of your forth coming help and in thanking you I acknowledge that passing on information like this is not your primary interests.

Dr Kenneth E Moxham
Adelaide Australia

Read: Advertising pieces provided by Michael Dolcini

Chevalier Angelo M F Gianelli

AngeloGianelliPortrait

Dear Mr. Meyer,

I am a great great granddaughter of Chevalier Angelo M F Gianelli. I read your wonderful web page about his bitters and their bottles (read: Royal Italian Bitters by A.M.F. Gianelli – Montreal), and his life. Until now I only had info regarding his activities as Italian consul to Canada. So it was fascinating to hear about his restaurant, his cure for rheumatism etc. I am writing not only to thank you for this invaluable information but also to ask if you might have come across any information as to his wife’s name, especially her birth name. I am researching the family tree and it would be a huge help if you happen to have any information you can direct me to about her.

Much appreciated, Lesley Forrester
Stirling, Ontario, Canada

PRG: I am coming up with Fanny Catherine Compain

R 111 (Royal Italian)

More….

Dear Mr. Meyer,

My name is Deborah Gianelli and Angelo M. F. Gianelli was my great-grandfather. Of all of AMF’s children, my grandfather, Charles A. Gianelli was the only one to leave Canada and become a citizen of the U.S. I grew up in New York and now live in New Jersey (and work in NYC).

I believe you have been in touch with my “cousin,” Lesley Forrester. She and I spoke for some time yesterday (for the first time), and she told me about the beautiful bottles that still exist from the business AMF had in Canada. Despite having an amazing scrapbook belonging to my grandfather that contains quite a bit of information about his father, I never knew about this business. My father told many stories about his family, but I did not know that AMF was a businessman in Canada before becoming the Italian Consul General.

The bottles and their history intrigue me, as I’m sure you can understand. Are any of them still for sale? I just thought I’d inquire. My father, Alfred Gianelli, was born in 1900 and was 52 when I was born. I have no American Gianelli relatives (whom I knew) still living. I do not know the Canadian relatives at all. So I have been on sort of a mission to connect some of the dots and know more about my heritage.

Thank you for any information you can provide about these exquisite bottles.

Best regards,

Deborah (Deborah Gay Gianelli)

PRG: Deborah: How interesting and fun it must be to learn more about AMFG. His bottles are tough to find and usually break the $1,500 mark in good condition. I paid over $1,500 for mine (pictured above) in 2005. I will keep my eye out. If you have any more support info, maybe you could send a digital copy my way. F

Fraser Canyon Find

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Hello Ferdinand, My name is Jill and I am currently working with a field school that was doing some research in the Fraser Canyon, British Columbia, Canada. We stumbled upon a broken glass bottle and are trying to identify it. Since we only have a portion of the bottle this has proven to be very difficult. It is an aqua, rectangular bottle, with an open pontil on the base. There is embossing on both the side and what we assume to be the front of the bottle. I have attached three photos of the bottle. If you are able to help us identify the bottle that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance, Jill

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