Top 10 Sites for the History of Medicine in Bottles, Ephemera & Artifacts
No matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you make, you had ancestors who survived long enough to make your life possible today. Their lives were just as valuable to them as yours is to you, but in their day, health and medicine were much more guesswork and superstition than science and knowledge. Finding out about the promising cures that were constantly being pitched to them and what happened when they took them is absolutely fascinating and may even change how you take care of yourself.
There are many people who have a single vintage bottle, or who collect old medicine advertising, ephemera, and antique bottles medicine that reveal old-time beliefs and hopes about what would cure a disease, fix a body, or make people stronger, sexier, and full of life. Vintage paper and advertisements provide a glimpse into the past that’s both engaging and informative. I’d like to share some of the very best sites on the internet today that do an amazing job of helping you see the past through your ancestors’ eyes. Every piece they show, whether it’s an antique bottle or vintage bottle, will give you clues to the past and make you count your blessings that you live today.
My TOP 10 list includes the best of antique bottles medicine, advertising trade cards, and medical tools, from alarming to ingenious. There are even sites from Europe in the list. So get comfortable, pick a site, travel back in time, and discover shady medicine sellers and their innocent victims – the next person you meet may be your ancestor!
Top 10 Sites for the History of Medicine in Bottles, Ephemera & Artifacts
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The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) - https://www.fohbc.org
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Van Leest Antiques (Netherlands) - https://www.vanleestantiques.com
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Virtual Museum of Historical Bottles and Glass - https://fohbcvirtualmuseum.org
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The Ephemera Society of America - https://www.ephemerasociety.org
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Hair Raising Stories - http://www.hairraisingstories.com/BottlePictures/Fadely/FULL.html
1. Promising Cures
https://www.promisingcures.com
Yes, this is my site, where you’re at right now. Yes, I’m proud of how it looks and what it provides, but I also put it in the first slot because it’s the child – the result – of all the rest on the list. Long before I started my website, I studied the others and therefore learned from the best. This is an award-winning site, recognized by the Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) at their 2024 National Expo as one of the three best websites in the United States, particularly for its focus on antique bottles medicine, vintage paper, and the fascinating world of ephemera.
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The blog has a continuous stream of deeply researched articles about many different medicines and beliefs about health, from witches’ curses to cocaine toothache cures, often touching on ephemera related to historical remedies.
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The main page has links to the four volumes of Promising Cures – click on any one and be brought right into that volume – every page, fully searchable, and all for free, with extensive coverage of antique bottle artifacts and vintage bottle history.
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The main page also features full-length articles I’ve written; the one there now compares the lives of a pirate, a witch, and a loose cannon, alongside captivating stories of vintage bottles and antique bottles medicine.
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Fabulous photography throughout of medicine bottles, advertising, and artifacts, showcasing both vintage paper and intricate designs of antique bottles, bringing the past to life.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
2. Peachridge Glass
https://www.peachridgeglass.com
This site is a hugely popular destination for bottle collectors the world over, including those interested in ephemera and vintage paper. Designed by Ferdinand Meyer V, an award-winning designer and one of the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable collectors, his expertise shines through in the content. His pages are filled with hundreds of stories, well-researched and beautifully illustrated, especially in the realm of antique bottles medicine. The site specializes in this category but is encyclopedic in its coverage of antique bottles. Treat yourself well – go to this site and explore a captivating world of vintage bottles!
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There is more information to be found here about bitters bottles than anywhere else on the internet.
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Stunning photography, beautiful design, and strongly researched backstories to each medicine, including historical context around antique bottles medicine.
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His “Fresh Peach Gallery” is a jaw-dropping array of classic photographs that will make you instantly fall in love with antique bottles.
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His “Killers” tab features the cream of the crop in bottle collecting and highlights remarkable vintage paper associated with these collectibles.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
3. McMurray Antiques & Auctions
If you’re thinking about buying some of your own medicine antiques, this is the place to go. Terry McMurray’s auctions feature a wide range of collectibles, from apothecary antiques to veterinary medicines; signs, product boxes and crates, and great labeled antique bottles medicine. Additionally, Terry’s recreated Drugstore Museum is featured in a photo gallery that showcases vintage paper and makes you feel like you’ve walked through a door to the past. Enjoy!
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The only auction site to make my Top 10 List because it consistently offers a large array of medicine bottles, advertising, ephemera, and artifacts, usually several times a year, online.
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The Drugstore Museum is reason enough to visit the site frequently, even if you do participate in the auction.
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Excellent, colorful photographs of so many vintage bottles and medicine antiques on one site!
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
4. The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC)
If you’re interested in these sites and their contents, then you owe it to yourself to visit this website. The FOHBC is the heartbeat of the bottle-collecting hobby; it’s the national organization for collectors of all sorts of bottles – antique bottles, medicines, bitters, whiskeys, snuffs, sodas, barber bottles, and so much more – and this site is loaded with information about the bottles, the collectors, vintage paper ephemera, and the bottle shows happening all over the country.
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It is the news hub for everything happening in the bottle collecting hobby.
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Features the covers and list of contents for the 17 years of the FOHBC’s excellent bi-monthly publication, Antique Bottle and Glass Collector.
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It provides the links to become a member of a member club of the FOHBC. Worth every penny.
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The link to the FOHBC’s amazing Virtual Museum is found here too; it’s such a stellar site, it has earned its own spot on this Top 10 List (see below).
This site truly is a gem for anyone passionate about vintage bottles and antique treasures!
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
5. Van Leest Antiques (Netherlands)
https://www.vanleestantiques.com
This site is purely a website selling medical antiquities and ephemera, but the gallery of items is extraordinary and without equal on the web. It caters to scientific, medical, and nautical devices spanning the last five centuries. From anatomical models to leech jars (it’s where I got my vintage bottle), to amputation saws, and an 18th-century Bezoar stone, you will find yourself getting happily lost in this online shop. For me, it’s more than a shop – it’s a museum filled with antique bottles medicine and well worth the visit.
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Hundreds of well-photographed medical curiosities and sometimes unique examples of the most unusual medical antiques to be found anywhere.
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Medical rarities, including vintage paper items, are often found on this site and nowhere else on the internet.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
6. Virtual Museum of Historical Bottles and Glass
https://fohbcvirtualmuseum.org
This site is a unique experience in the antique bottle world—an exciting virtual museum that showcases various ephemera and vintage paper related to antique bottles. The museum features a floorplan that divides the galleries by bottle category, such as ales & beers, cures, fire extinguishers, foods & sauces, historical flasks, poisons, and many more. Imagine browsing through the world’s most comprehensive museum of bottle history, all from the comfort of your home. You'll discover fascinating insights about antique bottles, medicine, and the art of vintage bottles.
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Ground-breaking moving photography that shows each feature bottle rotating 360 degrees – and you can pause it as often as you want, reverse rotation direction, and blow it up – even full page – without ever having to worry about breaking the bottle! How many museums invite you to do that?
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Top-notch photography of the world’s most rare and precious bottles, including stunning vintage bottles and unique antique bottle finds.
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Excellent accompanying text with well-researched details, extra images, and fascinating stories about the connection to ephemera and vintage paper.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
7. The Ephemera Society of America
https://www.ephemerasociety.org
Maybe “ephemera” isn’t a word you use every day, but it’s a perfect description of antique items made of paper. The Ephemera Society of America is a large and important assemblage of individual and institutional members who recognize the magic of history surviving on pieces of fragile vintage paper. But diving into their website reveals a wide selection of ephemera – broadsides, tickets, trade cards, posters, almanacs, bookmarks, labels, calendars to name a few. Like the FOHBC, the Ephemera Society of America membership is a great idea for those interested in medical history, especially antique bottles medicine and vintage bottles.
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The “Ephemera” pull-down is a primer on the term but is well worth exploring; you’ll know a lot more about the world of ephemera by the time you reach the bottom!
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“Blog Stories” in the “Discover” pull-down has dozens of great articles (I strongly recommend medicine history enthusiasts check out the article, “Hunt’s Remedy,” by Richard Sheaff; it’s that blend of impressive historical research and great images that I strive for in my blog posts.)
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Contains complete issues of the society’s important Ephemera Journal going all the way back to 2011.
Now, you can find valuable information about antique bottles and explore the history captured on vintage paper through their extensive resources.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
8. Hair Raising Stories
http://www.hairraisingstories.com/BottlePictures/Fadely/FULL.html
This website is the creation of Don Fadely, a collector and authority focused exclusively on hair products, especially those that promised to grow hair on bald heads. I estimate there are over 2,000 hair products listed on his site, accompanied by all the history he could gather on each item, along with photographs and other images whenever possible. This collection of ephemera includes not just hair products but also vintage paper materials that highlight the evolution of hair growth solutions.
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The “Products” page; obviously, his alphabetized, searchable list of hair products is without peer, encompassing everything from antique bottles of medicine to modern products.
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The “Proprietors” page does the same comprehensive coverage by the owners of the medicines, showcasing the history behind antique bottles and their creators.
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The “Resources” page lists dozens of books written about this category of hair products, some printed on vintage paper that adds to their charm.
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The “Galleries” page of photographs contains Don’s collection and those of two others, including rare vintage bottles that capture the essence of hair remedy history.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
9. Apotropaios (England)
Take a step back in time – a giant step back – into the 1500s and 1600s, when people were convinced that illnesses, injuries, and other misfortunes were the result of being cursed by witches and other evil entities. I recommend this site because it was my first exposure to the superstitious world of the European colonists to North America and their families back home. Learn about “witch bottles” used to fight witches, a fascinating early twist to medical history and the use of antique bottles medicine. Explore various forms of ephemera related to this era and discover vintage paper documents that shed light on these beliefs!
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“The Objects” tab is a primer with a half-dozen topics that give short but stimulating summaries of the ways people fought witchcraft and got them to end their curses. See especially the first topic, “Witch Bottles.” [Note: cat lovers may be shocked and offended to look at the “Dried Cats” topic.]
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Links to purchase the proceedings for the biennial “Hidden Charms” conferences are only available on this site, which is the publisher. They provide much more depth on vintage bottle collections and examples found on this fascinating, unusual topic.
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By understanding these elements of antique bottles and vintage paper, you can gain a deeper appreciation of the context surrounding witchcraft in history.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine
10. The Trade Card Place
This great website, which is uniquely focused on advertising trade cards from the 19th and early 20th centuries, has existed for 28 years due to the dedication of its developer, Ben Crane, and because of its immense popularity among collectors of this wonderful paper antique and other related ephemera.
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The dozens of articles about many themes featured on trade cards are excellent reads, chock-full of quality photographs of the card type featured in each article, including fascinating aspects of vintage paper.
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The “Victorian Scrapbook” pulldown is also loaded with collections of trade cards categorized by many classifications, including Bitters, Medical & Dental, and Before and After, often alongside images of antique bottles medicine enthusiasts adore, as well as the charming features of vintage bottle designs.
Lynn Massachusetts history - History of medicine - 19th-Century Health Remedies - Vintage Medical Ephemera - 19th-century medicine