# Fitch Bottle Date



## bonham3 (Oct 29, 2006)

Hello
 New to the forum. Wanted to know any info (age, value etc.)
 of a Dr. S.S. Fitch bottle. 714 Broadway. I saw some bottles like it
 but they had a different address? it is in very good condition.


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## zanes_antiques (Oct 29, 2006)

That sure is a nice looking bottle! Do you have a picture of the bottom?


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## GuntherHess (Oct 29, 2006)

Here is a labeled one from ebay.
 I assume your bottle is pontil marked (since I havent seen any Fitch bottles that were not.  I believe the 714 address is a later one. Those bottles seem to date somewhere around 1850s-1860s.


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## JOETHECROW (Oct 29, 2006)

Hey guys,...I've an S.S. Fitch bottle w/out a pontil (vr. crude tho)...Diff. address, 707 Broadway.                                                                   Joe


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## GuntherHess (Oct 29, 2006)

That's interesting. I always considered that address to be earlier. 
 Any chance you can post a photo, especially the bottom?  

 ...

 I did a little research and it appears that both addresses were occupied at the same time starting around 1850 +/- a few years. It seems that Fitch Co. made products up until 1870 or so.


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## swizzle (Oct 30, 2006)

https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m_28772/mpage_1/key_fitch/tm.htm#29257

 Here's the link to a thread I started. It has a pic of the S.S.Fitch and Sons bottle that I dug. Scroll down until you see a bottle with CLR in it. and that's the one. I donated it to the town historian to put in her office window. It was dug in a dump that belonged to a local character that ran a hotel that no one seems to remember. I found the hotel on an 1860/68 map. I went to school across the road from the overgrown lot and never knew it was there. The hotel actually predates our town and was a stopping point for travellers, hunters and trappers heading north along the old military road that dates back to at least the french and indian war and has been consider a major indian route for 1,000's of years. O.K. a little off topic. The address on mine is also 714 broadway. I believe my bottle only dates to the 1880's. Swizzle


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## GuntherHess (Oct 30, 2006)

Yes, that is a later bottle. It was made after his son Samuel Jr took over the company long after Dr Fitch was gone. Thanks for reminding me about that one.


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## swizzle (Oct 30, 2006)

The dump I dug dates back to the 1860's maybe a little earlier. If my bottle is any older its not older by much. Its got strong embossing and its definately not pontiled. I'd say the oldest it could possibly be would be 1870's but I still believe its closer to the 1880/90's. The one heart breaker I found a shard of in that dump was a yellow warners safe cure. Swizzle


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## JOETHECROW (Oct 30, 2006)

To: GuntherHess (and all the rest...) although I've no easy way to post pics, I'll give an accurate description..My Fitch is shaped diff. than either example above...aprox. 5 3/4" tall...crude whittled aquamarine in color. The aproximate shape of a warners safe cure...Embossing (vertical) reads "Dr. S.S. FITCH (1st line) 707 B.WAY, N.Y....but NO pontil scar. Hope that helps,       Joe


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## JOETHECROW (Oct 30, 2006)

P.S. Bottle differs completely from swizzles above link...also mine has crude slopeing lip.


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## swizzle (Oct 31, 2006)

When I first found my fitch bottle I couldn't find any info on it. Now it seems that there is more and more info coming to light. Does anyone know what med. they specilized in or a list of their products? Is there any rare or scarce fitch bottles? I love that paper label. Swizzle


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## GuntherHess (Oct 31, 2006)

Dr S S Fitch was apparently a pretty famous medical personality. he did a lot of lecturing and wrote several books and other publications.
 Like many quack doctors he put out an almanac... Dr. S.S. Fitch's Almanac and Guide to Invalids.

 Here is some other info on him I found...

1st. Dr. S. S. FITCH'S SIX LECTURES on the Causes, Prevention, and cure of Lung, Bronchial, and Skin Diseases; and Male and Female Complaints. On the mode of Preserving Health to a Hundred Years. 360 pages, 21 engravings. Price, 50 cents. 
2d. Dr. S. S. FITCH'S new work on Heart Disease, Apoplexy, Palsy, Rheumatism, Dyspepsia, Dysentery, Cholera Infantum, Summer Diarrhoea of Children, Cholera and Cholera Morbus, Bilious Cholic, Costiveness, Diptheria, Sore Throats, Scarlet Fever, Yellow Fever, and the diseases of old people, with many valuable Medical Prescriptions for these diseases. 168 pages, 6 engravings. Price, 50 cents. Say which book you will have, giving Name, State, County, and Post Office. 
Address, Dr. S. S. FITCH, 714 Broadway.


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## GuntherHess (Oct 31, 2006)

> ORIGINAL: JOETHECROW
> 
> To: GuntherHess (and all the rest...) although I've no easy way to post pics, I'll give an accurate description..My Fitch is shaped diff. than either example above...aprox. 5 3/4" tall...crude whittled aquamarine in color. The aproximate shape of a warners safe cure...Embossing (vertical) reads "Dr. S.S. FITCH (1st line) 707 B.WAY, N.Y....but NO pontil scar. Hope that helps,       Joe


 
 Interesting, sounds like one made in the mid to late 1860s.


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## swizzle (Oct 31, 2006)

I just noticed on the paper label that it says "Humor Corrector". LMAO is that to cure someone with a "sick" sence of humor? Swizzle


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## jwschaeffer (Dec 6, 2006)

Is it possible that this bottle has been reproduced???  Here is a pic of one I seen for sale....it is identical to the pic posted by Matt/Guntherhess....including the missing part of the label...but no chip. I realize this is not a rare bottle but it seems really weird to be almost identical.   Maybe I am just crazy, John


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## GuntherHess (Dec 6, 2006)

I would say its very unlikely that the bottle is a reproduction but paper labels are always suspect in my book.


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## jwschaeffer (Dec 6, 2006)

It just seemed really weird if you compare the two pics..the label is identical......Thank You Matt


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## GuntherHess (Dec 8, 2006)

I'm not sure what the deal is, may be totally legit. There is a seller selling several labeled pontil bottles on ebay. I dont know the seller but I have seen them buying and selling high end stuff before.
 Here is one of the bottles thats seems a tad bit odd to me.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Label-open-pontil-Dr-Duhalds-Compound-Sarsaparilla_W0QQitemZ320058846672QQihZ011QQcategoryZ895QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 There is also the Fitch bottle that I have seen sold before or label exactly like it.
 Anyone know this seller?


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## jwschaeffer (Dec 8, 2006)

If the fitch is legit, I mean if the label is legit, it is a really nice bottle.(one I would like to own). The Cherry ...bottle seems a little fishy...because of the story. Why give such a story if you are a bottle collector. I think there is a chance he has made labels and made them look old! But I am no expert! Just a skeptic.........John


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## GuntherHess (Dec 8, 2006)

Old labels really need to be examined up close, its hard to tell anything from a photo. In general, flag goes up for me any time I see a group of pontil bottles with similar looking labels, unembossed pontil bottles with labels, or 150 year old dirty bottles with really nice looking labels. The seller seems legit as far as I can tell so I cant make any conclusions at this point.


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## jwschaeffer (Dec 8, 2006)

I had asked the seller just after the bottles were listed on Ebay ,if he would come up w/ a buy it now price for the Fitch bottle...and he said it was consigned to him so he could not do that. I am curious to see how high they go..........


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## capsoda (Dec 8, 2006)

I agree with Matt. The lables would have to be examined up close and personel. The sell would have to give me at least a 10 day from recieving return gaurantee.

 Now I will tell you why I would not bother to bid on them. #1, all the sellers bottles seem to have the same staining patterns and color. Coffee???? It it often used to stain lables and make them look old. #2 The Fitch's has a small torn away place on the right side of the lable. Now it may just be me but I have seen that same exact tear on some other bottles lately. Ont something like that but the same. Looks like over use of a good thing. #3 The lable on the bitters has a torn away corner and one hole that I guess was suppose to be roach damage. The corner tear just looks to new and Roaches have been around for millions of years and they didn't do that by taste testing. If roaches would have eaten at the lable there would be more dammage. Last, The lable on the snuff bottle looks as though it too was supposed to have bug damage. Bugs will not go near tobaco, especially snuff and chewing tobaco. The residue alone is enought to wrad them off.

 Just my observations.


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