Page 19 - Alan Blakeman Collection catalogue

Sparks Perfect
Health ‘Porcelain
Show Card/ Plaque
31. SPARKS PERFECT HEALTH DISH. 11 x 16.1ins. Black transfer printed dish like plaque with large central, highly detailed, portrait of Mrs Cleveland. SPARKS PERFECT HEALTH with below, in script Compliments of the Sparks Medicine Co, N. J., and below large and small capital words read FOR KIDNEY AND LIVER DISEASES, and smaller text
below ROBT H PAYNE PORCELAIN SHOW CARDS CAMDEN N J. Some minor craze staining and small top rim hairline (bleach out?) otherwise very good. 8.8/10. NR. £500- 600+
This advertising platter for Sparks Kidney and Liver Medicine features an attractive image of first lady, Mrs. Grover Cleveland (nee Francis Folsom, 1864-1947). The photograph from which the image was made was taken by George Prince at the time of
her wedding to President in 1886. Frances was the youngest First Lady of the United States when she married the much older (27 years her senior) President. They became the only First Couple to get married in the White House (John Tyler and Woodrow
Wilson married their ladies at other locations) and Francis the youngest first lady.
The small print on the dish declares it a ‘Porcelain Show Card’ made by Mercer China (1875-1946, impressed stamp to the rear) to a design by Robert H. Payne, of Camden, New Jersey where the Sparks’ Medicine Co was based and became
lived at 549 Washington St. and James Davis lived at 513 Cherry St. In 1888, the Company moved to 120-124 Cooper Street and Charles Coulter was the new secretary/ treasurer. In 1890 they moved to 105 Market Street.
The known bottles come in three
shapes but the CURE wording
appears only on two amber bottles
very like Warner’s Safe Cure (they
were advertised together in 1888)
and bevel edged smaller sized
amber bottles with arched
shoulders with KIDNEY LIVER
CURE.
According to the Presidential
Coin and Antique Company (see
lot 273, Auction 79, 2009), Dr Ed
Sullivan, former curator of the De
Witt Museum purchased one of
the trays for the museum from
a group of 7 discovered in a
drug store in Henderson, NC, for
$1250 (£900).
incorporated in 1886, the year
of the marriage. The slogan ‘Perfect Health’ was registered in January 31, 1888, by the Sparks Medicine Co. of Camden, N.J. They were listed at 212 Federal
St in 1886
with William
H. Sparks as president and James F. Davis was secretary and treasurer. William Sparks
Above: Embossed SPARKS PERFECT HEALTH/ FOR/ KIDNEY & LIVER/ DISEASES CAMDEN N.J. with man’s head & shoulders t.m., the 9.5ins amber glass version, small aqua and measuring cup do not feature the word cure.
ABOVE: Warners-like version and small amber ‘Cure’ worded versions.