Articles About Trade Cards
 
Turn-Of-The-Century Bitters Cards

 

by Ben Crane

 

Bitters originated in England to avoid a tax levied on alcohol by adding bitter flavoring to alcohol and promoting it as a tax-free medicine having healing and curing capabilities. During the "snake-oil" Patent Medicine period of the mid-1800s in America, bitters having other additives such as herbs, spices and narcotics were offered by many companies with extravagant claims as to their curative powers. Typical diseases claimed to be cured by bitters were ague, fevers, rheumatism, gravel, kidney complaints and nervous debility. They remained high in alcohol content, however, and usually made the user feel good if not cured.

Towards the end of the 1800s, however, the claims for bitters became more focused on disorders of the stomach and bowels, and with passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 the "snake-oil" aspect came to an end. This act required the manufacturer to state on every label the quantity of alcohol, opium, cocaine and certain other substances if they were present.

Popular bitters during this later, turn-of-the-century period included Pond's, Lash's, Rex and Hostetters, and their makers made good use of trade cards and postcards in advertising them to the public. In contrast to earlier bitters cards which emphasized curative powers and were nicely printed, these later cards are cruder and often vulgar and suggestive in their use of double entendre. However, today they serve as an interesting insight into the life and humor of that period.

Shown below are thumbnail images of 57 of these cards. All are trade cards except cards 5.2, 5.3, 5.7 and 7.1 which are postcards. Click on a thumbnail for a larger view, or click here to begin viewing the cards in slide show fashion.

 

 
Pond's Bitters - rev1


1.1


1.2


1.3


1.4
1.5

    
1.6


1.7


1.8

rev1
 

Pond's Bitters- rev2


2.1


2.2

2.3

2.4
2.5



2.6


2.7


2.8


2.9
2.10


2.11


2.12


2.13


2.14
2.15



2.16



2.17


2.18


2.19
2.20



2.21


rev2






 
Pond's Bitters- rev3


3.1


3.2


3.3

3.4
3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8
rev3
 
Pond's Bitters- rev4

4.1
rev4		      
 
Lash's Bitters


5.1


5.1rev

5.2

Re5.2revR5.2
5.3
5.4

5.4rev

5.5

5.6


5.6rev

5.7
5.8 
5.8rev  
5.9  
5.9rev
 
Rex Bitters

6.1

66.1rev
6.2
6.3

6.3rev

6.4

6.5

6.6
6.7

6.8
6.4-8rev 6.9      
 
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters

7.1



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