3 October 1899: Swearing, Not Snake Oil, Lands "Progressive Tooth Puller" in Jail

On this day in 1899, a local snake-oil salesman was reportedly sent to jail not for selling fake medicine, but for cursing at the man who disputed his claims and demanded his money back.

Cursing in public, especially in mixed company, was a serious offense in Athens, often with large fines attached and/or sentences requiring the offender to attend Sunday School each week for six weeks as a public way to atone for their public sin. Ladies who cursed were often treated more harshly by the local courts, as women were seen as not being properly feminine if they committed such a transgression, while men had merely shown poor judgement.


Learn More: 

• Athens Daily Banner, July 1899 - Dec. 1899 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• The Toadstool Millionaires: A Social History of Patent Medicine by James Harvey Young via PINES.
• How to Overcome Fear of Dentistry by Robert F. Kroeger in the general collection.
• Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language by Keith Allan via PINES.
• The Complete Book of Dental Remedies by Flora Parsa Stay in the general collection.
• Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language by Ruth Wajnryb via PINES.
• The Encyclopedia of Bioethics by Warren T. Reich in the Reference collection.
• The Great Patent Medicine Era, or Without Benefit of a Doctor by Adelaide Hechtlinger via PINES.
• Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson in the general collection.
• American Health Quackery by James Harvey Young via PINES.
• The Berenstain Bears and the Big Blooper by Jan and Stan Berenstain in the children's collection.

28 April 1899: Pink Pills for Pale People

On this day in 1899, this beautiful ad for Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People appeared in the Weekly Banner:

(click to enlarge image)

This patent medicine, manufactured by a Canadian company, was advertised in mass market newspapers in 82 countries, and was the best selling product for the owner, George T. Fulford. The Fulfords made millions from the sale of the pills after purchasing the formula in 1890 for a mere $53.01.  His family's 20,000-square foot summer home, built around the time this ad was published, is now available for events and tourists to visit in Brockville, Ontario.


Fulford's prime method of advertising was the personal testimonial. Testimonial advertising allowed the company to vary the ad content, depending upon the symptoms the particular ad claimed to cure. It was also an engaging story about using the medicine, anecdotal evidence often being seen as more reliable than scientific evidence,  a useful quirk of psychology that worked in favor of patent medicines with no scientific evidence of their worth.


In this ad, testimonial of miraculous cure is given about "Miss Cora Watrous, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Mr. I. C. Watrous, of 61 Clarion St., Bradford, Pa." The names and addresses in the testimonial were real; if one looks at the 1900 U.S. Census, you find Cora, the oldest of eight children belonging to Ira and Helen Watrous, still living at the address used in the ad. By 1900, she was 20 years old and working as a dressmaker.


The company would publish small books, such as one that interpreted dreams, interspersed with tales of cures for the many ailments the pills claimed to relieve. All advertisements emphasized that a "reliable druggist" would carry their pills, and not offer alternatives.


According to the directions for use, Pink Pills for Pale People claimed that it cured

Pale and Sallow Complexion, General Muscular Weakness, Loss of Appetite, Depression of Spirits, Lack of Ambition, Anaemia, Chlorosis or Green Sickness, Palpitation of the Heart, Shortness of Breath on slight exertion, Coldness of Hands or Feet, Swelling of Feet and Limbs, Pain in the Back, Nervous Headache, Dizziness, Loss of Memory, Feebleness of Will, Ringing in the Ears, Early Decay. All forms of Female Weakness, Leucorrhoea, Tardy or Irregular Periods, Suppression of the Menses, Hysteria, Locomotor Ataxia, Partial Paralysis, Sciatica, Rheumatism, Neuralgia, etc. 

It also cured 

Scrofula, Swelled Glands, Fever Sores, Rickets, Hip Joint Disorders, Hunchback, Acquired Deformities, Decayed Bones, Chronic Erysipelas, Consumption of the Bowels and Lungs, Loss of Vital Powers, Spermatorrhoea, Early Decay, Premature Old Age.

However, the directions also warned, "They are NOT a cure-all."




Learn More:

• Weekly Banner, Aug. 1898 - Oct. 1899 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• 1900 U.S. Census in Ancestry Library Edition via GALILEO.
• Directions for Using Dr. Williams' Pink Pills: For Men and Women, Young and Old, An Unfailing Blood Builder and Nerve Tonic.
• The Meaning of Dreams by Dr. Williams Medicine Company, published c. 1900.
• Kansas Historical Society's Cool Things online collection.
• Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America by Ira M. Rutkow in the general collection.
• Drugs and Pharmacy in the Life of Georgia, 1733-1959 by Robert Wilson Cumming in the Heritage collection.
• Medicine: An Illustrated History by Albert S. Lyon in the general collection.
• Victorian Pharmacy: Rediscovering Remedies and Recipes by Jane Eastoe in the New Books collection.
• A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac by Edward Shorter in the general collection.
• Nerve: Poise under Pressure, Serenity under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool by Taylor Clark in the New Books collection.

14 April 1911: New Bakery Opens in the Morton Building

On this day in 1911, Sidney J. Thompson opened Thompson's Bakery at 280-282 Hull Street, in the Morton Building. The Athens Banner even announced the opening and the day's specials:

Most African-American businesses did not receive front page notice in the Athens Banner when they opened, but Sidney Thompson was married to Dr. Blanche Thompson, a stockholder of the E. D. Harris Drug Company, and practicing physician who treated both black and white patients, according to the Athens Daily Herald's Business Supplement from 13 August 1914. She was the first African-American doctor in Athens to perform a surgery, and established her own sanitarium for tuberculosis treatment.


Unlike other African-American businesses at the time, Thompson's Bakery would advertise daily specials, such as 5-cent sweet cream biscuits, in the pages of the Athens Banner, alongside ads for white businesses such as Erwin & Company Real Estate, fire pails from Hardeman & Phinizy, and paint offerings from Bondurant Hardware Company.  For many years, the Thompson's Bakery was included in the Banner's lists of factories when boasting of Athens' manufacturing prowess.




Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Jan. 1911 - Jun. 1911 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History by Michael L. Thurmond in the Heritage, general, and YA collections.
• Athens: A Pictorial History by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
• 1910 U.S. Census for Athens, Clarke County, Georgia in Ancestry Library Edition via GALILEO.
• Blacks in Science and Medicine by Vivian O. Sammons in the Reference collection.
• A Taste of Freedom: A Cookbook with Recipes and Remeberances from the Hampton Institute by Carolyn Quick Tillery in the general collection.
• The Soul of Success: Inspiring Quotations for Entrepreneurs by Janet Cheatham Bell in the general collection.

16 March 1919: "Save miles of needless steps, hours of wasted time and energy"

On this day in 1919, Bernstein Brothers furniture store ran this ad for the popular Hoosier Kitchen Cabinet:

(click to enlarge image)

Kitchen cabinets of this type were made by more than just the Hoosier Manufacturing company of New Castle, Indiana, but any cabinets that acted as pantry/workstations for the kitchen were often referred to generically as "hoosier cabinets."

These new cabinets typically had a cupboard set back from a work service, sometimes metal-covered or marble, with shelves and designated spaces for dishes, bowls, and pantry goods all within easy reach. The work service could pull out to provide more space for working or even to act as a kitchen table for meals.

The cabinet displayed in the Bernstein Brothers ad included built-in flour sifters, sugar dispenser, spice rack, and even a cookbook holder. Some drawers were lined with metal and intended to keep cakes or bread fresh. 

The cabinets are considered "scientific" in their ability to create "household efficiency," both important sales words in a time when Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were studying and developing more efficient ways to do a variety of work, including home management.

The ad promotes the payment options for the cabinet as well as their usefulness. Hoosier Manufacturing Company was one of the earliest adopters of the payment plan to move their goods into more homes, with the $1 down, $1 per week promotions. This allowed their dealers to sell the item as an affordable luxury for most any family.

Today, hoosier cabinets are considered antiques, with websites devoted to their care and collection, and spare parts available on eBay. Cabinets sell between $2,200-900, depending upon their condition.

Learn More: 

• Athens Banner, Dec. 1918 - Jul. 1919 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Period Kitchens: A Practical Guide to Period-Style Decorating by Judith Miller in the general collection.
• Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson in the general collection.
• The Pantry: Its History and Modern Uses by Catherine Seiberling Pond in the general collection.
• Making Time: Lillian Moller Gilbreth by Jane Lancaster in the biography collection.
• 1001 Ideas for Kitchen Organization by Joe Provey in the general collection.
• Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Cary in the general collection.
• Kitchen Ideas that Work: Creative Design Solutions for Your Home by Beth Veillette in the general collection.
• Southeby's Guide to American Furniture by Patricia Petraglia in the Reference collection.
• Photograph of cabinet similar to the one drawn in the ad.

18 December 1896: For Children, "Dolls, Knives, Etc."

On this day in 1896, McGregor's Bookstore, which also sold athletic equipment and stationery supplies, much like college bookstores do today, ran this advertisement of their holiday offerings:

At the time, David W. McGregor's store was on the corner of Broad Street and College Avenue, across from the University, where Starbucks is located today.

Learn More:

• Weekly Banner, Aug. 1885 - Jan. 1897 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• 1897-1898 Athens City Directory on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Athens, Georgia, in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• Children at Play: An American History by Howard P. Chudacoff in the general collection.
• Children of a New Century by Jane A. Schott in the children's collection.
• Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood by Steven Mintz in the general collection.
• The Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives: An Illustrated, Historical, and Price Reference by Richard V. Langston in the general collection.
• The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden in the general collection.
• The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan in the general and children's collections.
• The Double-Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan in the general collection.

6 October 1891: Dispensary Rules Published

On this day in 1891, the Weekly Banner-Watchman published the rules for the new Athens Dispensary, which had opened earlier in the week. It also reprinted their daily paper story about the opening with the title "Presto, Change!"

The Athens Dispensary was the city's solution to the alcohol problem in Clarke County. Athens had tried prohibition, only to find that crime and unruly behavior were as much a problem as ever, and corrupted black market liquor was causing health issues and deaths. The Dispensary would both guarantee that only high quality liquor was sold within the county and bring in much needed revenue.  

The law establishing the Athens Dispensary was passed by the Georgia legislature the previous August. By mid-September, Dispensary commissioners were doing "quality testing" for products to be sold by the city, with tests run by UGA Chemistry Department head,  Dr. H. C. White. The Dispensary doors opened on September 29. 1891, at 7 o'clock in the morning. In the first few days, the Dispensary averaged between $200-300 in sales per day, but the level of intake was not expected to keep at the pace of newly available alcohol.

Once Athens was in the alcohol business, fines for selling unauthorized alcohol increased dramatically. Disorderly conduct, including keeping a lewd house, may bring a fine of $5-50 in the Mayor's Court, but those arrested as blind tigers faced fines in the hundreds of dollars, or no fine option at all, just labor at 50 cents per day installing the city's new paved streets, and sewer and water systems, with materials purchased with funds from the Dispensary. 

The Athens Dispensary went out of business on New Year's Eve, 1907, the day before state-wide prohibition went into effect. They had record sales that day, and several frequent disorderly conduct prisoners were given prison sentences that lasted until the Dispensary's 7pm closing time. Georgia would not repeal prohibition until 1935, and even now, some counties within the state remain "dry."

Learn More:

• Weekly Banner, Jan. 1891 - Jun. 1892 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• Athens, Georgia: A Pictorial History by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
• Chemistry at the University of Georgia by W. H. Waggoner in the general collection.
• Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent in the general collection.
• Prohibition by Ken Burns on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
• Alcohol: The World's Favorite Drug by Griffith Edwards in the general collection.
• Irish Toasts, Curses and Blessings by Padraic O'Farrell in the general collection.
• Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800-1933 by Thomas R. Pegram in the general collection.
• Cheers! 1,024 Toasts and Sentiments for Every Occasion by Kevin P. McDonald in the general collection.
• Farewell, John Barleycorn: Prohibition in the United States by Martin Hintz in the general collection.
• Alcohol: Customs and Rituals by Thomas Babor in the general collection.
• A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage in the general collection.
• Wettest County in the World: A Novel Based on a True Story by Matt Bondurant in the fiction collection.

7 June 1908: "For June Weddings"

On this day in 1908, the following ad was the front page of the Sunday Athens Banner:

(click to enlarge image)

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Jan. 1908 - Dec. 1908 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• You Are Cordially Invited to Weddings: Dating and Love Customs of Cultures Worldwide by Carolyn Mordecai in the general collection.
• Vintage Weddings: Resource and Guidebook, 1910s-1950s by Daniela Turudich in the general collection.
• How to Buy Your Perfect Wedding Dress by Ronald Rothstein in the general collection.
• Vera Wang on Weddings by Vera Wang in the general collection.
• Emily Post's Wedding Planner for Moms by Peggy Post in the general collection.
• Mother of the Groom: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy the Best Wedding Ever by Sharon Naylor in the general collection.
• Pretty Weddings for Practically Pennies by Catherine Yarnovich Risling in the general collection.
• The Elegant Wedding and the Budget-Saving Bride by Deborah McCoy in the general collection.
• Miss Manners Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding by Judith Martin in the New Books collection.
• Get Married Without a Hitch by Lisa Helmanis in the general collection.
• The Wedding Guide for the Grown Up Bride by Shelley Christiansen in the general collection.
• The Engaged Groom: You're Getting Married, Read This Book by Doug Gordon in the general collection.
• E-Plan Your Wedding: How to Save Time and Money with Today's Best Online Resources by Crystal Melendez and Jason Melendez in the general collection.
• The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget by Kate L. Harrison in the general collection.
• How to Plan an Elegant Second Wedding by Julie Weingarden Dubin in the general collection.
• The Anti-Bride Etiquette Guide: The Rules and How to Break Them by Carolyn Gerin in the general collection.
• Let's Elope: The Definitive Guide to Eloping, Destination Weddings, and Other Creative Wedding Options by Scott Shaw and Lynn Beahan in the general collection.
• A More Perfect Union: How I Survived the Happiest Day of My Life by Hana Schank in the general collection.

5 May 1901: The Affordable Luxury of Lion Coffee

On this day in 1901, Woolson Spice Company of Toledo, Ohio, ran this ad in the Athens Daily Banner for Lion brand coffee. 

 (click image to enlarge)

Woolson Spice Company was the roaster and distributor of Lion Coffee, and had recently decided to embark in a $200,000.00 ad campaign across the nation, comparable to a $5 million ad campaign today. The message of their ad seems to be that anyone, even a male lion, could successfully make great coffee if he used Lion coffee.

Though their logos are similar, the LION Coffee that exists today is unrelated to this company, and started in 1969, specializing in Hawaiian gourmet coffee beans.

Learn More:

• Athens Daily Banner, Feb. 1901 - Oct. 1901 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Hearings Held Before the Special Committee on the Investigation of the American Sugar Refining Company and Others, Volume 3, in Google Books.
• All About Coffee by William H. Ukers in the general collection.
• The Coffee Cookbook by William I. Kaufman in the general collection.
• The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying by Corby Kummer in the general collection.
• A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage in the general collection.
• Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture by Taylor Clark in the general collection.
• Start Your Own Coffee and Tea Store by JoAnn Padgett in the general collection.
• Lions by Brian Bertram in the general collection.
• A Lion Called Christian by Anthony Bourke in the general collection.
• Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds by Joy Adamson in the general collection
• Born Wild by Tony Fitzjohn in the biography collection.
• Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer in the general collection.
• The Lions of Savuti: Hunting with the Moon by Dereck Joubert and Beverly Joubert in the general collection.
  

30 April 1919: Cigarette Ad Includes Endorsement from a Medical Journal

On this day in 1919, the Athens Banner included this large advertisement:

 

(click image to enlarge)

 

Sweet Caporal cigarettes also distributed collectible cards, pins, and domino discs with each package of cigarettes, primarily featuring baseball players and other athletes, but also bass, birds, flags, cartoons, or actresses as well. Many of these cards can currently be found on memorabilia and auction websites.

Flavored cigarettes were banned in the United States as of 22 September 2009, as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (pdf). Plain Sweet Caporal cigarettes are still manufactured today by Imperial Tobacco Canada.

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Dec. 1918 - July 1919 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• 101 Ways to Make Money in the Trading Card Market by Paul Green and Kit Kiefer via PINES.
• Tobacco Tins: A Collector's Guide by Douglas Congdon-Martin in the general collection.
• Alcohol and Tobacco: America's Drugs of Choice by Sandra Alters in the Reference collection.
• Dying to Quit: Why We Smoke and How We Stop by Janet Brigham in the general collection.
• Green Leaf and Gold: Tobacco in North Carolina by Jerome E. Brooks in the general collection.
• The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product that Defined America by Allan M. Brandt in the general collection.
• The Gilded Leaf: Triumph, Tragedy, and Tobacco by Patrick Reynolds in the general collection.
• Ashes to Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War by Richard Kluger in the general collection.
• Sugartime: The Hidden Pleasures of Making Maple Syrup by Susan Hauser in the general collection.
• A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard in the children's collection.
• Sweet Caporal items available on eBay.

15 April 1911: "Our Hats Are Not Freakish."

On this day in 1911, Michael Brothers ran this full-page ad in the Athens Banner:

 

(click image to enlarge)

The Michael's advertisement sounds odd to our ears, but they are using a more traditional use of the word "freakish," meaning "capricious" or "whimsical." The ad is telling Athens women that Michael Brothers' selection of Easter hats will be good for more than just this one event, this one day--they are a style statement that lasts.

Proper new outfits, and the social stumble a less than appropriate outfit would be, was the common thread in the various clothing stores and millinery shops in Athens in the weeks before Easter Sunday. Both men and women were expected to show up in style at church Easter morning.

Throughout the teens and twenties, men's clothing ads merely indicated that, as you had to have a new suit anyway, you might as well shop with the advertiser. However, an arms war of decorative headwear promises seemed to wage on the pages of the local papers for women, as each business promised to make the most impressive Easter hat, emphasizing the most striking decorations, styles, and statements that could be made by shopping at the right store.

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Jan. 1911 - Jun. 1911 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive (1827-1922) collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology by Robert K. Barnhart in the Reference collection.
• Loose Cannons & Red Herrings: A Book of Lost Metaphors by Robert Claiborne in the general collection.
• The History of the English Language by Seth Lerer in the CD collection.
• Hats Off to Hats! by Sara Corbett in the children's collection.
• Women's Hats of the Twentieth Century for Designers and Collectors by Maureen E. Lynn Reilly in the general collection.
• Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats by Michael Cunningham in the general collection.
• Hat Tricks: 80 Instant Makeovers That Transform Ordinary Hats into Fabulous Creations by Terence Terry in the general collection.
• The Decorative Egg Book: Twenty Charming Ideas for Creating Beautiful Displays by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell in the general collection.
• How Sweet It Is (And Was): The History of Candy by Ruth Freeman Swain in the children's collection.
• A Baker's Field Guide to Holiday Candy & Confections by Dede Wilson in the general collection.
• The Proper Care of Rabbits by J. Darlene Campbell in the general collection.
• What Do You Call a Dumb Bunny? And Other Rabbit Riddles, Games, Jokes, and Cartoons by Marc Tolon Brown in the children's collection.

11 April 1876: "Fine Wines, Whiskies and Brandies, for Medicinal Purposes."

On this day in 1876, this ad ran at the top of the Southern Banner's back page:

 

The  business was owned and operated by Dr. Henry "Hal" Carlton Billups, Dr. H. R. J. Long, and Dr. Crawford W. Long, the discoverer of anesthesia.

The Longs were brothers who had established their first practice in Athens in 1851. After serving as surgeons for the Confederacy during the war, the three doctors returned to Athens and, once re-establishing their lines of credit with northern pharmaceutical companies, returned to practicing both medicine and pharmacy for the local population in 1866. In 1870, Dr. Crawford's son, Dr. Edward C. Crawford, joined the practice.

Dr. Crawford Long kept a medical office at the pharmacy, as well as being active managing the retail side of the business. He would typically stop at the store prior to his morning rounds, visiting his patients in their homes. As a retail manager, he expected the staff to exhibit "promptness, neatness, and systematic observances." In the 1870s, the partners added a soda fountain to the business to attract the patronage of college students.

Much like the modern drugstore, non-medical items were available at Longs & Billups: hygienic items such as brushes and soaps, some sweets, and household goods such as paint and varnishes that would now be found in home improvement stores. 

The alcohol sold as medicine was common at the time; often the processes for creating an alcoholic beverage would destroy any bacteria, and it became somewhat associated with health. Most patent medicines had approximately 20% alcohol content, but frequently would also contain opiates such as cocaine or heroin. Plain whiskey or brandy was, in such instances, a more gentle medicine.

In 1877, Dr. Billups left the practice, and the business changed its name to C. W. & E. C. Long. Dr. Crawford Long died in June, 1878.  The firm name then changed to E. C. Long & Co., and by 1880, was doing most of its business in retail and wholesale building supplies for a booming economy.

Learn More:

• Southern Banner, Jun. 1875 - Oct. 1877 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Banner, 28 September 1880, p. 3, col. 1, in the Athens Historic Newspaper collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• Dr. Crawford W. Long: The Distinguished Physician-Pharmacist by Jos. Jacobs in the Heritage collection.
• Prelude to Fame: Crawford Long's Discovery of Anaesthesia by Ruby L. Radford in the Heritage and juvenile biography collections.
• Oconee Hill Cemetery, Athens, Georgia, Volume I by Charlotte Thomas Marshall in the Heritage and general collections.
• Annals of Athens, 1801-1901 by Augustus Longstreet Hull in the Heritage collection.
• Athens: A Pictorial History, 1801-2001 by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
• Crawford W. Long: Proceedings in Statuary Hall of the United States Capital Upon the Unveiling and Presentation of the Statue of Crawford W. Long in the Heritage and general collections.
• "We Have Conquered Pain:" The Discovery of Anesthesia by Dennis G. Fradin the Heritage and general collections.
• The First Anesthetic: The Story of Crawford Long by Frank Kells Boland in the Heritage and biography collections.
• Frontier Medicine: From the Atlantic to the Pacific, 1492-1941 by David Dary in the general collection.
• Timetables of Medicine by Gill Davies in the general collection.
• Western Medicine: An Illustrated History by Irvine Loudon in the general collection.

4 April 1916: "No Other Garment Has So Much Power"

On this day in 1916, the W. T. Collins & Company clothing store, located at 335 E. Clayton Street, ran this ad to alert female Athenians to the arrival of a professional corsetiere the following Monday:

Sport corsets were first developed in Paris in 1898, and originally were cut high on the sides so a woman could sit to ride a horse without difficulty. The pressure of the corset was moved from the abdomen to the back, and encouraged a straighter posture and easier movement, allowing women to be more active than the tighter, more restrictive Victorian corsets of the 19th century. The new designs were called either "health" or "sport" corsets.

These 1916 styles advertised in the Athens Banner were heavily reinforced with elastic bands along the hips, allowing for easy sitting and movement but still providing a foundation for the straight, stylish skirts of the period. Their $3.00 price tag is approximately $60.50 in today's dollars. Many corsets after 1917 removed all metal boning due to metal shortages from the war, and most women found the new corsets to be both patriotic and far more comfortable.

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, Mar. 1916 - May 1916 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Unmentionables: 250 Years of Underwear, 1720-1970 online exhibit for the Museum of Vancouver.
• Lingere in Vogue Since 1910 by Christina Probert in the general collection.
• Inventing Beauty: A History of the Innovations that Have Made Us Beautiful by Teresa Riordan in the general collection.
• Imaging American Women: Idea and Ideals in Cultural History by Martha Banta in the general collection.
• The Costume Collector's Companion, 1890-1990 by Rosemary Hawthorne in the general collection.
• Knitting Lingere Style: 32 Basic and Lingere-Inspired Designs by Joan McGowan-Michael in the general collection.
• Women's Health and Fitness: A Take-Charge Plan for Lifetime Well-Being by Prevention magazine in the general collection.
• For Her Own Good: 150 Years of the Experts' Advice to Women by Barbara Ehrenreich in the general collection.
• 1916 Sears, Roebuck, & Company catalog in Ancestry Library Edition via GALILEO.
• Underwear! by Mary Elise Monsell in the children's fiction collection.

30 March 1909: Bludwine Flows to the Pacific

On this day in 1909, the Athens Banner ran the following story:

 

Bludwine was the 1894 creation of Henry Claude Anderson of Oconee County and "a chemist friend" who developed the formula for a cherry-flavored drink that would be considered a healthy "food drink." Anderson originally wanted to call the product "G.D." for "good digestion," but settled on "Bludwine" and focused advertising on the drink's use as a blood tonic and digestive. The drink was "made principally from wheat, oats, lemons, oranges, ginger, peppermint, and grapes," and used the slogan "For Your Health's Sake." 

Anderson was active in the temperance and prohibition movements at the time, and wanted to produce "a non-alcoholic food drink with enough 'ginger' to make it invigorating, and with a pungency and flavor that would tempt the tippler and the toper to leave their toddy in perference for a drink that was more delicious and more wholesome." However, after prohibition was enacted in Georgia in 1908, finding whiskey-laced Bludwine in the glasses of public drunks was not an unusual circumstance.

At the time of this story about contracts in Hawaii, the company was still privately held. The following year, Anderson would incorporate with capital stock of $100,000, equal to $2,330,000 in today's dollars. By 1917, Anderson had 100 bottling plants in 26 states. After the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed, health claims could not be made without proof on labels. The company had to change its name to "Budwine" to remove reference to "blood." Its slogan changed to "Makes You Glad You're Thirsty," to remove health claims.

In 1929, the Anderson family sold the company to Joseph Costa, a member of the family behind Costa's ice cream parlor, an Athens institution since 1908. Business continued to dwindle, and by 1969, Budwine was only available locally in Athens. The company officially closed in the 1980s.

Learn More:

• Athens Banner, January - December 1909 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens: A Pictorial History, 1801-2001 by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
• A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians by Lucian Lamar Knight in the Heritage collection. 
• 1909 Athens City Directory in the Heritage collection.
• Alcohol and the Southern Church: A Survey of Propaganda by Judy Alves Bisplinghoff in the Heritage collection.
• Battling Demon Rum: The Struggle for a Dry America, 1800-1933 by Thomas R. Pegram in the general collection.
• Prohibition: Thirteen Years that Changed America by Edward Behr in the general collection.
• Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent in the general collection.
• Soda Science: Designing and Testing Soft Drinks by Bernie Zubrowski in the children's collection.
• The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies: 365 National Blends for Health and Vitality Every Day by Natalie Savona in the general collection.
• In Great Taste: Fresh, Simple Recipes for Eating and Living Well by Evelyn H. Lauder in the general collection.
• Measuring Worth website. 
• A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians by Lucian Lamar Knight in Google Books.