https://sanfranciscosanfrancisco.com Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:24:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 https://sanfranciscosanfrancisco.com/2026/11/antique-guptills-bone-remedy-san-francisco-california-ca-bottle-original-labels/ https://sanfranciscosanfrancisco.com/2026/11/antique-guptills-bone-remedy-san-francisco-california-ca-bottle-original-labels/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:23:55 +0000 https://sanfranciscosanfrancisco.com/2026/11/antique-guptills-bone-remedy-san-francisco-california-ca-bottle-original-labels/

























Old San Francisco, Bold Medical Promises, And 80% Alcohol. An eye-catching survivor of San Francisco’s patent-medicine trade, this antique Guptill’s Bone Remedy and Blood Purifier bottle retains its original front and back paper labels. Beautiful aqua glass, vivid yellow advertising, and a wonderfully crude, uneven lip give this example exceptional display appeal. Prominently printed above those promises is the declaration ALCOHOL 80%. At just 6? Inches tall, it preserves an entire sales pitch from an era when a single proprietary remedy could promise relief for everything from aching joints to serious chronic disease. A Documented San Francisco Medicine Business. Guptill 1458 Pacific Ave. Near Larkin San Francisco, Cal. Edwin Augustus Guptill operated a documented San Francisco patent-medicine business during the nineteenth century. The city’s 1891 directory lists Guptill & Co. Guptill and Edward W. Haskell, at 1165 Market Street. A regional history published in 1924 relates that Guptill suffered from a hip disease in his youth and later credited his own preparation with his recovery. Following his death in 1898, his widow, Agnes, continued the enterprise. Period directories place her at the Pacific Avenue address printed on this bottle. The business eventually reached customers beyond California, including overseas markets. This is a tangible connection to San Francisco commerce: the proprietor’s name and the directions to his business remain right where the original customer would have read them. The Label’s Remarkable Medical Claims. Guptill’s advertising combined the specialized promise of a “Bone Remedy” with the much broader appeal of a Blood Purifier. Among the conditions listed on the label are. Hip diseases and sores affecting the bone. Rheumatism, neuralgia, and sciatica. Swollen or stiff joints and spinal diseases. Scrofula, erysipelas, and syphilis. Skin eruptions, ringworm, and poison oak. Cuts, burns, bruises, bunions, and corns. The declared 80% alcohol content adds another memorable detail. The label states a percentage, not 80 proof. The complete formula has not been established. Estimated Date: Circa 1910. The uneven lip is especially appealing, with visibly irregular shaping that gives the bottle individual character. The smooth base bears the number 13, likely a mold or production identifier rather than a date. Glass: Attractive aqua coloration. Form: Rectangular medicine bottle with beveled corners. Labels: Original paper labels front and back. Base: Smooth, marked 13. Origin of medicine business: San Francisco, California. Bright, clean, shiny glass with no chips, no cracks, and no haze. The lip is distinctly crude and malformed from manufacture, adding character to the presentation. The surviving labels retain strong visual appeal. Please examine the photographs for their precise paper condition and the bottle’s manufacturing irregularities. A striking addition to a collection of Western medicine bottles, San Francisco advertising, antique pharmacy material, or patent-medicine history. The original labels preserve the identity and extraordinary promises that make this bottle so interesting. Offered as an antique collectible for display.

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