Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Hotaling advertising
Though not directly advertising Cutter Whiskey, this is a related sign because it was given out by the A.P.Hotaling Co, of Seattle, Wash. This embossed carboard piece dates from around 1890, a few months after Washington became a state. At that time, the lovely girls associated with later advertising had not reached their epitome, so this young lady is rather "owlish" in appearance. Women were just beginning to be the subjects of commercial advertising and the models hadn't developed to the point reached a decade later. Nevertheless, this is another sole surviving piece of Hotaling's ventures into the Pacific Northwest.
John Thomas
Picked up this copy of the Old Bottle Magazine, Aug. 1971, a few days ago. I remember when it came out, with John Thomas witching for bottles. I guess no one ever perfected that art!!
Here is John Thomas holding court in 1997 at the great Whiskey Extravaganza - Downieville Bottle Show.
John passed away in 2000. He was instrumental in bringing glob top whiskey bottles and collectors together with his first book (booklet) A Choice Listing Of The Most Desired Older Whiskey Bottles.
Whiskey prices
Don't we wish we could go back to the "good old days" when bottles were priced like this? Of course, most of us didn't have two quarters to rub together at the time, but it's fun to reminisce. This is what some western whiskey bottles were worth in 1970.
Remember when...
...John Thomas' first whiskey book came out in 1969? I was looking throuh some old junk and came across this notice of his "pamphlet", as he called it, being available through the mail. Up until that time, Bill Wilson's Spirits Bottles Of The Old West Was THE bible for whiskeys. John's little publication showed more comprehensive history on the bottles that we all know and appreciate and quickly became the go-to source for them. He also had assigned an actual "value" to each one, but I'm sure that there was some "self interest" involved in that aspect. Regardless, we all enjoyed this little publication and many of us carried our copies until they wore out. Ragged and dog eared, soiled from fingers, and the pages falling out, they still hold an honored place in our hearts if not on our shelves.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Vintage advertisement
All of us that collect the older whiskies also appreciate the signs that were used by the dealers and agents to advertise their products. One of my favorites is the A. P. Hotaling Co, the largest wholesale liquor dealer in the West during the latter half of the 19th Century. Everyone is familiar with the many and varied bottles he produced to contain his goods, but not all are aware of his advertising. One of the earliest "Cutter" signs is this hand made piece from one of his Northwest agencies. It sits in the original frame and has painted on the back the address of the saloon it was sent to in Mt.Vernon, WT. It is printed on tin, and has the grain and vignettes done on gold lettering. The brands that he wanted to promote are lettered in gold with "gold" "sprinkles" added to the two at top and bottom, and "silver" on the side brands. J.H.Cutter, with the logo barrel ends is in the center. In the corners are the agencies that he had opened at the time. Clockwise from the top left are, San Francisco, Cal, Spokane Falls, W.T., Seattle W.T. and Portland, O.
The first Hotaling bottles
Shortly after A.P.Hotaling opened his offices, bottling rooms, and warehouses at 429&431 Jackson St in 1866 he began bottling the famous J.H Cutter Whiskey that was discussed in such great detail by G.O.Blake. Following the Open Face, or N0n-Crown, bottle was the one referred as Shoulder Crown. This bottle first appeared in 1871 and likely continued to be produced until sometime mid decade. Unfortunately, the earliest Cutter trademarks were stolen from the State Archives many years ago, so dating these bottles is subjective at best. Following are two examples from my minor collection of Hotaling's bottles.
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