Johann Hoff’s Malt Tonic with Iron

This is an antique novelty traveling inkwell, designed to resemble a bottle of Johann Hoff’s Malt Tonic with Iron. It functions as both a miniature desk accessory and a piece of early product advertising.

Description of the Inkwell

• Form and Material: This metal inkwell is made to mimic the exact form and proportions of a bottle of Johann Hoff’s Malt Tonic, complete with realistic neck and cap.
• Advertising Replication: Noteworthy is its faithful reproduction of the original product’s labels. The inkwell features paper labels that are precise miniature duplicates of those found on the actual tonic bottle. These labels contain detailed product information, claims, directions, and branding.
  • Main Label: This prominent label centrally states “JOHANN HOFF’S MALT TONIC WITH IRON” and details its purported benefits: “For a General Tonic For Nursing Mothers, Simple Anaemia, and Chlorosis etc.” It also includes authenticity claims: “Not genuine without the signature Johann Hoff” and lists the “Laboratories at Berlin – Paris – Vienna.”
  • Side Panel Label: A smaller side label provides “Directions” for use: “Adults -a wine glass full with meal and at bedtime. Children- One half the quantity.” It also identifies the “EISNER & MENDELSON CO. – Sole Agents -152 & 154 Franklin St New York.”
  • Additional Information: Other parts of the label further elaborate on the tonic’s uses: “Johann Hoff’s Malt Extract with Iron used in convalescence, wasting diseases, loss of appetite, and a valuable adjunct in the treatment of Anaemia, Chlorosis.” It assures users, “Does not affect the teeth or distress the stomach.” and gives storage advice: “KEEP IN A COOL DRY PLACE.”
• Opening Mechanism: The upper portion of the “bottle” (the neck and cap section) is hinged and cleverly spring-loaded. To access the inkwell, one simply pushes a button, causing the top to spring open, revealing the ink reservoir within.

Historical Context

This inkwell is an example of late 19th to early 20th-century advertising novelties. Before mass media like radio and television, companies used a variety of creative promotional items to keep their brand in public consciousness. Turning a product’s packaging into a functional desk accessory was way to achieve this.

• Johann Hoff’s Malt Tonic with Iron: This was a widely advertised patent medicine or tonic popular around the turn of the 20th century. Malt tonics were often marketed as restorative, energy-boosting, and beneficial for a range of ailments, particularly those associated with weakness, anemia, and convalescence. The addition of “Iron” appealed to the understanding of iron’s role in blood health, even if the medical claims were often exaggerated or based on rudimentary science.
• Eisner & Mendelson Co.: This firm was a major importer and distributor of European patent medicines and pharmaceuticals in the United States during this era, based out of New York. Their role as “Sole Agents” underscores the international reach of Hoff’s product.