Bottle, Medicine

Object Name:

Bottle, Medicine

Object ID:

1992.063.349

Place of Origin:

Brentwood, MD

Date:

1910-1920

Description:

Hair tonic bottle in original box, Lea's Tonic Company, Brentwood, MD. Includes packet of powder shampoo.

A. Bottle. Clear glass. Rectangular body with beveled corners, rounded shoulders, and cylindrical neck. Printed paper label on front: "2 OUNCES $1.00 / LEA'S / HAIR / PREPARATION / ALCOHOL 14 PER CENT / A SECRET FORMULA / [uses] / MANUFACTURED BY / LEA'S TONIC COMPANY / BRENTWOOD, MD. U.S.A." Directions printed on paper label on back. Black plastic screw cap. Bottle contains transparent yellow liquid, about 2/3 full.

B. White cardboard box, 7" high x 2.5" wide x 1.3" deep. Printed in dark blue on all sides and top. Front: same text as on bottle, with image of man's head with hair half dark and half light. Back of box identical, except woman's head. Printed on sides: "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THE RELIEF OF ITCHY SCALP / LEA'S HAIR PREPARATION / PLEASANT TO USE - RESULTS PLEASE THE MOST FASTIDIOUS". Printed on top flap: "NOT INTENDED FOR THE / CURE, MITIGATION OR / PREVENTION OF / DISEASE". Bottom flap: "PRINTED IN U. S. A." Corrugated cardboard liner. Printed directions sheet inside.

C. Small paper envelope containing powder. 1.7" x 2.9". Printed on front: "VASCO POWDER SHAMPOO / FREE SAMPLE / Designed especially for use with Lea's Hair Prep- / aration. [directions] / VASCO PRODUCTS, Inc. Brentwood, Md." Further directions on back. Sealed, never opened.

Material:

Glass
Paper

Dimensions:

H-6.6 W-1.9 D-0.9 inches

Provenance:

Part of the Wilfred B. Osgood Pharmacy Collection, consisting of the 1870s-1950s contents of the Knox Pharmacy (owned by Fred L. Knox) and Roberts Rexall Store (owned by George C. Roberts) in Farmington, NH. Wilfred Osgood purchased both pharmacies in the late 1940s/early 1950s, and kept the original furnishings from both stores. During the 1970s, he created a pharmacy display room from the contents of both stores. This collection is the contents of that display. The collection also includes manuscripts, books, photographs, and printed ephemera, transferred to NHHS library (1992-068.)

Credit Line:

Gift of Donna T. Osgood in memory of Wilfred B. Osgood

People:

Osgood, Wilfred (1911-1988)

Subjects:

Pharmacies, Pharmacists, Medicines, Hair preparations