DOSE GLASS COLLECTOR
Two Men, Two Cities, Two States...
by Tracy Gerken, 11/16
The following information was part of an article found on the web site ONBEYONDHOLCOMBE. That web site's mission is to examine "the companies producing the countless variety of cancels appearing on the battleship series of proprietary revenue stamps." The author explains that, "In sanctioning battleship revenues to evidence payment of tax imposed to finance the Spanish-American War, Congress elected to tax patent medicines because they were profitable." To learn more about these revenue stamps and to find the related article on Henry C. Hall (of Waltham, MA) and George Lyon (of Lawrence, MA and Providence, RI), please visit Malcolm A. Goldstein's web page by clicking the GO! button below. At the very least, enjoy the description of The Hall & Lyon drug store as quoted below from the ONBEYONDHOLCOMBE site.
"Hall & Lyon Co. of Providence, Rhode Island, advertised its new flagship store, circa 1907, as the largest drug store space in the United States, and featured it on a postcard. The predecessor building itself had been a marvel. It had contained six floors, each 25 feet by 130 feet. The soda fountain and cigar stand were on the ground floor along with the retail shelves for prepared and proprietary medicines. A fully equipped photography department occupied the second floor, and the top floor, blessed with the best light, served as the photography studio. Staff druggists filled prescriptions on the third floor. On the fifth floor, the business offices split the space with a fully staffed manicure salon. The fourth floor, which extended over the roof of an adjoining building, was the stockroom. The basement housed a soda making plant and an electric generator which provided the power to run the whole building. The business employed 150 people in 1906, including a force of uniformed youths who manned bicycles between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. and could be dispatched to deliver medicine any place in the city at a moment’s notice. The company flourished as one of the earliest regional drug store chains, operating outlets in Rhode Island as well as Massachusetts, and utilized two wagons to transport goods among the branch stores. Its separate laboratory building manufactured 125 proprietary preparations, toiletries, ice cream and confectionery goods."
The following information is quoted from RI Medicine Bottle Company Histories web site and meshes with the facts presented in the ONBEYONDHOLCOMBE article referenced above:
"Hall & Lyon-
Henry C. Hall was born in 1842 in Waltham, Mass. After returning home from fighting in the Civil War, he opened a drug store in Waltham in 1867. George C. Lyon was born in Lawrence, Mass. in 1855. He studied in pharmacy and joined Henry C. Hall in 1886. In 1892 they were located at 207 Westminster St. In 1895 their addresses were 237 Westminster St. and 225 Weybosset St. In 1896 the company was incorporated. By 1898, the company’s headquarters were in Providence, RI. Their locations included 237 Westminster St., 225 Weybosset St., and 159 Broadway. Lyon had a number of other business ventures including the position of treasurer for the United Drug Co. in Boston, and predecessor of the Rexall Drug Co. They sold a number of patent medicines including Dr. Hoff’s Syrup of Tar and Wild Cherry, which was sold in Providence and Waltham. Their business increased exponentially as evidenced by the number of assistant pharmacists they employed.
A factory inspection graded the company as excellent with 62 employees in 1901.
In 1902 it was excellent with 55 employees.
In 1893 they employed four assistant pharmacists. They had eight in 1895, sixteen in 1901, and seventeen in 1905. The Pawtucket store was rated as good with 7 employees in 1907.
In 1907 Hall & Lyon opened a new drugstore in Providence, which was advertised as the largest drug store in America. Dimensions are not given, but their former location was 25 by 130 feet and six stories high. An entire floor was devoted to a photography department, and the basement was used to make soda for the soda fountain. In 1906 they had over 150 employees. A 1909 inspection graded the company as excellent with 159 employees at 4 locations in Providence.
In 1907 George Lyon attempted to take over the business of Caswell-Massey in New York. This massive undertaking went on hold when he fell ill, and the panic of 1907 froze Hall & Lyon’s assets. Lyon died later that year at the age of 53, and the takeover plan essentially died with him. Hall worked closely with Louis K. Liggett after Lyon’s death. Liggett was the creator of the United Drug Company. He eventually took over Hall & Lyon, and when it was combined with the United Drug Co. it became the Rexall Drug Co. Hall died in 1918 at the age of 76.
In 1912 they also had a store at 220 Main St. in Pawtucket.
Note: While this company only appears as the proprietors of Dr. Hoff’s Syrup of Tar on one bottle, they also have an embossed dose glass. "
A statement in the November 28, 1907 issue of The Pharmaceutical ERA, which tells the pharmaceutical community of Mr. Lyon's grave illness, states that "The Hall & Lyon Co.'s stores in Massachusetts are located in Waltham, the home of Major [Henry C.] Hall, and in Worcester, Mass., while four more are located in Providence, and one each in Woonsocket and Newport, R.I."
Finally, the following obituary for Mr. George C. Lyon appears in the Bulletin of Pharmacy, Volume XXII, January - December, 1908.
"The death of George C. Lyon, at his home in Providence a few weeks ago, removes one of the ablest organizers in the retail drug trade of the country. Born in Lawrence, Mass., 53 years ago, and receiving a common school education, Mr. Lyon entered the employ of H.C. Hall as a clerk in the latter's drug store in Waltham, Mass. In 1890 he was taken into partnership and the firm became known as the Hall & Lyon Co. The business rapidly grew until at Mr. Lyon's death there were three stores in Providence, and one each in Olneyville, Waltham, Worcester, and Woonsocket -- seven in all. The headquarters store, located in the Journal Building in Providence, is one of the most extensive and beautiful in the country, and was made the subject of an illustrated sketch in the Bulletin for February of last year.
"By no means, however, did Mr Lyon confine his interests to even the large and growing business of the Hall & Lyon Co. He was one of the chief promoters and the president of the Cahoon-Lyon Drug Co. in Buffalo, operating three stores. He was likewise the president of the Caswell-Massey Co., a corporation which, conducting a chain of six or seven stores in New York City, was unfortunate enough to go into the hands of a receiver a couple of months since. He was treasurer until a few months ago of the United Drug Co., and he was also interested in the National Cigar Stands Co. and the Drug Merchants of America. It is believed that all of Mr. Lyon's interests, with the exception of the ill-starred Caswell-Massey concern, were uniformly successful.
"He had been afflicted with nervous prostration for some weeks, but the immediate cause of his death was heart failure. Doubtless the unfortunate outcome of the Caswell-Massey venture caused him considerable worry and concern at the last."
Possibly a Dose Glass Carrier...
by Tracy Gerken, 11/16
I received an interesting inquiry from a fellow by the name of D. Fuhrhop. In his email, he asked, "At an estate auction yesterday, I picked up this, what appears to be a medicine shot glass carrier. Is there such a thing, that you are aware of?"
My response was as follows, "Thank you for emailing me with this item that you have found. I have never seen such as this before, so I can only guess that it is just as you described-- a dose glass carrier. I can imagine that this was used in a hospital, nursing home, or institutional setting (a sanitarium or possibly even a prison) for the medical personnel to distribute individual doses of medications to their patients. I believe that the small wire ring at each compartment of the carrier probably held a card that identified the patient to which that particular dose belonged. Mostly likely, this dose ID card had the name of the drug, the patient's name, room number, etc. in order to prevent medication errors .
"The dose glasses that came with the carrier are not quite as old as most of the ones that you see on my website. The embossed advertising glasses on my site date from the 1880s-1920s. There are dose glasses from this era that are embossed with the specific names of institutional type medical facilities (hospitals, sanitaria, clinics, etc), but yours are more of a generic nature, from a time frame after custom molded advertising dose glasses fell out of favor. I really think that the dose glasses date your carrier to the 1940s-1960s. Are there any markings on the bottom of the glasses that might give us a better indication of their age (manufacturer name, logo, etc)?
Any way you look at it, you have found a unique and very interesting item. Thanks for sharing it with me."
I asked Mr. Fuhrhop's permission to post a picture of the item in question here on the Dose Glass Collector's website. Also, below you will find two photos that he took of one of the dose glasses that came with the carrier. If anyone has any further information regarding said item, or if anyone wishes to rebut the above conjecture, please feel free to email me and I will pass it on to Mr. Fuhrhop. Also, this brings up another question-- Is there an older version of this item that may have been used for custom lettered dose glasses? It may be out there waiting to be found. In a related article, I just may try to list some of the institutional dose glasses that I have seen over the years. Can anyone help me out there?
Genealogy of a dose glass...
by Tracy Gerken, 04/17
I reprint the following to serve as an example of the type of information that can be found on various genealogy web sites on the internet. This very detailed monograph for Ferdinand Forthman appears on genealogy.com, after doing a quick search for information on a glass dose spoon with advertising that reads FORTHMAN & MILLER / (F&M monogram) / WAYNESBORO, PA.
FERDINAND FORTHMAN (b. 1834, d. 1912)
"FERDINAND FORTHMAN (son of CASPAR FORTHMAN and MARGUERETTA WICKLIN) was born 1834 in Neuhas, Saxony, Germany, and died 1912 in Waynesboro, PA.He married MARY CATHERINE McPHERREN on April 26, 1866 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.
"Notes for FERDINAND FORTHMAN:
Ferdinand Forthman, was a well known business man of Waynesboro, and was born in Neuhas, Saxony, Germany, in 1834. He came to this country in early boyhood. His parents located in Hagestown Maryland and there he was educated.In 1853 he moved to Waynesboro where he resided until his death. He entered the drug store of Henry Stonehouse and became the owner of it on October 1, 1856.A year later he purchased a building across the street and there in 1869, erected a three story building in which the store is still located. On September 26, 1904, Mr. Forthman retired from the drug business, having sold his interest to Daniel L. Miller.
"Mr. Forthman was long identified with Waynesboro industires as a director or stockholder in many companies. He served as president of the Landis Tool Company, vice-president of the Peoples National Bank, a director in the Waynesboro Water Company and in the Green Hill Cemetery Association. He was also a director of the Electric Light Company, the Smith Manufacturing Company and the Fred Frick Clock Company.
"Fraternally, he was a charter member of Acacia Lodge No. 586, Masonic order, Waynesboro, haviang transferred his membership from Friendship Lodge No. 84 of Hagerstown. He was also a member of Waynesboro Lodge No. 219 I.O.O.F. and of Uncas Tribe No. 101 Improved Order of Red Men. He was a member of Trinity Reformed Church and served in the offices of elder and deacon. For many years he was a teacher in the sunday school and served as president of the Andrew and Philip Society. He was always very active in church affairs and rarely absent from his pew.
"He was the possessor of a fine tenor voice and for a time directed an orchestra. He could play any reed instrument.
"Mr. Forthman was a man of great energy, a careful and intelligent business man and prior to his death had accumulated a large fortune. He was one of the largest individual real estate owners in Waynesboro. Mr. Forthman was possessed of an unusual personaliaty. He was the soul of courtesy, always ready to serve friends, always cheery, always optimistic and quick to convey some of his brightness to those with whom he came in contact.
"On April 26, 1866, Mr. Forthman married Mary Catharine McPherren of near Waynesboro. Mrs. Forthman was the daughter of James McPherren, one of the leading farmers of Franklin County. She was a devoted wife and mother and was a woman of exemplary character, sweet and kindly in her disposition. Her influence was felt in a large circle of friends. She was the mother of a moderately sized family of children, all who felt the influence of her refined and highly cultured home. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Forthman were: James M., deceased; Bertha E. , Carrie W., wife of A.L. Criswell; Franklin B. Forthman, Waynesboro; Maude M., wife of Dr. J. H. Shuford, Hickory, N. C.; Lelia B. wife of F. B. Bowers, of Racine, Wis., and Ralph E. of Waynesboro.
"While Mr. Forthman's story is not unusual it is an excellent one for young men to emulate. His industry, his eagerness for information, his business sagacity and his economy in his expenditures helped him to accomplish much. All that he had was the result of his own efforts. He was known as a counsellor of value. At the time of his death, he resided in a fine home on South Potomac Avenue, Waynesboro. This was one of the first in that beautiful section and it was built in accordance with the high ideals of Mr. and Mrs. Forthman.
"More About FERDINAND FORTHMAN:
Burial: Unknown, Green Hill Cemetery, Waynesboro, PA.
"More About FERDINAND FORTHMAN and MARY CATHERINE McPHERREN:
Marriage: April 26, 1866, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.
"Children of FERDINAND FORTHMAN and MARY CATHERINE McPHERREN are:
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JAMES M. FORTHMAN, b. June 1867, d. 1923, Waynesboro, PA.
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BERTHA E. FORTHMAN, b. June 1872, Waynesboro, PA, d. March 05, 1949, Waynesboro, PA.
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FRANKLIN B. FORTHMAN, b. July 12, 1879, Waynesboro, PA, d. 1958, Waynesboro, PA.
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+LELIA B. FORTHMAN, b. October 1885, Waynesboro, PA, d. 1950, Waynesboro, PA.
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RALPH E. FORTHMAN, b. May 03, 1888, Waynesboro, PA, d. July 14, 1965, Waynesboro, PA.
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MAUDE M. FORTHMAN, b. date unknown, d. date unknown.
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CARRIE W. FORTHMAN, b. date unknown, d. date unknown."
Honorable Mention...
by Tracy Gerken, 06/17
Again, I'd like to say that this particular web site deals mainly with glass, embossed advertising, medicine dose measures. However, it is worth mentioning that medicine measures were also manufactured in materials other than glass (metal, ceramic, plastic). Examples of porcelain dose cups are pictured below. It seems that these may have pre-dated the embossed glasses by a few years and overlapped the embossed dose glass era. I have seen these referred to as Victorian medicine cups. Victorian Era is defined as 1837–1901 (and Edwardian Era = 1901–1914). I wonder if these porcelain cups were the inspiration for our embossed glass medicine cups. Some examples of the porcelain medicine cups are generic, i.e. without advertising. Most of the ones that I have seen with advertising are from Europe, The United Kingdom or Australia (see the W. Ford & Co., Melbourne example pictured below). I will be on the lookout for other examples that I can site here. If anyone knows of any that advertise US pharmacies or drug stores, please let me know.
The above photo was found on the web site: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
The headline for the photo reads, "Medicine measure for one tablespoonful, England, 1877-1920."
The caption on the photo states, "W. Proctor and Son, chemists, introduced this type of medicine measure... equivalent to one tablespoon in 1877. Household cutlery varied widely in shape and size so it was better to use a device like this to measure medicine. The four measures (all invented by Proctor and Son) could have been found in medicine chests of the day."
Ode to a dose spoon...
by Tracy Gerken, 10/17
Spotted on eBay, this dose spoon comes with its original box and packaging. The bottom of the box is marked "Rust Craft, Boston." The spoon does not have embossed advertising like the ones that most intrigue us as dose glass collectors, but I was compelled to include it here, especially in light of the fitting little poem that is written on the top of the box. I wonder if this packaging was an option when ordering customized dose spoons, too? The little ditty reads...
GLASS
MEASURING SPOON
This handy little spoon of glass,
Its very best will do,
To measure out a teaspoonful,
A tablespoonful, too,
And while you do your measuring,
'Twill stand up straight
for you!
I found this information on Rust Craft on the Wikipedia website...
"The company was founded in a bookstore in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1906 by its owner, Fred Winslow Rust. The first Christmas card was printed on heavy tan paper and included a brief message in two colors. The success of the Christmas card grew into a business letters, postcards, and greeting cards with envelopes. Rust revolutionized the use of the "French Fold," which turned a single piece of paper into a card by folding it into quarters.
Rust was soon joined by his brother Donald. Fred then began to focus more on the creative and sales aspects of the company while Donald managed the manufacturing and finances. In time, the offerings would grow to include cards for holidays including Valentine's Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, and Thanksgiving. In addition, cards were produced with bon voyage and travel messages, and even cards with messages in Braille.
The brothers eventually retired from the book store and moved to Massachusetts to focus on the greeting cards. At first the company was located at 1000 Washington Street in Boston's South End neighborhood. Needing more space, the company built a new facility on Rustcraft Road in nearby Dedham, Massachusetts in 1954.
The company remained there until 1980 when it was purchased by Ziff Corporation, who also owned Norcross Greeting Card Company."
I also learned there that, "Fred wrote and published three volumes of poetry."
A Star Is Born...
by Tracy Gerken, 1/18
According to Wikipedia sources, "Rowland Hussey Macy Sr. (August 30, 1822 – March 29, 1877) was an American businessman who founded the department store chain R.H. Macy and Company. Macy was the fourth of six children born to a Quaker family on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. At the age of fifteen, he worked on the whaling ship Emily Morgan and had a red star tattooed on his hand which became part of the store's logo."
Headline on the StarTribune.com web site reads...
"Tattoo inspired Macy's star logo"
A reader of the Star Tribune posed the question, "When did Macy's adopt its logo of the single star?" The Star Tribune's answer states that "The Macy star was inspired by a tattoo on store founder Rowland Hussey Macy and adopted in 1858. The Massachusetts Quaker arrived in New York in 1857 to start a dry-goods business after his previous venture as a whaler. He once was lost at sea but found a star to guide him to shore. He wore a star tattoo as a remembrance of the event, and that's what inspired him to adopt it as the corporate logo for his business, which survives today."
"Macy's signature red star was adopted by its founder Rowland Hussey Macy as a symbol of success, dating back to his days as a sailor" -- from Forbes.com, 10 Secrets You Didn't Know About Macy's
Again from Wikipedia, "Between 1843 and 1855, Macy opened four retail dry goods stores, including the original Macy's store in downtown Haverhill, Massachusetts, established in 1851 to serve the mill industry employees of the area. They all failed, but he learned from his mistakes. Macy moved to New York City in 1858 and established a new store named "R.H Macy Dry Goods" at Sixth Avenue on the corner of 14th Street, significantly north of other dry goods stores of the time. On the company's first day of business on October 28, 1858 sales totaled $11.08, equal to $312.83 today. As the business grew, Macy's expanded into neighboring buildings, opening up more and more departments, and used publicity devices such as a store Santa Claus, themed exhibits, and illuminated window displays to draw in customers. It offered a money back guarantee, although it only accepted cash into the 1950s. The store also produced its own made-to-measure clothing for both men and women, assembled in an on-site factory.
"In 1875, Macy took on two partners, Robert M. Valentine (1850–1879), a nephew; and Abiel T. La Forge (1842–1878) of Wisconsin, who was the husband of a cousin. Macy died in 1877 from inflammatory kidney disease (then known as Bright's disease). La Forge died the following year, and Valentine died in 1879. Ownership of the company remained in the Macy family until 1895, when the company, now called "R. H. Macy & Co.", was acquired by Isidor Straus and his brother Nathan Straus, who had previously held a license to sell china and other goods in the Macy's store.
"In 1902, the flagship store moved uptown to Herald Square at 34th Street and Broadway, so far north of the other main dry goods emporia that it had to offer a steam wagonette to transport customers from 14th Street to 34th Street. Although the Herald Square store initially consisted of just one building, it expanded through new construction, eventually occupying almost the entire block... In 1912, Isidor Straus died in the sinking of the Titanic at the age of 67 with his wife, Ida.
"Macy's, originally R. H. Macy & Co., is a department store chain owned by Macy's, Inc. It is one of two department store chains owned by the company, with the other being Bloomingdale's. As of July 2016, the Macy's division operates 669 department store locations in the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, including the Herald Square flagship location in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Macy's has conducted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City since 1924 and has sponsored the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks display since 1976. Macy's Herald Square is one of the largest department stores in the world. "
You may wonder, why a dose glass from Macy's? In an internet search of Macy's store directories, one will find that among the various departments contained within, some Macy's stores had a Drug Centre, Pharmacy Centre, Vitamin-Health Center, Toiletries, etc. I was even able to find some vintage 1940s and 50s advertising from Macy's Prescription Department, found in The Bulletin of The New York Academy of Medicine. Note how the 1942 ad only shows one Macy's location (Herald Square) that had a prescription department and the 1955 ad shows 5 locations. Click on each ad below to see a full view.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Describe your image.
Nightmare on Elm Street or Rogers Dodger...
by Tracy Gerken, 3/18
After purchasing this unknown dose glass embossed TAKE ALL / PRESCRIPTIONS / TO / ROGERS / 332 ELM, I made a monumental effort to find out from where this glass came. It turned out to be a nightmare.
Three key bits of information on the glass (druggist name = Rogers, address = 332 and street name = Elm) gave me a great starting point, so I didn't think that the internet would fail me on this one. I made some headway, but what I found didn't completely seal the deal. I could really never find a Rogers that would have been filling prescriptions at 332 Elm, and advertising himself on a little glass such as this one. Here is how it went...
Using Google to search, I could find only one drug store located at a 332 Elm. The ever helpful ERA Druggists' Directory came up with a pharmacist by the name of T.J. Britton at 332 Elm Street in Dallas, Texas. In this same 1906 directory, there was a listing for a C.V. Rogers at the corner of Ross and Akard Streets in Dallas and also a Russell V. Rogers of Palace Drug Store on 281 Main Street in Dallas, TX. With this info, I set out to search each available ERA Directory to see if they may have been some later changes in ownership of the store at 332 Elm. Here is how things played out in Dallas (I have extracted the listings for 332 Elm and the Rogers druggists...
1905 -
Britton, T.J., Elm & Akard [note: this is aka 332 Elm St.]
Rogers, Cecil V., cor. Ross & Akard Sts.
Rogers Co., Russell V., 281 Main (Palace Drug Store)
1906 -
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm St
Rogers, C. V., cor. Ross and Akard Sts
Rogers, Russell V., (Palace Drug Store), 281 Main St
1908 -
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main [note: no mention of Russell V. Rogers]
Rogers, Cecil V., cor. Ross & Akard Sts
Rogers Drug Co., Russell V., Cor. Elm & Lamer Sts
1910 -
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main
Rogers, Cecil V., Ross and Akard
Rogers Drug Co., Elm and Lamer
1911 -
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main
Rogers, Cecil V., Cor. Ross and Akard
Rogers Drug Co., Cor. Elm and Lamer
1912-
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main
Rogers, Cecil V., Cor. Ross and Akard
[notice: no listing contains Russell V. Rogers]
1913/14 -
Britton, T.J., 332 Elm
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main
Rogers, Cecil V., Cor. Ross and Akard
Rogers, J. Fred (note: no mention of address)
Rogers-Clark Drug Co. (note: no mention of address)
1916 -
Britton, T.J., 1500 Elm (note: different address on Elm)
Palace Drug Store, 281 Main
Palace Drug Store, 1500 Main
Rogers' Drug Store, 3500 Grand Av.
Rogers-Pyle Drug Co., 1619 Main
Rogers-Southland Pharmacy, Main & Murphy
1921 -
(note- no mention of T.J. Britton)
Palace Drug Store, No. 1, 281 Main
Palace Drug Store, No. 2, 1622 Main
Rogers Drug Co., C.V., 1814 Elm
Rogers' Southland Pharmacy, 1200 Main
Notice that starting in 1908, Russell V. Rogers was no longer associated with the Palace Drug Store, but had a store of his own. By 1912, Russell Rogers disappeared from the listings all together. Maybe he closed his location and went to work for T.J. Britton at 332 Elm. Possibly this dose glass was used to advertise the fact that he had went to work with Britton and was encouraging his customers to follow.
But, alas, this is all conjecture. As far as the listings go, it seems that the address, 332 Elm Street in Dallas, was a Rogers dodger. All that said, I have no other leads that take me to any other cities, other than Dallas. I resign to the fact that the piece of the puzzle is missing that places a druggist, by the name of Rogers, at 332 Elm in Dallas, TX. Maybe a Dallas collector can shed some light.
PS- Dick Campbell, a fellow collector and an expert researcher has found the following blurb that appeared in a 1897 Merck Report... "T. J. Britton has recently purchased the drug business of Russell W. Rogers, in Dallas, Texas." An interesting turn of events that pre-dates all of the above and makes it appear that Russell Rogers was at 332 Elm before Britton acquired the business.
Fill in the blanks...
by Tracy Gerken, 4/18
It is evident from the glasses shown below, that Whitall Tatum & Co. produced a souvenir dose glass for the attendees of the New York State Pharmaceutical Convention (abbreviated as N.Y.S.P.C.) or New York State Pharmaceutical Association (abbreviated as N.Y.S.P.A.) meetings. What a great, targeted advertising campaign! The first known example is a dose spoon from the 1900 convention and the last known example is from the 1921 convention. There was probably a glass for each year betwixt and between. Maybe, there were also glasses produced before 1900 and after 1921. In a previous newletter, I referred to this category of glasses as occasion or event inspired glasses.
"The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY) was established in 1879, a not-for-profit incorporated society representing the pharmacist profession, the largest pharmacy association in New York State." A couple of early historical points of fact found on the PSSNY web site...
• 1879 - A convention for pharmacists/druggists convened in Utica. As a result, the New York State Pharmacists Association is formed. Its goal is to achieve formal recognition of Pharmacy as a profession.
• 1884 - The New York State Pharmacists Association has its first victory. Like other recognized professions, pharmacy will have a State board.
• 1884 - Governor Grover Cleveland (who was also elected President that same year) appoints the first members to the New York State Board of Pharmacy.
• 1906 - The State Legislature passes and the Governor signs legislation making New York the first state to require a college degree in order to obtain a pharmacists license.
• 1957 - The New York State Pharmacists Association changes its name to the Pharmaceutical Society of the State of New York (PSSNY).
In the same vein, a similar glass has been found which is embossed, Souvenir / 1917 / New Hampshire State / Pharmaceutical / Convention / (mono WTCo) / Portsmouth, N.H. It just makes one wonder... back in the day, how many states held these big pharmaceutical conventions. And, for how many of these did W.T. Co. produce souvenir glasses? I take this opportunity to ask other collectors to help fill in the blanks by sharing their state pharmaceutical convention dose glass souvenirs . Thanks for your participation.
His Name Is My Name, Too!
by Tracy Gerken, 4/18
1905 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- GERKEN, CHAS. G.H., 1485 Broadway
1905 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- SCHLOSSER & GERKEN, 773 10th Ave.
1906 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- GERKEN, CHAS. G.H., 1485 Broadway
1906 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- GERKEN, HENRY, 773 10th Ave.
1906 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- SCHLOSSER & GERKEN, 773 10th Ave.
1908 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- GERKEN, S.D., 1485 Broadway
1908 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- SCHLOSSER & GERKEN, 773 10th Ave.
1910 -- Retail Druggist, Brooklyn, New York -- GERKEN, S.D., 1485 Broadway
1911 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 3040 Woodlawn Rd.
1911 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, J.H., 555 Westchester Ave.
1911 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- SCHLOSSER & GERKEN, 773 10th Ave.
1911 -- Retail Druggist, Plankinton, SD -- GERKEN, A.H.
1912 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 3040 Woodlawn Rd.
1912 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, MRS. J.H., 555 Westchester Av.
1912 -- Retail Druggist, Plankinton, SD -- GERKEN, A.H.
1913-14 -- Retail Druggist, West Point, NE -- GERKEN DRUG CO.
1913-14 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 319 E. 204th
1913-14 -- Retail Druggist, Snohomish, WA -- PURDY & GERKEN
1916 -- Retail Druggist, West Point, NE -- GERKEN DRUG CO.
1916 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 319 E. 204th
1916 -- Retail Druggist, Plankinton, SD -- GERKEN, A.H.
1921 -- Retail Druggist, Madison, NE -- GERKEN PHARMACY
1921 -- Retail Druggist, West Point, NE -- GERKEN DRUG CO.
1921 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 319 E. 204th
1921 -- Retail Druggist, Plankinton, SD -- GERKEN, A.H.
1922 -- Retail Druggist, Madison, NE -- GERKEN PHARMACY
1922 -- Retail Druggist, New York, NY -- GERKEN, F.M., 319 E. 204th
1922 -- Retail Druggist, Plankinton, SD -- GERKEN, A.H.
Above, you will see a fantastical, etched Gerken dose glass which was customized for me and graciously given to me by Australian collector, Peter Taylor. It contains all the elements one would like to see on a glass, including druggist's name, city and state location, monogram, and even a picture. Maybe, one day, a similar antique embossed dose glass will come my way advertising one of the above Gerken druggists.
Note: One thing that I learned from this exercise is that the search feature on these internet published directories is not 100% accurate. For example, a search in the 1916 directory found only 2 listings. I had to physically go to the Nebraska listings to find the West Point Gerken Drug Co., which somehow the search engine did not pick up. I believe this has to do with the quality of the copy of the text. If a word is smudged or just not printed well, the search engine must miss that word.
FYI, the title of this article is a reference to the children's song, "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt." Anybody remember it?
Fellow collector, Bill Errera, brought to my attention an antique beer bottle that he had recently purchased for his collection (see photo at right). To both his amusement and mine, it from a Louis Gerken of New York. He jokingly asked, "Is this kin of yours??" Whereas I do not know if this particular brewmeister is an ancestor of mine, it made me wonder... Might I, someday, find a dose glass from a druggist that shares my last name? That would be a great addition to my collection, whether distant relative or not. So, I took on the task of searching the available online ERA Druggist Directories to see if I could find any Gerkens, from whom a dose glass might exist. To my great excitement, there were a few. Here is what I found:
A Rolling Orange Gathers No Moss...
by Tracy Gerken, 8/18
This article is in regards to a dose glass that has been on my radar for many years. It is embossed as follows: Chas. E. Weck / (image of an orange tree branch) / -The- / Prescription Druggist. I always knew it as being from Riverside, CA, even though that is not stated on the glass itself. However, years ago, I had spoken to a very authoritative Nevada collector who included this glass on a list of those from his state. Well, the internet has provided us with more and more information over the years. Through various findings on the net, I now see why the glass is claimed by collectors of both California and Nevada. Here, I will shed some light on what I found in the way of a timeline, of sorts.
Pharmaceutical ERA's Semi-Monthly Supplement, No. 21, to The ERA Druggists Directory, 3d Edition, 1894... has a Pasadena, California entry that lists C.E. Weck, succeeded by Weck & Wood.
Merck's Report, Volume V, 1896... "Mr. Charles E. Weck, late of Weck & Wood, of Pasadena, Cal. has purchased the Opera Drugstore at Riverside, that State. Mr Weck is an energetic and capable pharmacist."
The California Druggist, 1896... It states that "C.E. Weck, Riverside, has given his store an outside coat of orange color, and has added new and handsome gold and black signs. With his tasteful improvements inside the store he now has one of the neatest pharmacies in Southern California." Under its Riverside news, this same publication says that, "Chas. E. Weck's new fountain, which is of green onyx, shows up in great shape. It is a beautiful addition to his handsome store and attracts a good deal of attention."
The California Druggist, 1897... In a section entitled, Riverside Notes, it reads, "Riverside druggists are vigorously working the gift feature
this season in their business methods, C. E. Weck offering twenty valuable prizes, J. C. Hardman fifteen Rogers' statuettes, and Heath & Morrison a pony and cart. J. D. SeBrell has been lying low ; but after his move to corner Main and Eighth, which is to be in the near future, we may be startled by his offering a free house and lot or a twenty-acre orange grove to his customers. The possibilities to drug buyers in
Riverside are simply great." It later mentions that, "Harry Fleming, with C.E. Weck, has gone to San Francisco to take a course in the College of Pharmacy, which is a sensible thing to do. His place will be supplied by Oscar Berger, lately with M. P. Green, Pasadena."
California Druggists, 1899... It is reported that... Mr. Chas. E. Week, of Riverside, has taken the storeroom next to him on the north side, and will at once begin to enlarge and change his store generally ; special attention given to accommodating soda-water customers, and displaying California and Mexican curios to advantage. I also mentions, " C. E. Weck, Riverside, has returned from his vacation which was spent at Catalina."
The Pacific Pharmacist: An Independent Journal, Volume II, 1908-1909... In the personals section, it explains, "C.E. Weck, for many years located at Redlands and Pasadena, has disposed of his interests in Southern California, and is now in San Francisco purchasing a new stock for a store to be opened in Reno, Nev. Mr. Weck is fortunate in securing the very best corner in Reno."
ERA Druggist Directory of America, 14th Edition, 1910... Here, it lists Charles E. Weck in Reno, Nevada.
The Pacific Pharmacist, May, 1911... mentions that, " C.E. Weck, in company with his wife, daughter, and son, toured in an automobile from Reno to San Francisco, and all derived much benefit and pleasure out of the delightful trip."
Reno Evening Gazette, Feb. 19, 1921... contains a blurb that states, "C.E. WECK BUYS PETALUMA DRUG STORE." It goes on to say that, "Charles E. Week, formerly a prominent druggist in Reno, is now located in Petaluma, Cal., where he recently in partnership with F.E. Wood, purchased the Geary Drug Store. The store is to be conducted under the name of Weck & Woods Drug Co. Mr. Week sold his drug store here about a year ago."
Why an orange tree branch on a glass from Riverside, CA? You can figure it out by the colorful crate labels pictured here and a few vintage postcards, too...
