Cincinnati Drug and Chemical Company

Gooch’s Mexican Syrup Antique Advertising Calendar Lithograph | Cincinnati | Circa 1901

Name: Gooch’s Mexican Syrup Antique Advertising Calendar Lithograph | Cincinnati | Circa 1901
Brand: Cincinnati Drug and Chemical Company
Price: 65.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$65.00 USD

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Publisher:: Witsch & Schmitt, New York
Type:: Advertising calendar
Subject:: Gooch’s Mexican Syrup
Era:: Victorian & Gilded Age (1870 - 1900)
Circa:: 1901
Origin:: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Maker:: Cincinnati Drug and Chemical Company
Print type:: Lithograph
Material:: Paper on board
Dimensions:: 7⅝" x 10"
Decoration:: Victorian woman
Notes:: Patent medicine advertising

A 1901 Patent Medicine Calendar with Bold Victorian Lithography

Part advertising piece, part artwork, this original 1901 Gooch’s Mexican Syrup calendar captures the persuasive drama and vivid color of turn-of-the-century American patent medicine promotions.

The colorful chromolithograph features a fashionable Victorian woman in a crimson coat with feathered collar, printed in remarkably rich tones that remain vibrant more than a century later. Produced by Witsch & Schmitt of New York for the Cincinnati Drug and Chemical Company, it promotes Gooch's Mexican Syrup as the cure for "pains of all kinds," reflecting the bold marketing language common to the era.

The calendar measures 7⅝" x 10" and retains its original partial date pad from May through December 1901. Age-related wear consistent with over a century of survival includes a water stain at the lower right, curled and bent corners with some cardboard and paper separation, and a torn hanging hole at the top. Despite these signs of honest ephemera wear, the lithograph image itself remains bright and highly displayable.

Collector’s Note

Early drugstore and patent medicine advertising is highly collectible, particularly examples with strong portrait lithography and regional history. This 1901 Cincinnati-issued calendar combines vivid Victorian graphics with authentic ephemera character, making it an appealing piece for collectors of advertising, pharmacy history, and Midwest Americana.

Browse our Paper & Ephemera Collection for more paper ephemera collectibles.

Framing Appeal

The bold crimson portrait and generous white margins make this an exceptional framing candidate. Matted in archival ivory and framed in dark wood or gilt, it works beautifully in a kitchen, pantry, apothecary-inspired space, or historic advertising display. The scale and graphic strength allow it to anchor a gallery wall of vintage pharmacy or general store ephemera.

Historical Reference

Gooch’s Mexican Syrup was later cited in Arthur J. Cramp’s 1921 exposé Nostrums and Quackery, referencing a 1916 USDA judgment that fined the company for false and fraudulent claims. This surviving calendar serves as a tangible artifact of early American patent medicine marketing and the evolving regulation of medical advertising. (Reference image shown for historical context only and not included.)

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