Warner’s Safe Promotions: Safe Cook Book

In my May 12 post I talked about the prominance of Warner’s Safe Yeast among the company’s marketed products and, in so doing, mentioned one of Warner’s lasting contributions to the culinary arts. Well, perhaps that’s a bit of an overstatement, but the distribution of his Safe Cook Book put his company’s name in the hands of those who undoubtedly did most, if not all, of the 19th Century family’s domestic purchasing…..women.

I have attached copies of the Fifth Edition and Ninth Edition including both the front and back covers. The Cookbook was first published in 1887 and continued to be published for many years afterward. The books provide an interesting insight into Victorian life. They include recipes for a wide array of foods from soups to meats to vegetables and desserts. Perhaps the most notable difference between the Safe Cookbooks and cookbooks of today are that the recipes are in a narrative form and do not include itemized lists of ingredients. They do include the measurements within the narrative.

Not one to miss the marketing angle, Warner included in the Safe Cookbook a small section at the back of the book discussing various types of maladies and their recommended treatment, which, not surprisingly, included the generous use of Warner’s Safe Remedies. The cover of the Safe Cookbook included the boast that “the Superiority of these Recipies will be appreciated when tried.”

Warner’s Safe Promotions: Safe Cure Prize Map

 

 In 1887, the United States was comprised of 38 states and a variety of territories on the verge of statehood including the Dakotas, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. This westward expansion created a fervent interest in what likely seemed like the limitless expansion of the nation’s borders. For patent medicine proprietors, expansion of the country meant the opening of new and lucrative markets. Warner had already tapped into markets in Canada and London and preparing to open his offices in Australia and Germany. No doubt he had his eye on American expansion. Although it’s hard for us to imagine, our country was changing as new states entered the Union. By 1900, the number of states had risen to 45.

In his quest to market his products to a wider populace, Warner offered one of his more distinct promotional items – the Safe Cure Prize Map.  His 1887 Almanac had the offer on the cover:

 GIVEN AWAY

 A MAP OF THE UNITED STATES

39 BY 55 INCHES VALUED AT $2.50

OR WARNER’S SAFE COOK BOOK 500 PAGES VALUED AT $1.50

On page 1 inside the almanac the offer continued “A Finely Colored Map of the United States,or a Copy of ‘Warner’s Safe Cook Book,’ FREE” . In exchange for 10 cents ( in one-cent or two-cents stamps, Warner offered “a clean, beautiful, latest revised LARGE MAP OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA in four colors, showing State and County divisions, Railroads, Cities, Villages, etc.”

The Safe Cure Prize Map provides us with a snapshot of how the country and Canada looked in 1887. It also features an engraving of the recently erected Statue of Liberty, which had been a gift from France for the country’s centennial in 1876, but which had not been dedicated in New York Harbor until October 28, 1886. A few of these Prizes Maps have appeared over the years and are valued by Warner’s collectors as go-withs. By any stretch of the imagination, the Prize Map is rare addition to any Warner collection.

Warner’s Safe Yeast

I think it’s safe to say that most of us associate yeast with baking bread or some other culinary endeavor and not with medicine. Although I have no figures to back this up, I would venture to say that second only to advertising related to his Safe Cure, Warner featured his Safe Yeast, which, according to him possessed medicinal qualities. Mike Seeliger has opined that Safe Yeast was Warner’s largest seller.

Warner’s Safe Yeast hit the market in  about 1885. It was packaged initially in a cylindrical container in a large and small size. After April 1, 1890, the packaging changed to square container. The product retailed for 10 cents per package. Unfortunately for collectors, the Safe Yeast product was packaged in a cardboard container rather than glass bottles, which accounts for the relative rarity of Safe Yeast containers available. I have attached an image of an invoice for the purchase of Safe Yeast dated May 28, 1887. The description of the product is worthy of note:

1 Case containing 1 doz. boxes large size and 1/2 doz. boxes small size of Warner’s Safe Yeast. Each case also contains sample packages of two (2) cakes each for free distribution for all of which we make no charge. Future supplies of Warner’s Safe Yeast can be obtained from any Wholesale Grocer in cases of 3 doz. boxes of both large and small sizes at $1.75 and $1.00 per case, respectively.

Warner’s Safe Yeast Co.

Officially, Safe Yeast was manufactured and distributed by the Waner’s Safe Yeast Company, which, conveniently, was located in the same building as the Warner’s Safe Cure business. However, some advertising refers to the building as the Warner’s Safe Yeast Building.

Warner was clearly a pioneer in the “proof of purchase” marketing business. Depending on which ad your read, cutting out and sending 10 front package covers featuring the safe and 10 two cent stamps or 15 top covers plus the same postage entitled the sender to a copy of the Warner’s Safe Cookbook that included 500 pages of the “choicest recipes, all tested and tried by experts, who pronounce them the ‘best’”. The Warner’s Safe Cookbook went through a number of editions and many survive to this day, demonstrating the popularity of the promotion.