Warner’s Safe Dictionary Revealed

Blogging about H. H. Warner means blogging not only about his extensive line of cures and remedies, but also about his amazing advertising pieces that he used to make his products a household name in the late 19th Century. Unlike today, people of that era did not have access to reference material that we take for granted. Even something as simple as a dictionary was probably not something that most people had access to. Indeed, unless you lived in a large city, access to public libraries was a luxury denied to the masses.

Warner understood this unfulfilled need and tapped into it by providing advertising pieces that highlighted his product line while also providing information that people could use in their daily lives. The best examples of this nexus between advertising and resource material included his almanacs loaded with household hints and tips. He issued one or more almanacs each year that were distributed to the public by local druggists. Another excellent example was his Safe Dictionary.  I featured the Safe Dictionary is a post I did back in October, 2008. At the time, I was limited to providing a picture of the cover.

Recently, however, I stumbled upon a digital version of the Safe Dictionary put online by the National Library of Medicine. The great thing about this version is that it allows you to read through the entire Safe Dictionary by clicking on the pages. Pretty cool. Now, you don’t have to settle just for the cover but ALL 5000+ words!

https://archive.org/details/101246971.nlm.nih.gov

 

 

 

Warner’s Safe Cure – Rediscovering the London Office

When I was in London recently, I got to wondering if the building that housed the London Office of H. H. Warner was still standing. The London Office was one of the most successful of the foreign offices and existed from 1882-83 until well into the 1930’s. However, unlike the iconic Warner’s Remedies Building in Rochester, the London Office did not grace the company’s advertising. Indeed, I have only one almanac that depicts the London Office.

The back cover of the 1888-1889 British Safe Cure almanac featured sketches of all of the foreign office buildings, including the London Office located at 86 Clerkenwell Road, EC1. Unfortunately, the sketches are not great quality, but they gave me an idea of the type of building I was looking for. The question was whether the building had survived the last 115 years. London is a remarkable city that has existed since at least 43 A.D. Since that time, it has grown and expanded, endured invasions, plagues and great fires.

We know that the London Office moved several times during its existence. It was originally located at 81 Southampton Row, WC, which would have placed it near Russell Square and the British Museum. It apparently remained at that address until 1889 when it moved to 86 Clerkenwell Road, EC in the Borough of Finsbury. A few wooden shipping crates bearing that address have surfaced over the years.

Using the GPS on my phone, I was able to locate the site of the Clerkenwell Road office, but still was not sure if the building that had housed Warner’s London operation until about 1902 was still standing. After all, it might have fallen victim to the Nazi blitz during World War II or even to urban renewal. I wasn’t quite sure what I might find. However, as I rounded the corner of St. John Street and headed down the hill on Clerkenwell Road, I recognized it instantly. The drawing on the almanac was spot on. The rounded front corner of the building was unmistakable.

       Warner’s London Office – 86 Clerkenwell Road

Not only was the building still there, it was in remarkable condition. There is no telling through how many hands this building has passed since 1902. It is currently the home of Club Zetter Wine Room & Kitchen, which looked to be a very upscale establishment. Indeed, the only significant change that I see when comparing the current building to the 1888 sketch is the fact that the front door has been moved to the side.

I was delighted to see that, much like the Safe Remedies Building in Rochester, this building has been restored and preserved. Bravo! As I was packing up my camera to head back to my hotel, I noticed on my London map that within a few blocks of the old Warner building was Warner Street and Warner House. Perhaps this is coincidence, perhaps not.

After 1902, the H. H. Warner & Co. Ltd moved to 18 Laystall Street, EC1. The location is less than a half mile from 86 Clerkenwell Road. There it remained until the mid-1930’s. My schedule did not permit a visit to the Laystall Street address, nor would I have known if the building there was the one occupied by the Safe Remedies company. It was, however, nice to know that Warner’s footprint in London remains.

 

Warner’s Safe Cure: The Assassination of James A. Garfield

As I have recounted before, H. H. Warner had a brief, but heady flirtation with national politics. Although he served a the president of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Warner did not actively seek out political office. He seemed, however, infatuated with it early on in his patent medicine enterprise. This infatuation may have been driven by his sense that he could use politics and politicians as yet another means to market his Safe Remedies products. Also, his wealth and local celebrity, gave him political influence.

Warner attended the 1880 Republican Convention in Chicago, where James A. Garfield was nominated for the presidency and was ultimately elected as our 20th President. I was reminded of this fact by a commercial I saw for a documentary on the Assassination of Garfield to be aired on PBS on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. The documentary is part of the wonderful series American Experience.

Unfortunately for President Garfield, his tenure was not long. In office barely six months, Garfield was shot by a disgruntled office seeker, Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881. Despite the assassination of Abraham Lincoln only sixteen years earlier, presidents of the United States were afforded little or no protection and there was no Secret Service. Although he was shot in the back, Garfield did not die immediately, but lingered for over two months. Indeed, his death may have been indirectly caused by the efforts of his doctors to save his life, by probing for the bullet without first sterilizing their hands. The autopsy of President Garfield revealed that inflection had spread for the site of the bullet wound. In the end, Guiteau was convicted of the murder of Garfield and hanged on June 30, 1882.

To many, the assassinated president was a martyr. To Warner, his death had marketing value. That is not to say that Warner was uncaring. However, he realized the value of testimonials. His almanacs and newspaper advertising were loaded with testimonials. Whether Garfield ever used Safe Cure is unknown, but Warner used him as an endorsement. You need look no farther than his 1882 Almanac.

Considering that Warner’s Safe Cure had been on the market for scarcely three years, the endorsements contained in the 1882 Almanac were a “who’s who” or, in the case of President Garfield, a “who was who.” In addition to Garfield, the list included three other presidents: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur.  It included Garfield’s mother, Eliza Ballow Garfield, and his wife, Lucretia R. Garfield. The list included several of Garfield’s physicians, who may, unwittingly, contributed to his demise. Other notables on the list were:  Gen. Philip Sheridan, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, Gen. Wade Hampton, Oliver Wendall Holmes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Robert Lincoln among others.

One is left to wonder whether any of Warner’s Safe Remedies were in the medicine cabinets in the White House. If three former presidents really used them, the odds are pretty good that they were.

Cooking with Warner’s Safe Cure – The Warner’s Safe Cook Book Revisited

One of the ways that H. H. Warner used to market his products and to make them household names was to appeal to American women. In the 1880’s, women were, for the most part, relegated to running the household and raising the children. Their civil rights did not include the right to vote or the right to sit on a jury. Consequently, an appeal to them meant an appeal to something that would assist in their daily work. That included cooking and baking. In 1887, Warner published the Warner’s Safe Cook Book.

The Fifth Edition of the Warner’s Safe Cook Book was published in 1891

Like most cookbooks, the Warner’s Safe Cook Book contained hundreds of pages of recipes broken down into categories that included Meat, Poultry, Fish, Vegetables and Desserts. Unlike most cookbooks, it yet another promotional publication designed to make Warner a household name.

The interior of the front cover reminded readers that the cookbook was the product of the Warner’s Safe Remedies Company

The Cook Book promoted  Safe Yeast in particular with the puzzling admonition “The Best Authority That Experience Can Command.” Like many Warner’s Safe premiums, the Cook Book was available by redeeming 10 pictures of the Safe from the Safe Yeast box along with postage.

The back cover of the 1892 Warner’s Safe Cure Almanac promoted the Cook Book

The Cook Book contained all manner of recipes along with illustrations of kitchen utensils and other helpful hints.

Interestingly, the recipes were not formatted in the manner we expect to see today with a list of ingredients and measurements followed by preparation instructions. Rather, they seem to use a narrative format.

Judging by the number of Safe Cure Cook Books I have seen over the years, they must have been handed down one generation to the next. Cookbooks and recipes were not nearly as available as they are today and these books were probably used until they literally fell apart. Yet another way in which the Warner’s Safe brand name became part of the American household.

H. H. Warner Goes to Sea: Maritime Images in Safe Cure Advertising

As you can imagine, part of doing a blog on Warner’s Safe Cure involves research. Although I would consider myself to be knowledgeable about H. H. Warner and his patent medicine empire, I am always reminded of how much remains to be discovered. Part of my research includes looking at the vast array of advertising that Warner used to develop his brand. That includes newspaper advertising, almanacs, trade cards, posters and on and on. 

Warner’s Safe Rheumatic Cure Ad in the American Reformer on December 6, 1884

When you look at that much advertising, you start to notice that certain themes emerge repeatedly as well as certain images. Warner was a master at using the media available in the 1880’s to make his product a household name. For example, much of Warner’s advertising was designed to encourage potential customers to take charge of their own health with the help of Warner’s Safe Cure. Ironically, Warner also made frequent use of testimonials by physicians, who recommended the use of Safe Cure. 

For whatever reason, one of the themes that seems to show up in Warner’s Safe Cure advertising is the notion that Safe Cure provided hope for the hopeless. Indeed the early Safe Cure almanacs contain the story of H. H. Warner’s claim that Dr. Craig’s Cure saved him from certain death as a result of Bright’s Disease. It was for that reason that he claimed to have purchased the remedy to market it to the public at large.

Rescue of the hopeless is often portrayed in a maritime context. I imagine that in the days before GPS and satellite navigation, being lost at sea was the epitome of hopelessness. This is perhaps why Warner seized upon that as a theme. Indeed hope for the hopeless showed up repeatedly in Safe Cure Advertising. Here are a few examples:

Warner’s Safe Cure Ad in The Metropolitan of August, 1890

The above ad was featured in the August, 1890 edition of The Metropolitan and was located by Kevin Taft. It is loaded with symbolism. First, of course, is the anchor, which represents safety in stormy seas. The words “SAFE SURE STEADFAST” speak for themselves as does the rainbow with the words “HOPE HEALTH HAPPINESS”.  In essence, the ad offers Safe Cure as hope to navigate the stormy seas of disease. Not exactly subtle, but the Victorians were not known for their subtlety. 

Warner’s Safe Cure as a beacon of hope to the distressed appeared on the cover of one of the almanacs in 1887:

Warner’s Safe Cure Almanac – “The Beacon Light of Safety” (1887)

The theme was even included in advertising issued out of Warner’s London Office:

It was also used in the sale of Warner’s Safe Yeast, which claimed “Be Guided By This Beacon Light, Your Healthful Course Will E’er Be Right”. Below is one of the Safe Yeast trade cards that promised to guide distressed mariners through the rocks and shoals of Indigestion and Bad Health.

The Safe Yeast/Safe Cure almanac of 1886 featured a girl perched on the shoulders of a sturdy sea captain. Note that the word “Reliable” is prominently featured on the cover of this almanac as well as on the British almanac above. It has an almost subliminal character.

Warner’s Safe Yeast Almanac – “The Old Mariner” (1886)

The constant recurrence of the notion that Warner’s Safe Cure offered the sick safe refuge from the stormy seas of disease was no accident. One must remember that in the 1880’s, the United States was still largely a rural country with a literacy rate far below what it ultimately achieved in the 20th Century. Images were nearly as important as words and Warner knew that. Indeed, the idea of a “Safe Cure” was designed to encourage the public that the product offered a risk-free path to health. Apparently, it was a theme that worked.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Marketing is Everything!

Although H. H. Warner lost control of his Safe Cure empire in 1893 as the result of a history of bad investments, against which he leveraged the business that had made him a household name, his brand name endured for decades. Now that’s brand identification. The Warner Remedies brand survived into the 1930’s and 1940’s without its namesake.

While it never again reached the heights of popularity it experienced in the mid-1880’s, the Warner name became synonymous with medicines the average American could appreciate. Over the 60-odd years of its existence, Warner’s Remedies offered a consistent message: “bad health begins with the kidneys”. Now, whether you agree with that or not, it apparently struck a chord with the average consumer. Going back to the earliest Safe Cure almanacs, Warner attributed a host of maladies to poor kidney function. Indeed, his supposed brush with death as a result of Bright’s Disease was the result of improper kidney function.  In an age where most Americans did not have access to regular medical care, the explanation seemed a plausible one. Warner capitalized on the notion that Americans could be empowered to heal themselves and he was more than happy to provide a means to that end.

Indeed, the word “SAFE” in Safe Cure was both an homage to Warner’s early business success in the fireproof safe business and an assurance that his “medicines” were not harmful to the consumer. While the truth of that remains unknown, it is more likely that they were not helpful either. Gradually, Warner and “Safe Cure” or “Safe Remedy” became synonymous and the products flourished. Even so, the company never strayed far from the notion that all disease, whatever its manifestation, could be traced to malfunctioning kidneys. And, even after the “Safe” was long dropped from the name and the bottles went from embossed to screw top (pictured above), the importance of renal health remained the predominant theme. It simply resonated with the American public. Never mind that it was complete and utter nonsense. While malfunctioning kidneys can cause problems in the human body, they are most certainly not the source of all disease. If it were only that simple. Well, as Mr. Warner knew, a simple and consistent message is powerful marketing.

Warner’s Safe Cure: 1887 Australian Almanac

Please pardon my absence for the last few months. Sometimes I just have to step back and take a break.

For years I had wondered about why I had not seen more Warner print advertising from his foreign offices. Not surprisingly, there is a virtually unlimited amount from the home office in Rochester, but relatively little from the other major offices like London, Frankfurt and Melbourne. While that still remains a mystery to me, I recently came into possession of my first piece of Australian Warner’s advertising – an almanac from 1887.  Oddly enough, I had seen the image from the front cover, but it was the cover of the 1885 American almanac not the 1887 Australian.

Inside the Cover of the 1887 Australian Warner’s Safe Cure Almanac

Inside the cover looks like a normal Warner’s Safe Cure almanac with one important exception, the salutation on page 3 says “To Our Australasian Friends.” Prior to seeing it published here, I had not heard the term “Australasian” before. I suppose that it was intended to encompass not only Australia, but other countries adjacent to that continent. Other subtle differences are that the name of the Melbourne Office is elevated to the top of the list of foreign offices on the bottle’s label and on the box. Also, asking price is converted to Australian currency and some, if not all, of the testimonials contained in the almanac are those of customers from Australia as opposed to the United States.

Much like the Safe Cure that it advertised, the 1887 Australian Almanac is simply a repackaged version of the American product that was modified to appeal to a new audience down under.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Hope to the Hopeless

“Warner’s Safe Cure Is Life Saving”

Warner’s Safe Cure advertising is loaded with themes that repeat themselves over and over again. Perhaps one of the most prevalent themes is the notion that Warner’s Safe Cure can provide hope to those whose health is in peril.  This theme is often portrayed in a maritime context, where the imperiled person would face certain doom on the shoals of bad health without the help of Warner’s Safe Cure. This Warner’s Safe Cure poster from 1888 is a particularly good example. In addition to promoting Safe Cure, it tips its hat to an often unheralded organization, the United States Lifesaving Service, which was a progenitor to today’s Coast Guard. Many of the members of the USLSS risked and loss their lives rescuing mariners in distress.

As one might expect, this theme made its way into Warner’s Safe almanacs as well. One good example is the Beacon of Light of Safety almanac from 1887. This is a relatively rare almanac, which conveys the message that Warner’s Safe Cure is a guiding light to those lost with bad health. For some reason, this almanac also reminds me of the Statue of Liberty, which also conveys the message of hope to the hopeless. I am not sure if that parallel was intended by the Warner advertising folks, but, in 1887, the Statue of Liberty would have been a relatively new addition to the skyline of  New York harbor.

1887 Beacon Light of Safety Almanac

Other Warner almanacs also hit on this theme of Safe Cure as a safe harbor or source of protection. The other one that comes to mind is the 1886 Girl in the Safe almanac. While not based on maritime images, this hard to find almanac emphasizes the notion that Safe Cure can protect the user from the storms of bad health. The little girl on the cover is safely tucked away inside a safe, which a thunderstorm rages around her.

1886 Girl in Safe Almanac

The take home message in all of this imagery is unmistakeable. Warner’s Safe Cure can save your life when you are threatened by ill health. Too bad it was a hollow promise.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Tonic, Bitters & Tonic Bitters

If you are confused by why Warner created these three variations among his earliest cure inventory, then join the crowd. I have always just assumed they were basically the same thing in three different bottles. This theory, of course, assumes that there was any distinction between the contents of any of Warner’s cures and remedies. All three were replaced by Tippecanoe and were gone by the early 1880’s. My theory is supported, at least in part, by the fact that we know that Warner’s Safe Tonic often bore a label for “Tonic Bitters.” We saw this again recently in a half pint Tonic with a Tonic Bitters label that sold in the most recent Glassworks Auction.

It’s surprising how little there is in print by Warner about how the Safe Tonic, Safe Bitters and Safe Tonic Bitters compare. This is made more acute by the fact that these three concoctions with gone by 1885, replaced by Tippecanoe. Even a review of his early “pink cover” almanacs yield little in the way of a discussion about the proported benefits of these products.

Warner's Safe Cure Book of Prize Enigmas (1882)

If you flip through the pages of the 1882 Prize Enigmas almanac, you will find the following succinct discussion of Tonic Bitters:

This tidbit yields little except to suggest that Tonic Bitters was a blood purifier and cathartic or purgative. We are told that they were “experimentally compounded, by an eminent practitioner”.  I’m not sure who that was or if that was meant to inspire confidence.

Tonic Bitters were also apparently designed to act in concert with Safe Pills to get rid of malaria and all that “fatty bile” that has accumulated over the winter. In short, if Tonic Bitters cannot help you, no Bitters in the world will. And just to dispel the notion that Tonic Bitters might be consumed as an inebriant, Warner notes that “[t]hey are an unfermented medicine, not a drink” and have received some special exemption by the government.

In the end, I don’t think there was a dime’s worth of difference between these three products. Their purpose, it seems to me, was to give Warner a foothold in the lucrative “bitters” market. In the end, he must have decided that they were not having the impact he intended and abandoned them in favor of Tippecanoe.

Special thanks to Glassworks for the use of their picture of the labelled Tonic Bitters.