Matt's Collectibles

Patent and Proprietary Medicines

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#1216 CHAMBERLAIN & CO. DES MOINES IOWA

Lowell Chamberlain.          Des Moines, Iowa           Circa 1890s

Bottle Description : aqua, tooled tapered lip. An odd rare form for Chamberlain products.
Height : 8 3/4" tall
Bottle Condition : hazy, no damage.
PRICE - $16 + $6 S&H

from...

http://www.salisburyhouse.org/history/armand.php
Carl Weeks was born in Linn County, Iowa on December 2, 1876. His father Charles was a prosperous veterinarian and hog breeder, and his mother Laura was the sister of two successful pharmaceuticals entrepreneurs, Davis and Lowell Chamberlain. At about the time Carl was born, Lowell moved his Chamberlain Medicine Company , the first Iowa drug company from eastern Iowa, to Des Moines. In 1889, Carl quit school, moved to Des Moines and began working in a drug store. In 1891, at the age of 15 and thanks to the financial support of Lowell, Carl enrolled in the Highland Park College to study pharmacy. Carl's father, Charles Weeks, died young in an accident, and Laura's brothers assisted her family financially.
Around 1925, Davis Chamberlain sold the Chamberlain Medicine Company, but kept ownership of Chamberlain Lotion, which was third in international lotion sales in the 1930s and 1940s

from...

http://www.chamberlainlotion.com/history.cfm

  • In 1872, Lowell Chamberlain started the first Iowa drug company. In 1881, he moved his company, Chamberlain Medicine Co., from eastern Iowa to 206 Court Avenue in Des Moines. Officers of the company were D. S. (Davis) Chamberlain, Lowell Chamberlain and Izanna Chamberlain.
  • In 1892, Chamberlain Medicine Co. was incorporated and achieved national distribution.
  • By 1900, the business was flourishing in a large new plant located at 702 Sixth Avenue. Over the next twenty years, branch offices were opened in South Africa, Australia and Canada. A copy of “Chamberlain’s Almanac” from 1923 advertised popular products such as Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy, Chamberlain’s Liniment and Chamberlain’s Pain Balm.

from
http://www.fohbc.com/PDF_Files/MedBotts_July2003.pdf

As the state of Iowa grew and expanded, so did its various businesses and industries. This included the patent medicine business. In the spring of 1872, Lowell Chamberlain moved to Marion, Iowa to engage in the druggist trade. He formed a partnership with Dr. Norman Owen who had practiced in Marion since 1863. This newly formed firm was established as Owens & Chamberlain and began producing various patent medicines for sale on a local market. The success of the products, which became known as O & C's Standard Remedies, invoked increased production and in turn a larger sales area. They marketed six major products including a bitters which will be discussed  n a future article on Iowa bitters. Their bottles were very distinctive as all examples have hinge mold bases and very large embossed O & C initials. A local competitor, Benjamin Nott, produced a very rare cure using the same style of large embossing. The words PAIN CURE cover the entire front panel with 1" tall letters. In 1882, David Chamberlain, a brother of Lowell, bought out Dr. Owen's share ofthe business and the two brothers moved the medicine business to Des Moines, establishing what would become the largest patent medicine business in Iowa, the Chamberlain & Company patent medicine firm. The number of products was expanded greatly and eventually sales would reach to an international scale. During 1892, the firm name was changed to the Chamberlain Medicine Company and most of the Chamberlain bottles can be dated by this change. All bottles embossed Chamberlain & Co. date from1882 to 1892 while those embossed Chamberlain Medicine Co. are post-1892.