Warner’s Safe Cure: Artist’s Album (1888) – Part II

The Artist’s Album features some terrific graphics of both the Warner product line and its spurious claims. It is perhaps appropriate to start at the beginning with Safe Cure. It harkens back to the business that made Warner his first millions, the fireproof safe business. He modestly proclaims that he was “formerly the largest Safe dealer in the world” and provides the reader with a list of his available products.

Warner then moves on to another one of his original line of cures, his Diabetes Cure.  He distinguishes the two types of diabetes, insipid and sweet and notes the symtoms. However, he noted that the Diabetes Cure should not be used for kidney ailments, use only Safe Cure.

Next was the Rheumatic Cure, which also was supposed to be taken in concert with Safe Cure and Safe Pills. The claim promises that the “most obstinate rheumatic disorders disappear” if the treatment is maintained long enough to produce effects. I am not sure how long, “long enough” is, but I would venture a guess that it is more than one bottle. It is also worth noting that one of the testimonials accompanying this portion of the Album is from Mrs. Carrie D. T. Swift of East Avenue in Rochester.  One might surmise that she was the wife of Warner’s chief astronomer, Lewis Swift. Nothing like a little family support.

The next featured standard cure was the Nervine, which Warner sold to those whose nerves were too frayed to produce a good night’s sleep.

This represents the first portion of the Artist’s Album and the bulk of Warner’s original line of cures. The remainder of the Album deals with other Warner remedies including his Log Cabin Remedies and his Tippecanoe Bitters. I will feature the remaining portions in a future post. Thanks again to Jon Moran for the images.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Artist’s Album (1888) – Part I

If you have been following this blog for even a short amount of time, you have undoubtedly come to the conclusion that collecting Warner’s Safe Cures extends beyond just the bottles. Warners collectors are blessed with an enormous array of advertising paper and other ephemera produced by one of the great proprietary medicine companies of  the late 19th and early 20th centuries. H. H. Warner missed few, if any, opportunities to plaster the reading public with his brand, whether by almanacs, newspaper ads, posters, cookbooks or puzzles and games. This list is extensive.

Having said that, the question becomes which examples of his advertising best informs us of the enterprise. By my way of thinking, his almanacs and other publications give us one of the most complete pictures of his pitch to an American public desperate to cope with disease in an age where real, medically competent physicians were indeed rare. Among his publications, one of the best has to be his Artist’s Albums. I say “albums,” because there were actually two. While one of the two is distinctly more rare than the other, both are terrific examples of his marketing. The version with Santa Claus going down the chimney (above) is the more common of the two, while the version with the boy sitting on the log (below) is rare.

Unlike other Warner’s Safe publications that were printed by Mensing & Stecher, the Artists’ Albums were printed by Cosack & Company of Buffalo, New York. The back cover of both albums featured a box of Log Cabin Sarsaparilla.

Apart from the terrific graphics, the Artists’ Albums feature the most comprehensive catalog of the Warner’s Safe Cure inventory as it existed in 1888. The featured products included Safe Cure, Rheumatic Cure, Diabetes Cure, Nervine, Tippecanoe – The Best, Asthma Cure, Safe Pills, Benton Hair Grower, Animal Cure, Log Cabin Sarsaparilla, Log Cabin Hops & Buchu Remedy, Log Cabin Cough & Consumption Remedy, Log Cabin Hair Tonic, Log Cabin Extract, Log Cabin Plaster, Log Cabin Rose Cream, Log Cabin Liver Pills and Safe Yeast.  Each of the products was discussed and a facsimile of the package was included. The next part of this post will feature some of those articles.

The Artists’ Albums were issued at about the time that Warner’s medicine empire reached its peak. Over the period of the next five years, Warner went from proprietary medicine mogul to financial collapse and public humiliation. These publications provide us with a glimpse of the types of products pitched to our great grandparents.

Special thanks to Jon Moran for reminding me of the uniqueness of the Artist’s Album and providing me with scans of its contents.

Tippecanoe: Unique By Design

When you’re talking uniqueness of shape in the realm of antique bottle collecting, it is hard to imagine that the discussion would not turn to figural bitters. Now, before everyone who doesn’t collect figural bitters jumps on me for my gross overgeneralization, I’m not saying that figural bitters are best bottles or the most valuable, although some examples can lay claim to those titles. What I am saying is that figural bitters represent some of the most unique shapes among bottles. A quick stroll through any major show will reveal indian queens, ears of corn, log cabins, pineapples, and the list goes on. Among proprietors of bitters in the 19th Century, shape was seemingly as important as name to consumers.  And a good thing too, because it has given bottle collectors an amazing array of shape to collect.

Although H. H. Warner was, perhaps, one of the top marketers of patent medicines, including bitters. He staked his brand to the image of the safe and reinforced that claim through constant advertising and promotions bearing that trademark.  Within the Warner empire, there were several notable exceptions to this branding. Among them were his Tippecanoe and the Log Cabin Remedies line. Putting aside Log Cabin Remedies, his Tippecanoe bitters replaced his Warner’s Safe Bitter, Tonic and Tonic Bitters. He clearly wanted to make a clean break and decided to use unique packaging. So unique, in fact, that he registered it with the U.S. Patent Office.

Fortunately, we are the beneficiaries of his efforts.  While his Tippecanoe bottles are not considered rare among collectors (unless they have full labels or an olive color),  they are an excellent addition to a figural bitters collection. Warner was out of business by 1893, although the company continued to exist and the Tippecanoe remained part of the inventory of products until 1895 or so. It is unclear why it was retired, but retired it was and Warner’s experiment in figural bitters faded into history.

Special thanks to Glass Works Auctions for the photograph of the labelled Tippecanoe.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Mensing & Stecher Lithographers

I recently received a question about the Warner’s Nervine Tiger from Daniel McHenry. Daniel has been fortunate enough to obtain what he believes is an original of this great advertising lithograph. From his description, he may well be correct. In any event, Daniel did some research about the origins of this particular piece and correctly found that it was the product of a company call Mensing & Stecher of Rochester. Those of you who collect Warner’s advertising in addition to the Safe Cure bottles are familiar with this company, which, during the 1880′s apparently did some, but not all of Warner’s lithography. Daniel’s research prompted me to assemble this post on Mensing & Stecher.

First, what is lithography? Without going into excruciating detail, which I will let others do, it is a printing method developed in the late 18th Century, which divides a flat stone surface into regions that accept ink and those that do not, using an oil or gum material. It was used extensively both in advertising and print making in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

The firm of Mensing & Stecher started as  Charles F. Muntz & Company in 1871. According to an articles entitled “Nineteenth-Century Rochester Fruit and Flower Plates” by  Karl Sanford  Kabelac published in the University of Rochester Library Bulletin (Vol. XXV 1982), Muntz, Frank A. Stecher and Anton Rahn formed the business. When Muntz left in 1874-75, the company was renamed Mensing, Rahn & Stecher and later Mensing & Stecher. The firm ran ads in the Rochester City Directory from 1875 through 1881. In 1882, Mensing & Stecher opened a new plant on St. Paul Street (the same street where Warner would open his building in January, 1884). In 1886, Stecher bought out Mensing and renamed the company the Stecher Lithographic Company, which by 1888 employed 100 people with $125,000 in equipment.  While the company handled advertising graphics, it is perhaps most well-known for it fruit and flower prints and nurseryman’s plates, which are still reproduced. By 1897, the letterhead of Stecher Lithographic Company lists offices in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Mensing & Stecher has continued to the present and is located in Detroit. It is now known as Stecher-Traung-Schmidt. The Rochester Plant was closed in 1980.

The Mensing & Stecher name appears on a variety of Warner advertising, including trade cards and advertising posters including the famous Warner’s Safe Yeast Comet trade card.

The relationship between Warner’s Safe Cure and Mensing & Stecher does not appear to have been exclusive of other lithographers. When Warner opened his new building in 1884, it included an extensive advertising department, which may have handled artwork that had previously been contracted out. Also, the names of other lithographers appear on Warner’s advertising, including Cosack & Company Lithographers of Buffalo, New York, which appeared on the 1887 Artist’s Album.

The legacy of H. H. Warner is not only his bottles, but his extensive advertising materials. Mensing & Stecher played an important role in those materials that deserves attention. Thanks to Daniel for raising this interesting topic.

Warner’s Safe Diabetes Cure

Warner’s Safe Diabetes Cure was one of Warner’s initial offerings in 1879.  The box promised “A Sure Remedy for Diabetes.”  But, as we all know even 125+ years later, there is no cure for diabetes. Diabetes is still very much with us and is generally managed by insulin or diet. No big surprise that Warner promised cures to the incurable. The surprise is that there were those who believed that his nostrum resolved their problems.

Warner described Diabetes as being of “two forms, the insipid and the sweet.”  If you understand what that means, please let me know. He goes on to say that both forms “are revealed by an unusual flow of water, accompanied with great thirst, loss of flesh, cramps, sore gums, boils, weakness, etc., etc.” The whole “loss of flesh” thing sounds kind of scary. The fact of the matter is that diabetes has very serious symptoms and effects, not the least of which could be blindness or amputation of limbs. Perhaps that’s what he meant by loss of flesh.

And, lest you think that Warner’s Diabetes Cure would resolve all of you symptoms, think again. As Warner pointed out “Don’t use Safe Diabetes Cure for kidney disorders – use only Warner’s SAFE Cure, a different compound.” I have included portions of the 1888 Warner’s Artist’s Album that discusses the Diabetes Cure as well as a labelled bottle and the Rochester and Dundein Diabetes Cures.

Warner’s Safe Remedies: Benton’s Hair Grower

At some time prior to 1888, Warner acquired the exclusive rights to a product called Benton’s Hair Grower. Unlike his Safe Cures, Tippecanoe and Log Cabin products that appeared in bottles with distinct embossing, Benton’s Hair Grower was packaged in a small, short clear bottle with a wide mouth. The contents of the bottle, which the 1888 Artist’s Album characterized as “a gelatinous substance” looks like a cream colored parafin. And yet, despite the understated appearance, its advertising had that characteristic Warner panache.

According to Warner, Benton’s Hair Grower had been on the market for many years with “hosts of friends” in every section of the Union. The advertising provided the potential user with a timetable of what he (or perhaps she) could expect from the product. Benton’s would remove dandruff (6-14 days), stop hair falling out (14-30 days), start a growth of hair (30-60 days), grow hair 3-6 inches (6 – 12 months), restore hair to original color ( 3 – 6 months), grow hair in 75 out of 100 cases no matter how long bald. In addition, this wonder of medicine was “free from Mineral or Vegetable Poisons” (whatever that means). The package appears to have a “before” and “after” picture as a motivator.

Benton’s was offered in three strengths: single for $1.00, double for $2.00 and triple for $3.00. For those customers cursed with “very tough and hard” skin, the double or triple strength was suggested. Through the courtesy of Jack Stecher, I acquired the above bottle of Benton’s; however, it does not have a label or box, so I cannot tell whether it is the single, double or triple strength. It is unclear how long Warner marketed Benton’s Hair Grower, although one would suspect that it would have competed for the same customers to whom he was trying to sell his Log Cabin Scalpine and Hair Tonic.

Warner’s Safe Nervine

Other than the Safe Cure, Warner’s Safe Nervine was perhaps the most pervasive of the Warner’s original line of remedies. It appeared in embossed bottles from all of the Foreign Offices, with the possible exception of Pressburg, and it may have been distributed there using only a label to designate the contents. It appeared in both pint and half pint versions (Rochester, London, Toronto and Frankfurt).

So, what exactly, was Nervine and what was it intended to do?  According to Warner’s Artist’s Album of 1888, “Warner’s Safe Nervine brings refreshing sleep to weary mortals.” Pretty impressive. The Artist’s Album continues

Warner’s Safe Nervine is a pleasant, harmless preparation, to be used in connection with Warner’s Safe Cure and other Warner’s Safe Remedies in cases of general debility, sleeplessness, nervousness, irritability, &c., and for headaches, rush of blood to the head and general nervous prostration there is no better and no safer remedy in the market.

In short, Nervine was Warner’s “nerve tonic.”  In addition, the bottle label promised that Nervine “Relieves Pain of  All Kinds and May Be Taken in Large or Small Doses Without Injury.” Unlike its well-known counterpart, Safe Cure, we do not have the formula for Nervine and therefore, do not know if it contained alcohol as a primary ingredient. However, the boxed and labelled versions pictured above indicate that, at least, that the Melbourne Nervine was “compounded with alcohol”  and contained “not more than 31 parts per centum of  proof spirit. “Nevertheless, Safe Nervine was clearly intended not as an alternative to Safe Cure, but rather a supplement to treat other conditions. Whether it succeeded in doing that remains a mystery.

The London Pint Nervine and Rochester Half Pint Nervine are courtesy of Glass Works Auction. The remaining photos are of my collection and from the internet.

Warner’s Safe Cure: Animal Cures

If you are a serious Warner’s collector, you will likely remember the first time that you actually laid eyes on an Animal Cure. I had collected Warner’s on and off for over two decades before I actually held one in my hands. I had read about them in Mike Seeliger’s book, where he says

“[p]robably the rarest Warner presently known. Only two green ones are known to exist.”

H. H. Warner: His Company & His Bottles at 20. That was in 1974.  In the intervening 34 years, more Animal Cures have surfaced, but they are far from common. Indeed, depending on color, they generally sell for between $900 and $1800+. I know of two labelled Animal Cures that exist (one with the contents). Needless to say, the price for the labelled ones would be exceedingly high, assuming they ever go up for sale, but don’t hold your breath.

The Animal Cure itself is a fascinating bottle. Americans refer to it an the Animal Cure, while the Brits apparently all it a Mammoth Cure. Its 40 ounce size makes it stand head and shoulders above the average Safe Cure pint. It appears in various shades of green and amber in the London variety and various shades of amber in the 3-City variety. It is unclear as to whether there was actually a difference between the ingredients of the Safe Cure for humans and that for animals, although the labelled Animal Cures state plainly as the bottom “To Be Used for Animals Only,” which implies that it would be unfit for humans. Indeed, a page in both 1887 Warner’s Artists Albums is devoted to the Animal Cure. It states in part:

“Warner’s Safe Cure for Animals” is a special preparation for animal use, and should not be used by mankind. For all ordinary troubles, liver and blood disorders, proceeding from mal-assimilation of food and imperfect action of the kidneys and liver, it is a specific. It is put up in very large bottles, and sells for $1.25 per bottle. It has been used in many cases with most signal success, and many thousands of dollars of horse-flesh alone has been saved by the timely use of this great remedy.

Warner’s Artist Album (1887) (see above). The scarcity of Animal Cure bottles suggests that it may not have been as popular for use with livestock as it was with humans. Nevertheless, Animal Cures provide a wonderful addition to any Warner’s collection.

 Photos courtesy of Ed Ojea and Jack Stecher.