Unpublished Paper
Dr. Manly Hardy's Bitters: Three Generations of Patent Medicine Makers
(2019)
Abstract
Patent medicines, including bitters, were widely used during the 1800s throughout America. In Maine, three generations of Hardys made and sold bitters. Today, Dr. Manly Hardy's Genuine Jaundice Bitters bottles are prized by bottle collectors throughout the U.S.A. Accurate information about the variants of Hardy bitters bottles can be found. However, the information about the people responsible for inventing, making, and distributing these medicines is often speculative and, in some cases, simply wrong. The objective of this manuscript is to documents the roles of various members of the Hardy family that made bitters to clear-up the existing confusion. Individuals discussed in this manuscript are as follows: Samuel Hardy, Dr. Manly Hardy, Jonathan T. Hardy, Manly Hardy, Rufus K. Hardy, William G. Hardy, and Edward A. Buck.
Keywords
- Patent medicines,
- Maine bitters,
- Dr. Manly Hardy
Disciplines
Publication Date
February, 2019
Comments
The author thanks Sam Fuller for sharing his research into the patent medicines made by Dr. Manly Hardy, his sons, and grandson. Sam also provided a useful review of an earlier draft of this manuscript; any remaining errors are the author’s.
Citation Information
William B. Krohn. "Dr. Manly Hardy's Bitters: Three Generations of Patent Medicine Makers" (2019) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/william_krohn/78/