C. Brinckerhoffs Health Restorative Price $ 1.00 New York

C. Brinckerhoffs Health Restorative

Price $1.00 New York

Cornelius Brinckerhoff, New York, N. Y.

Yellow Olive Medicine

Provenance: Chris Bubash Collection

C. Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative was probably an offspring of the very successful John Moffat Phoenix Bitters. John Moffat’s son was named William B. Moffat. The “B” stood for “Brinckerhoff.” The Phoenix Bitters bottles, glass, and typographic elements look very similar and somewhat preceded Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative by a few years. Both proprietors prominently embossed the bottle’s medicine price, and both originated in New York City.

Our 7″ tall Health Restorative bottle was blown in a beautiful yellowish olive with slight amber tone glass. The form is rectangular with beveled corners creating an eight-sided bottle. There is an applied sloping collar and a sand-type pontil. The bottle is embossed on all four sides, shoulder to base in a sans-serif typestyle. The face of the bottle reads ‘C. BRINCKERHOFFS’ in a convex arc. The side reads ‘HEALTH RESTORATIVE.’ The side opposite the front is embossed ‘PRICE $1.00’ in a similar convex arc. The fourth thin side says ‘NEW _ YORK.’ There is an underbar between “New” and “York.” The bottle is an outstanding example, with a very strong embossing with no high point wear. There is a James G. Becker Collection sticker on the base.

On June 10, 1808, Cornelius Brinkerhoff was born in Albany, New York. His father was John Brinkerhoff, and his mother was Gertrude Schuyler. Little is known about his life other than he was primarily a carter or carman in New York City in the 1830s into the 1850s. This profession oversees or guides the handling of materials conveyed in carts.

C. Brinckerhoff began to prepare and sell proprietary medicines in New York City around 1841 as he is listed in 1842 to 1846 New York City Directories as “Cornelius Brinckerhoff, proprietor of the Health Restorative located at 589 Broome with a residence at 70 Eldridge.” His banner year must have been 1845/1846 as his Health Restorative listing was capitalized and bold with an address at 96 Hudson and 589 Broome.

Brinckerhoff said his idea and formula came from an old family recipe and that he had “devoted a great portion of his time to the study of the medical effect and strength of each herb used in the compound.” He said the medicine was a cure for consumption (tuberculosis), liver complaint, asthma, colds, coughs, and pains in the side and chest. He used a testimonial from Dr. Chilton, the well-known New York chemist, in each advertisement. “I have analyzed a bottle of medicine called C. Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative and find that it does not contain Mercury, or any other metallic preparation, nor opium in any of its forms. It is composed of vegetable matter entirely.” —James R. Chilton, M.D.

In 1846, there is an overlap in directory listings as Cornelius Brinckerhoff was back to delivering material and is listed as a carman in the city directory even though his medicine was still being advertised and sold up into the early 1850s. Cornelius Brinckerhoff also went astray of the law in 1848 when he was convicted of stealing $12, 809 from the vaults of the Leather Manufacturers’ Bank while employed as a porter.

The 1870 United States Federal Census puts Cornelius Brinckerhoff in Brooklyn, Ward 20, Kings, New York, with his occupation listed as an accountant with a personal estate value of $1,700. His Inferred spouse is noted as Harriet Brinckerhoff with children Harrison and Martha Brinckerhoff. Cornelius Brinckerhoff would die on February 25, 1878, in Brooklyn at the age of 69 with nary a mention in the newspaper.

Primary Image: C. Brinkerhoff’s Health Restorative bottle imaged on location by Alan DeMaison, FOHBC Virtual Museum Midwest Studio

Support Image: Auction Lot 231: “C. BRINCKERHOFFS – HEALTH RESTORATIVE – PRICE $ 1.00 – NEW_ YORK”, probably an early Stoddard, NH glasshouse, 1842 – 1851. Yellowish olive with a slight amber tone, rectangular with beveled corners, applied sloping collar – sand type pontil, ht. 7”, attic mint! An outstanding example, strongest possible impression, no high point wear, beautiful color, not muddy, and whittled! Provenance: James Becker collection. – John Pastor, American Glass Gallery, Auction #17

Support Image: Auction Lot 180: “C. BRINCKERHOFFS – HEALTH RESTORATIVE – PRICE $1.00 – NEW_YORK”, (Odell pg. 47), New York, ca. 1840 – 1860, medium yellowish olive green, 7 1/4”h, pontil scarred base has a small open bubble, applied tapered collar mouth. Lightly cleaned to its original luster and about perfect condition. Some light scratches exist on the Price $1.00 panel. Most of the known examples of this bottle, and their are a number of them, are deep olive green or deep olive amber in color. But not this bottle, you are bidding on a bottle in an exceptional color, considerably lighter then most. Add to that a very bold impression and you have one very desirable bottle! – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions, Auction #96

Support Image: 1845 advertisement for C. Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative in the Signal of Liberty Ann Arbor, Michigan – Ann Arbor Digital Library.

Support Image: The reverse face of the C. Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative bottle prominently displays the price. – Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions

Support Image: Auction Lot 195: “C. BRINCKERHOFF’S – HEALTH RESTORATIVE – PRICE $1.00 – NEW_YORK”, an early Stoddard, NH glasshouse, 1845 – 1851. Rich, medium-to-deep olive with a slight amber tone, rectangular, beveled corners, applied sloping collar – sand type pontil scar, ht. 7 ¼”, near mint; (a little scattered light wear including a 1/8″ paper-thin open bubble on a side panel, otherwise excellent). Fresh to the market from an estate sale in Grand Blanc, MI, (original purchaser paid $2.). Has not been dug or tumbled. – John Pastor, American Glass Gallery, Auction #32

Support: Bottles and Bricks, Crucibles and Cops: Lessons from Jersey City and the Industrial Revolution by Scott Jordan, The Potomac Pontil, November 2004

Support: Reference to C. Brinckerhoff’s Health Restorative New York, Peachridgeglass.com, December 2012

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