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page 62 -- McDonald & Co., Trix Breath Perfume, Brown's Iron Bitters, White Sewing Machine Co., W.L. Hart, G.H. Waters

updated 12 December 2017

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Though you'll have to look hard for it, here's a contemporary ad for McDonald & Co. from The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Thursday, 22 Jan 1885, p. 7:


Trix Manufacturing Company, Dealers in Trix Breath Perfume,
224 Mill St., Rochester, New York
 From Google Books:

At 224 Mill St. in Rochester the old hoistway reveals a bit of the building's history on Google Street View, Sept. 2014. This may well have seen heavy use during the years Trix occupied the building.


The Hoist

Alcohol & cocaine for your children.
Just what they need, for sure!
Ferdinand Meyer V's article on the Brown Chemical Company, producer of Brown's Iron Bitters, offers an oportunity to view a variety of the advertising media used by the Baltimore MD Company to promote its product.


The card card immediately above and the one immediately preceding were taken from an advertising booklet published for Brown's and recently obtained by the Arnold Collection:





Recently added to the Arnold Collection is this ink blotter, an innovative variation on the standard trade card:




Here's another new addition (front, then back) to the Arnold Collection's Brown's Iron Bitters advertising cards featuring the lovely Lillie Langtry, actress & producer.


 



Pages 83 and 129 of the Earl J. Arnold Advertising Card Collection present additional information on the Brown Chenical Company and Brown's Iron Bitters. Given the alcohol content of this concoction, folks probably felt better about their symptoms even if they were not cured.

According to the Peachridge Glass site:
"In 1879, the Brown Chemical Co. began marketing Brown’s Iron Bitters. The company was located in Baltimore, Maryland. The product was 39% proof alcohol and by the 1890s it was one of the top selling bitters. The formula was targeted for female infirmities. The main ingredients were Iron Phosphate, Calisaya Bark, Phosphorus, Vibernum Prowifolium and Coca."
From company headquarters at 25 South Sharp Street in Baltimore MD, the Brown Chemical Company dealt with some serious legal challenges. Without any scientific proof to validate claims for cures, the reputation of a product was established through its advertising, testimonials and sometimes a government revenue stamp. Once a medical product gained market share, copycat products were often marketed by those attempting to profit by the established reputation of the original.

Having made a fortune as a (totally ineffective & possibly dangerous) "cure" for Malaria in the 1870s, Brown Chemical was challenged by such an upstart. The story is best told by the Potamac Pontil in its December 2010 - January 2011 issue published by the Potomac Bottle Collectors. Who won? See page 2 for Jack Sullivan's article Brown's Iron Bitters: A Saga in Suing. It's a story with a twist. Good reading!


Now that you have embroidered your shoes, how about making a fancy hat on your White? The young lady below is wearing a hat that might suggest a good design! This card was recently added to the Arnold Collection.



See page 178 of the Earl J. Arnold Advertising Card Collection for further information on the White Sewing Machine Co.


Via Google Books, a photo of the W.L. Hart residence at 270 West St, Bristol, CT:

What a "combination shaving toilet" might be is yet to be determined.


The Dental News Letter, via Google Books reports that Dr. Waters made a significant contribution to the efficiency of his profession:




There's not enough information on the stamp to determine which bookseller gave out this card.


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