This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2023
[VIN MARIANI]. A large archive of 85 autograph letters signed to J. Jaros, Angelo Mariani and others praising or discussing Vin Mariani as a stimulant, from 1881 to 1910.
All letters are from prominent musicians and theatre actors of the time with testimonials on the amazing powers of Vin Mariani (an opera singer describes the “special value” that is to be found in “cases of weakness or nervous affection of the vocal organs”), their free samples received, some mentioning doctors recommending Vin Mariani (Dr. Morell Mackenzie in London, Dr. Charles Fauvel in Paris, etc.), one from a signer actress taking cocaine on tongue before turning to liquid Vin Mariani, some mentioning or wanting to get a copy of the “book” which most likely refers to his monumental work Coca and its Therapeutic Application. Mariani achieved fame for his cure-all Vin Mariani coca wine, a drink that contained cocaine and is seen as the precursor to Coca-Cola. Mariani “was the greatest exponent of coca the world has ever known. He lived amongst the Incan artifacts, cultivated a coca garden in Paris, and ultimately founded a business empire by producing and marketing a tonic wine made from an infusion of coca leaves” (Phantastica). A Horowitz high spot.