\
| |
LEWIS PETZOLD : DR. PETZOLD'S GENUINE GERMAN BITTERS Lewis Petzold an immigrant from Germany would start a small business in 1862. By 1870 his firm would be called Lewis Petzold's & Co. His company was listed in the 1870 Baltimore City Directory as a wine shipper. By 1882 Lewis's son William R. Petzold would join his father in the business. The company was located at 124 W. Lumbard St. in Baltimore. 1884 was the first year that the company was listed as a manufacturer of bitters in the City Directory. They proclaimed that their Bitters was a great remedy for Dyspepsia, Malaria and Weakness an also used the slogan The Great Elixir of Life. Business must have been good the firm was located in a four story building with a second location at 9 & 11 Dover St. This is where their distillery was located. The company may have had other locations also, a trade card listed an address of 115 W. Pratt St. in 1894 but it's not listed in the City Directory. By 1895 they were listed as druggists. In 1897 located at 121 Hanover St. and in 1898 located at 117 N Fulton St. which was for a very short time. The Lewis Petzold's & Co. would go out of business in 1898. Below are three different sizes of bottles that they offered.
Above are Dr. Petzold's German Bitters Co. trade cards Below is a photo of a dose glass.
There are four variants of the large size bottle. The photo of the larger bottle is embossed PAT'D 1887 / DR. PETZOLD'S / GENUINE / GERMAN / BITTERS / INCPT 1862 and listed as rare. The second bottle is embossed PAT'D 1884 / DR. PETZOLD'S / GENUINE / GERMAN / BITTERS / INCPT 1862 and listed as scarce and the third bottle is embossed PAT'D 1884 / DR. PETZOLD'S / GENUINE / GERMAN / BITTERS / INCPT 1862 / THE / GREAT / ELIXIR / OF LIFE it is listed as rare. References: Baltimore City Directories 1870 thur 1898. Dr. Richard Cannon Article in the AB&GC Dec. 2009. Bitters Bottle by Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham. Frank & Frank Jr. (Wicker) Bottle. |
|---|---|
