The Attleboro Area Industrial Museum (AAIM) invites the public to attend “Bottled Promises: The story behind Dr. James Solomon’s Indian Wine Bitters.” on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. The program tells the story of Attleboro’s own patent medicine maker, Dr. James M. Solomon Sr., and the family business that grew from his bottles of Indian Bitters.
In the 1800s, Americans turned to “patent medicines,” secret-formula tonics backed by big promises and no science. One line of these medicines got its start in Attleboro and was sold at the Ashley Drug Company, formerly on Park Street.
One of the most popular products of the time, “Old Dr. James Solomon’s Indian Wine Bitters” and “Old Dr. Solomon’s Great Indian Bitters,” were supposedly based on formulas created by Solomon, who was born in Seekonk in 1812. In reality, he was neither Indigenous nor a doctor. Yet he found immense success advertising to people looking for the perfect cure-all, who hoped his herbal remedies could solve every problem from tuberculosis to cancer to stubborn acne.
The presentation will explore what patent medicines were, how they were made, and where they were sold; how James Solomon came to call himself a “doctor” and built a brand on claims of Indigenous healing.
It will also examine the advertising behind the bitters and the audiences it targeted, the national craze for “cure-all” remedies, and how Dr. James M. Solomon Jr. expanded his father’s business to build the 200-room Solomon Sanitarium, the site of today’s La Salette Shrine.
Bottles from the museum’s current exhibition (on loan from Bob Lanpher), vintage advertisements, and period newspaper reports will reveal the history, culture and economics behind the business.
Light refreshments will be served, and the event is free and open to the public.
This program is presented as part of Second Saturdays at the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum. Each month brings a different topic and a new way to engage with the stories of Attleboro and the region.