Quack Medicine Ads ~ Lydia E Pinkham

I am intrigued by Quack Medicine and the ads of the late 1800s and early 1900's. It seems like you could put anything into a bottle (best if it was a bit of alcohol) and sell it. The grand dame of the bit of booze in the bottle of medicine had to Lydia E Pinkham.

According to Wiki: Lydia Estes Pinkham (1819 - 1883) was a patent medicine manufacturer and businesswoman. A resident of Lynn, Massachusetts, Lydia Pinkham first began developing home remedies after the near bankruptcy of her husband. Mass marketed from 1875 on, Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was one of the best known patent medicines of the 19th century. The fact that it was about 20% alcohol didn't hurt.

Check out more quack medical ads at the Old Ad Store

Drink Barq's..It's Good!

Soft drink collectors are avid about their vintage soft drink advertising. Hot brands are Cheerwine, Green River, Vernor's and Barq's.

Today, we will look at Barq's Root Beer. According to Pop Central Articles, Edward Charels Edmond Barq was born in New Orelans Vieux Carre district in 1871. He lived in France with his mother for awhile but returned to the US (New Orleans and then Biloxi, MS) to avoid French military service. He was a chemist and loved experimenting with soda pop flavors. At the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 Ed won a gold medal for one of his first soft drinks, orangine.

Barq bottled and sold his first soft drink in Biloxi in 1898. His concoction was different from the popular soft drinks of the time. Barq's had more "bite" than other root beers, partly from a higher level of carbonation and partly from a lower sugar content. In addition, it didn't have the traditional foamy head.

Personally, I'm not a root beer girl. I was a Delaware Punch drinker as a child and rarely drink soda pop as an adult.

However, that has not stopped me from devoting a complete store on eCrater to soda industry vintage advertising: THE SODA SHOPPE

Vintage Advertising: Locomobile

What a fun name for a car!

The Locomobile Co was located in Bridgeport CT and manufactured cars from 1899 until 1929.

A good article about them can be found at Wiki, of course! There is even a Locomobile Society of America which you can access HERE.

Also there are some great ads from 1902 and each is in a different location.

Lot's more Locomobile ads here: Old Ad Store