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Rare antique brochure for Clark Stanley’s Snake Oil
Liniment, the category defining quack remedy. Circa 1890s or early 1900s.
Brochure mentions Stanley’s self reported triumphant success at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893: “ During the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, as an advertisement I made my Snake Oil Liniment in full view of the audience, killing hundreds of snakes which were shipped to me by my two brothers from my home in Texas. While doing business in Chicago, I got acquainted with many druggists from different parts of the United States. A druggist from Boston who attended the World's Fair and witnessed my killing of the snakes and the manufacturing of the liniment became deeply interested , and through him I was induced to come East and I settled in the town of Beverly, Massachusetts, on the Boston and Maine railroad. There I started to manufacture Snake Oil Liniment for the eastern trade; finding my factory too small I decided to go to Providence, R. I. where I secured a plant much more suitable for my business, where I am now permanently located.”
Also of course there are exhortations regarding the miraculous curative powers of Snake Oil and an almost comic book like “origin story” cartoon depiction of Stanley’s alleged discovery of the remedy while living among the Moki Indians. Imagine the shock and disappointment when Stanley was exposed and his snake oil liniment was found to be in fact snake free.
Measures 9.5” x 12”, folding out to 18.5” x 24.” Printed both sides. Printed on newsprint. Some creasing and small edge tears, a few archival tissue repairs. Overall a rare survival of a quite fragile piece. We could not locate any other examples of this piece on google images or listed for sale anywhere. An iconic piece of American hucksterism.
