A lavishly illustrated history of coca wine and the revolutionary advertising methods that made it a world-wide success

• Follows 19th-century pharmacist Angelo Mariani’s interest in coca from medical uses to the development and healing effects of his world-famous coca wine, Vin Mariani

• Explores the botany of coca, how it differs from cocaine, its traditional uses, and early scientific studies on coca from doctors, including Sigmund Freud

• Examines Mariani’s highly successful international advertising campaigns, the first to use celebrity endorsements, including testimonies from Pope Benedict XV, Sarah Bernhardt, Thomas Edison, Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Alphonse Mucha

One of the oldest and most potent natural stimulants, the leaves of the coca plant are the organic source from which cocaine is synthesized. Fresh coca leaves and products made from them have verified medicinal and healing properties--and not the same addictive qualities or negative side effects as cocaine. In the late 19th century coca products became hugely successful in Europe and the United States. The most famous was Vin Mariani, a coca-based tonic wine developed by Corsican pharmacist Angelo Mariani (1838-1914). Many celebrities sang its praises, including Pope Benedict XV, Sarah Bernhardt, Thomas Edison, H. G. Wells, and the doctors of Ulysses S Grant, who credited Vin Mariani with giving him the strength to finish his memoirs before his death.

In this full-color illustrated history of coca wine, author Aymon de Lestrange follows Mariani’s interest in coca from its medicinal applications as an anesthetic to the creation of the tonic wine. The author explores the botany of coca, how it differs from cocaine, its traditional use in pre-Columbian America, and scientific studies on coca from the 17th through 19th centuries, including from Sigmund Freud, who was a known user. Aymon de Lestrange demonstrates how Mariani became, in many ways, the father of modern advertising with his highly successful advertising campaigns. He includes vivid reproductions of Mariani’s advertisements, showing how Mariani commissioned the top writers and artists of the day, such as Jules Chéret and Alphonse Mucha, to produce works celebrating coca wine. The author reveals how Vin Mariani was the forerunner of Coca-Cola, which clearly plagiarized not only Mariani’s product but also his advertising methods.

Looking to the future of coca, the author shows how it has gained renewed interest in the scientific community for its therapeutic and nutritional properties and in the spiritual community, which is seeking to rehabilitate the reputation of coca, the sacred plant of the Incas.

Aymon de Lestrange has degrees in literature, history, and international trade. He served as an Advisor at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Information Officer at the United Nations Information Center, and Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in Lima, Peru. A bibliophile, publisher, and collector, he is well-known for his important collection of drug-related items, including the most comprehensive collection on Angelo Mariani and coca items in the world. He lives in Paris, France.

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION The Vogue Beverage of la Belle Époque

CHAPTER 1
A Brief History of Coca
From Pre-Columbian Times to Spanish Chroniclers to Sigmund Freud

CHAPTER 2
Angelo Mariani, Father of Coca Wine
The Beginnings of Vin Mariani, Which Would Become the Most Popular Prescribed Medicine in the World

CHAPTER 3
Mariani’s Laboratory and Its Coca-Based Products
Success, Innovation, and Expansion

CHAPTER 4
The Medicinal Virtues of Vin Mariani
The Story of Coca in the United States and France

CHAPTER 5
The Father of Modern Advertising
From the Albums Mariani to Patronage of the Arts

CHAPTER 6
The Host of All Hosts
From the Restaurant Ledoyen to the Villa at Valescure

CHAPTER 7
The Time of Ordeals: The Imitators
From Vin des Incas to Coca-Cola

CHAPTER 8
From Prescription to Prohibition
The Rise of Addiction, Anti-cocaine Laws in the United States and France, and the Last Years of Mariani’s Company

CONCLUSION
Coca Today
Toward a Revival--the Bolivian Case

Notable Praise for Mariani and His Work
Supplementary Testimonials

Chronology of Coca

Notes

Bibliography of Published Works by and about Angelo Mariani

Index