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Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, & Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic
Bottles from the Deep offers a fascinating tour through the bottles of the Civil War era. This illustrated softcover book presents the colorful examples from an amazing find of 19th-century bottles in a shipwreck in the deep Atlantic, 100 miles off the coast of Georgia. The bottles were en route to New Orleans in October 1865, just months after the end of the Civil War. They reveal a time capsule of bottled goods of the times – from popular herbal bitters (with their high alcoholic content) to quack medicines (Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for Children) to condiments, fruit preserves, hair tonics, writing inks, perfumes, beer and wine, and much more.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 19, 2024
A fine look at historical patent medicine and underwater archeology…
Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, & Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic by Ellen C. Gerth is a collection of write ups on various paraphernalia recovered from a mid 19th century vessel which sunk off the coast of Georgia.
The SS Republic was a Civil War-era sidewheel steamship that sank in 1865 during a hurricane. A few decades ago, the wreck was located and recovered. This is the story of the various bottles and containers that were recovered.
I love historical medicine and brands (especially weird patent medicines that are hilarious to look at). Due to the dubious (ans sometimes short lived) nature of these products, they often had short shelf lives or limited documentation. I know this because I e often researched them with limited online resources.
The author of this fun historical retrospective provides tons of valuable data on each bottle’s origins…from the company, to the timeline, to various products they made. Sometimes she even includes ads or other marketing materials tied to the companies.
This book gives a fun look at popular or dubious civil war era products. In addition to patent medicine, you also have containers for fook, ink, hair tonic, condiments, drinks, and many others.
Highly recommended for those with an interest in civil war era products, historical marketing, and shipwrecks.
Bottles from the Deep: Patent Medicines, Bitters, & Other Bottles from the Wreck of the Steamship Republic by Ellen C. Gerth is a collection of write ups on various paraphernalia recovered from a mid 19th century vessel which sunk off the coast of Georgia.
The SS Republic was a Civil War-era sidewheel steamship that sank in 1865 during a hurricane. A few decades ago, the wreck was located and recovered. This is the story of the various bottles and containers that were recovered.
I love historical medicine and brands (especially weird patent medicines that are hilarious to look at). Due to the dubious (ans sometimes short lived) nature of these products, they often had short shelf lives or limited documentation. I know this because I e often researched them with limited online resources.
The author of this fun historical retrospective provides tons of valuable data on each bottle’s origins…from the company, to the timeline, to various products they made. Sometimes she even includes ads or other marketing materials tied to the companies.
This book gives a fun look at popular or dubious civil war era products. In addition to patent medicine, you also have containers for fook, ink, hair tonic, condiments, drinks, and many others.
Highly recommended for those with an interest in civil war era products, historical marketing, and shipwrecks.
December 29, 2016
Interesting stuff!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews