Monday, September 5, 2011

Empty

Here three empty bottles sit on a windowsill, having been drained many years ago. That one on the right reminds of a Father John's Medicine bottle. Growing up , it seemed to be the cure for any ill. If the tall brown bottle was out in plain view, you knew one of the kids was sick. It was a cough medicine that, for some reason, I always connected with Nana and her Canadian roots, but truth be known it had its birth in Lowell, Massachusetts way back in 1855. It was creamy and gave me the shivers going down. And yes, there really was a Father John. If you're a big fan of cod liver oil and licorice flavoring, this stuff is for you! What were you forced to endure for the common cold, fever, flu, headaches? Wow! When comes to illness, the power parents wield.

Posted by at
Labels:

20 comments:

  1. brattcatSeptember 5, 2011 at 6:57 AM

    just the mention of cod liver oil makes me shudder. yuck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OlivierSeptember 5, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    de tres belles bouteilles , maintenant il faut les remplitr

    ReplyDelete
  3. KathySeptember 5, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    I guess we all have the same opinion of the dreaded cod liver oil!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sharon CreechSeptember 5, 2011 at 8:03 AM

    Love the bottles. As for medicine - nothing! Odd, I don't remember being sick except for one bad bout with flu.

    ReplyDelete
  5. TexWisGirlSeptember 5, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    no cod liver oil for me. just mashed up aspirin in a spoon with sugar water... :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. KateSeptember 5, 2011 at 9:05 AM

    I wasn't allowed to get sick, except for a sore throat and then it was honey...yum!! I have three bottles like these on my kitchen window sill filled with colored marbles.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Luis GomezSeptember 5, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    This is a great post. Love the bottles.

    ReplyDelete
  8. JackSeptember 5, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    I don't recall ever having cod liver oil. Of course, we were much more cosmopolitan down in Massachusetts.

    ReplyDelete
  9. RandySeptember 5, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    Nice one. I like the one in the middle.

    ReplyDelete
  10. MichelleSeptember 5, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    No cod liver oil for me. My mom would put camphor oil on my chest when I had a cold. Disgusting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. PerthDailyPhotoSeptember 5, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    Yes I have memories of 'cod liver oil' ewwww! Love Kate's comment 'I wasn't allowed to get sick' haha! sounds like me, until it happens TO ME!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. VirginiaSeptember 5, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    I love to photograph old bottles and jars too. That reminds me, I might have to post one just for you Bird! Down the hatch!!!
    V

    ReplyDelete
  13. Betsy Banks AdamsSeptember 5, 2011 at 12:46 PM

    Ugh....My Mom made me gag down Cod Liver Oil when I was little. I can still taste that stuff!!!!!

    Happy Labor Day.
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Genie -- Paris and BeyondSeptember 5, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    I love finding old bottles and jars like these. Cod liver oil? My mom used to talk about having it as a child in New York but I know that she never gave it to us... yuck!

    Bises,
    Genie

    ReplyDelete
  15. slimSeptember 5, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    Old bottles were meant to rest on window sills. This post flashed back some fond memories of Father John's. My mother had to hide it from me because I loved the licorice flavor and I do to this day. Give me a shot of Sambucca or a bag of black nibs and I am a happy camper.

    ReplyDelete
  16. EG CameraGirlSeptember 5, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    I remember cod liver oil. EW!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. irinapicturesSeptember 5, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    It looks like this cod liver oil is very strong weapon)).
    The bottles are so beautiful.
    My childhood pleasure were cupping glasses, you needed to cough strongly to get then onto the back. I do not remember any cod liver oil equivalent..

    ReplyDelete
  18. cieldequimperSeptember 5, 2011 at 3:08 PM

    These look like something straight out of the prohibition years...

    Never had to swallow cod liver oil but I love cod liver. Lovely on a piece of brown bread with a liberal sprinkling of fresh lemon juice...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Folkways Note BookSeptember 5, 2011 at 3:56 PM

    Birdman -- I like old bottles no matter what they held. A lot of our past can be told through bottles -- sickness, beverages, farm animal remedies etc. Sharp photo -- barbara

    ReplyDelete
  20. VPSeptember 5, 2011 at 5:35 PM

    My mom has a couple of bottle like these, but I am not sure what their content was. Not sure mom remember it either...

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)