Lot 223: Cathedral Bottle, Chief Wahoo Tonic, Dunsmuir CA

Description

This small 3" bottle in glowing green glass is a classic "cathedral" style medicine bottle, so named for the tall, pointed Gothic-arch panels embossed into its sides, a decorative bottle form popular from the mid-to-late 19th century into the early 20th century. Embossed lettering identifies it as "Chief Wahoo Electric Tonic, Celebrated Remedy, Cathedral Brand," made by the Walbridge Co. of Dunsmuir, California, a small Northern California railroad and lumber town. Like many patent medicines of the era, this tonic likely took its name from wahoo bark (Euonymus atropurpureus), a plant long used in folk and patent remedies as a mild laxative and general tonic, while the "Chief" branding reflects the once-common (and by today's standards, culturally insensitive) marketing practice of borrowing invented Native American imagery to lend an air of exotic authenticity to patent medicines. Small-town, single-product tonic bottles like this one are avidly collected by Western Americana and antique bottle enthusiasts, especially in strong, saturated colors like this vivid green, and a legible small-town maker name adds real collector interest.

Condition Report:

Good vintage condition, wear commensurate with age. The glass shows light scattered scratching consistent with age and use, along with some interior haze/residue typical of old glass bottles. The embossed lettering is crisp and fully legible. The lip and neck are intact with no chips noted; please check the mouth/lip area closely in hand, as this is the most common damage point on bottles of this type.

Keywords:

Cathedral bottle, antique medicine bottle, Chief Wahoo tonic, patent medicine collectible, green glass bottle, Dunsmuir California, Walbridge Co., Western Americana, bitters bottle collectible, antique apothecary bottle

These words are embossed or printed on a famous fantasy miniature bottle made by the Wheaton Glass Company during the 1970s. No real medicine called "Chief Wahoo Electric Tonic" ever existed; it was a fun, fake-brand collectible created for the nostalgia bottle boom.

Dimensions: H: 3", W: 1.25", L: 1.25"