This is a hard to find Victorian whisky jug or stoneware flask for Pattisons Whisky. It was made by Buchan Pottery at Portobello, near Edinburgh. It is rare and probably an item for the collector of Buchan, Scottish Whisky memorabilia or people simply interested in the history of Leith.
The flask or bottle dates to around 1890s (the company went bankrupt in 1898) and would hold a quart of liquid. The short length of time that the company were in business from 1889 - 1898 reflects the rarity of this item.
The name of the whisky and bottle contents is "The Doctor" - and it was made by Pattisons in Leith. There is a large red cross symbol. In popular culture, this motif was often a recognizable generic emblem for medicine, first aid and medical services. Indeed, the whisky had previously been branded as "The Invalid".
Perhaps this association of the whisky, doctors and the red cross relates local history in the late 1890s / early 1900s. There was a glut of whisky production and at the same time, a short term slump in sales of whisky when consumers were reluctant to drink it. This promotion of whisky as a "medicinal" drink was used to help increase sales. So the marketing on this bottle was to suggest that whisky was good for you as a doctor's tonic.
Pattisons originally started out as a dairy wholesaler in Edinburgh before turning to the more lucrative Whisky trade. They formed a whisky blending company in 1887 and went public two years later. The business operated from impressive marble-clad offices in Leith’s Constitution Street.
A failure of the grape crops in France saw at this time saw and increased demand for whisky instead of wine and brandy. This resulted in a production boom in Scotland and it was further promoted by banks providing easy credit.
The Pattisons Brothers soon started to live a most extravagant lifestyle and often travelled from their mansion in the Scottish Borders into Edinburgh by private train. They were also extravagant in promoting their business and famously gave away some 500 grey parrots (trained to say Buy Pattisons Whisky and Pattisons Whisky speaks for itself) to vendors. They were at the fore in advertising spending vast amounts on promoting their wares. They produced fancy mirrors, glasses, dispensers (such as this flask) and a myriad of other marketing paraphernalia. These were widely dispersed to pub landlords.
Sadly, some their extravagant spending combined with shoddy accounting practices led to a huge company deficit of some £30,000 in 1899. Many of the banks and backers withdrew support. Pattisons were also found to have been mixing cheaper whisky with small amounts of fine Scotch and labelling it "Fine old Glenlivet".
In 1901, the company owners were charged with fraud and embezzlement and sent to jail. The shady dealings in the whisky underworld helped to herald the end of the late Victorian Whisky Bubble in Scotland! This was also known widely as the Pattison Crash - although with over-production and a general fall in profits for shareholders - such a crash would have been inevitable at this time. It took the Scottish Whisky industry many decades to recover.
The bottle is a fine Scottish stoneware one used to promote Pattisons Whisky. The upper section with a rich terracotta glaze and little thumb handle to the rear. The vessel would have had an old cork stopper - but this is, of course, no longer present. There is a little restoration to the rim at the top - but this is not visible (please look at this in my photographs).
Dimensions: The height is 7 inches and has a diameter of 5 inches at the widest point. Unpacked it is just over 900 grams.
The flask has the following words printed on it: "The Doctor" / Pattisons / Leith / Highland Distillers, Leith, London, Manchester / Glasgow & Dublin - at the front. To the side was have: Distilleries / Glenfarglas - Glenlivet, / Ballindalloch, / & Aultmore - Glenlivet, / Keith.
It will have to be sent to you in the UK with Royal Mail Parcelforce 24 - to make sure that it is fully insured in transit. This will be just over £10 and applied to your order at the checkout.