Thursday, July 28, 2011
Ayer's Sarsaparilla
Ayer's Sarsaparilla claimed to cure all sorts of ailments and purify the blood. Sarsaparilla was made from a trailing vine called smilax regelii, which was also used to flavor root beer. If you look hard enough, you may still be able to find an old-fashioned root beer flavored with sarsaparilla. You can read all about the history of Ayer's Sarsaparilla at Cliff and Linda Hoyt's website, which includes great photos of old advertisements, bottles, and even a paper doll. These cards are from about 1880.
I looked up Nellie Hicks from Cincinnatus, New York and discovered that she is listed as the 8th great-great granddaughter of Wolphert Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven. Wait a minute, that sounds familiar. I have lots of cards sent to Cora Huffsmith, who was also the 8th great-great granddaughter of Wolphert Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven. I'll write a little more about him on an upcoming Huffsmith card.
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Lovely cards. I'm intrigued that the ingredients listed on the first card include mandrake, a very toxic plant. The Victorians appear to have been obsessed with blood purification, or maybe it was only these snake oil salesmen who were trying to convince them to be. I wonder what 'vitiated' blood is?
ReplyDeletesmall world in old postcards!!! that was a really interesting about Cora and Nellie!!
ReplyDeletei really love these old advertising cards!
i so enjoy the extra "history" you add !!
thanks !!
Howard,
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about Mandrake root, but old-fashioned American root beer was flavored with both sarsaparilla and sassafras, which has been shown to cause liver damage and cancer. They use artificial sassafras instead now.
All such lovely cards, but that first dress is just stunning....maybe not so comfortable for running after little ones...but lovely for a romantic evening !
ReplyDeleteThere may be a 'lurking taint of Scrofula' about here, but I'm guessing it is really just the Porta-Potty on the curb strip that the construction workers are using...
ReplyDeleteFine cards and even finer (if that is possible)advertising script!
ReplyDeleteYou used to be able to buy bottles of sarsaparilla at the Fish and Chip shop to take home and consume along with you fish and chip supper. I doubt that it is still made - probably fell foul of some hygiene code.
ReplyDeleteLove the advertising cards. Been Rving,traveling but thought I had better check out your blog this morning.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Interesting information - but I'm blown away by the fashion represented on the cards!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the woman on the first card looks like she is about 8' tall- legs seem abnormally long- is she related to Barbie?
ReplyDeleteRoot Beer and Sarsaparilla hard quite hard to find these days in England .I do remember (just!) A
ReplyDeleteTemperance Pub in Halifax that used to sell it instead of Beer.
I didn't realise sarsparilla was a cure-all. I've always thought it was just a soft drink.
ReplyDelete