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Bottle Of Cure-All Made In 1930 By Mogul Dr. Jayne

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Updated: 11/23/2007 06:35 pm

My mother gave me an old, green glass bottle years ago. It has a paper label that reads "Jayne's Expectorant" and "Jayne's Tonic Vermifuge."

It stands 10 inches high. What can you tell me about it?

J.W.
Sun City Center
Dr. Jayne's was one of the largest patent medicine companies in the United States.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1799, David Jayne introduced his first product about 1830. His business developed into an empire, based in Philadelphia.

Jayne's family carried on the business after his death in 1866. Before he died, Jayne had become a real estate mogul, buying land and erecting buildings in Philadelphia. The company lasted through the mid-1930s.

This bottle, with a label that states that the medicine cures everything from coughs and colds to worms, was manufactured about 1930.

Machine-made Jayne's bottles are fairly common. It would retail for about $15.

My little doll with no clothing belonged to my mother. It is marked "Made in Japan" on its back, below the head.

It has jointed arms and is in good condition. I would like to know its age and value.

C.W.

Lake Placid

Although you did not describe the material the doll is made of, I am guessing that it is an early Japanese celluloid copy of the well-known Kewpie doll. It probably was manufactured during the early 1950s.
Kewpies were the brainstorm of American illustrator-writer Rose O'Neill. They first appeared in Ladies Home Journal about 1909. The character was heavily merchandised and made O'Neill wealthy.

Early licensed, bisque dolls were made in Germany. Other merchandise included books and children's china. Kewpie dolls made of bisque and celluloid marked "Made in Japan" first appeared after 1914.

The doll would retail for about $10. Early bisque and composition dolls marked "Rose O'Neill" sell for considerably more. The first hard plastic Kewpie dolls were made by Effanbee beginning in 1949.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear digital image (.jpg file) to athome@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (plain-paper prints or Polaroid

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