Warner’s Safe Cure: Newspaper Advertisements

It seems that virtually every medium available to H. H. Warner carried his pitch to the patent medicine buying public. In the age the preceded broadcast media, newspapers were the principal way to reach out to the public at large. Fortunately, copies of those newspapers including their advertisements still exist and I have been able to pull out a few of the Warner’s Safe Cure ads that ran from the early 1880′s until into the 1920′s.  As you will see, many of the ads take on a familiar formula and incorporate testimonials that proclaim that Warner’s Safe Cure saved the user from certain death. Although the ads are not limited to Safe Cure, many of them continue the pitch that Warner made when he first introduced his line of Safe Cures – the kidneys are the key to good health.

The above advertisement is the earliest I have found to date. It ran in the Fort Wayne News on June 11, 1880. Notably, it mentions parenthectically “Formerly Dr. Craig’s Kidney Cure”.  Clearly, Warner had not established himself and wanted to ride the coattails of Craig. The ad also lists the early Safe Cures including: Kidney & Liver Cure, Diabetes Cure, Nervine, Bitters and Safe Pills.  With an almost biblical flourish, it says “Read! Save Thyself.”

A close look at the ad reveals that it looks almost amateurish. Most of the print is typeset, but the graphics look almost hand-drawn. Needless to say, it would be a few years before Warner would have a full marketing department at his disposal.

Warner’s Safe Cure: The Ultimate Go-With

If you are a Warner’s collector,  what would you consider to be the ultimate go-with?  There are no shortage of possibilities since Warner was such a prolific advertiser. There are wonderful posters, almanacs, dominoes, signs, etc. While all of these items are great to highlight a Warner’s Safe Cure collection, I think the ultimate go-with might just be an actual Warner’s Safe. For those of you who are familiar with the history of the Warner’s Safe Cure Company and its founder, H. H. Warner, you know that his first fortune was made as a salesman of fireproof safes. It is that image that then graced so many bottles of his medicines into the 20th Century.

Every once in a rare while, one of these Warner’s Safes surfaces and is offered for sale. Now is such a time. The folks at Antique Searchers in Syracuse are offering a safe for sale on eBay. You can find their listing at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330422118971&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT. They have kindly let me reproduce their pictures here:

About two years ago, I did my first installment of Warner history entitled The Rise and Fall of the Warner Empire (Part I). In that posting, I briefly discussed Warner’s early history as a safe salesman for the Mosler Safe Company of Cincinnati. I also attached a link to Dr. Richard Cannon’s article in the Antique Bottle & Glass Collector highlighting another Warner’s Safe in Colorado. This article is repeated in the eBay listing. Dr. Cannon did some excellent research and it is well worth a read. It does not seem to me to be overstatement that had H. H. Warner not been a highly successful safe salesman and had he not contracted Bright’s Disease and been “cured” by Dr. Craig’s concoction, he would have been completely lost to history.

But I digress. This wonderful safe is up for sale for a few more days. Needless to say, the successful bidder will need to pick it up in Syracuse. Considering it weighs in at 800 pounds +, you would have some heavy lifting on your hands. However, just think how nice this safe would look adorned by a nice collection of Warner’s Safe Cures. Good luck on the bidding and thanks to the folks at Antique Searchers for letting me highlight this great go-with.