Catalog: Archives: Instruments and Implements (59)

*****NOTE*****WILL SELL SEPARATELY*****

This wonderful, all-original pair of matching, 19th century, Whital Tatum, hanging, egg-shaped Apothecary show globes each measure approximately 33 inches from top of chain to bottom of fixture. The 3 1/2 gallon size globes have a patent date embossed inside the brass-plated crown on top: "June 16, 1895".

Both blown-glass globes retain their original brass chains and hooks and are in very good condition with the expected, minor, age-related scratches of an antique glass globe. There are no cracks, and the globes hold water just fine! The interior of the glass globes have a mild hazy appearance, notably towards the upper third of glass. The haziness disappears when the globes are filled with colored water.

The iron supporting frames sport brass plating and are most decorative. There is the expected, age-related, modest loss and tarnishing to the brass features with some metal pitting of the interior and top edge of globe hangers noted.

These globes originally hung in the Yalowich Pharmacy in Rochester, New York. They display beautifully and will add the "WOW" factor to any apothecary collection.

Offered is a circa 1920s, four-tier, clear glass Apothecary Show Globe. Stacking show globes such as this have always been a highly sought after apothecary artifact for those building a venerable collection of old pharmacy items. This lovely, 26 inch tall example is a visual statement piece- one to be admired for years to come.

Each individual globe sports ground glass construction and each fits into position with perfection. The interior of all sections is sparkling clear with almost no trace of staining, a problem which is often seen in such pieces, but not here.

The only flaw is a very small surface crack in the large globe as seen in the photos. This does not effect structural integrity as the globe holds water with no leakage whatsoever. This imperfection, in fact, is not visible when the globe is filled with water. It can also be easily hidden by positioning this side of the globe facing towards the back of one's display. Simply a faulous piece!

This interesting, circa 1930's, dentist's kit was used to match size and shape of teeth to be replaced! The handsome black Bakelite case is in nice condition, containing many original sample teeth and sporting 9 drawers with oval metal labels. All drawers open smoothly except for the top one. Small unobtrusive right edge chips on 3 shelves fail to detract from this interesting dental collectible.

Measures 6.5"H x 7"W x 5"D and bears the label, "The Dentists’ Supply Co. of N.Y. – Bioform".

A striking dental display!

Offered for your consideration is a very rarely found Bausch & Lomb eye muscles advertising and teaching display!

The display is appealing with embossed and raised detailing featuring eye muscle anatomy!

The display dates to the 1950s and is in fine condition. It is complete with a fold-out display stand, measuring approximately 13 inches high x 8 inches wide.

Perfect for your collection or office.

This beautiful mahogany wood, glass encased pharmacy beam balance scale dates to the 1900-1920s era. It is in very nice condition with the wood case exhibiting a warm colored original patina. The brass scale weighing mechanism is in working order and the sliding front glass panel lifts smoothly. Marked “Made in Germany – Schaar”.

The case measures 16"H x 16"W x8”D. Displays wonderfully!

Offered is a very scarce boxed set of late 19th century Homeopathic medicine vials, most of which still retain their contents. The box is made of cardboard covered by a thin layer of what appears to be leatherette.

The box is mildly worn commensurate with age and use, with some tape holding the top sides together. It measures 5.5"L x 3.75"W x 3.5"H.

Twenty three of the 24 bottles retain their contents, with the one bottle displaying a dark cork being empty and broken (parts of the glass from this broken vial are stuck to the box interior compartment). The vials measure just over 3 inches tall including corks and sport handwritten labels, most of which are legible (a few are faded and illegible).

Overall a very unusual find when you consider that the contents remain.

Some History:
Although homeopathy has its roots in ancient Greek medicine and in the work of the 16th-century physician, Paracelsus, modern homeopathy dates back 200 years to the work of the German doctor and chemist, Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann qualified as a physician but ceased to practice as a doctor because of what he saw as the barbaric medical practices of his day - which included bloodletting and the overuse of toxic medicines, leading to horrific side effects.

A brilliant linguist, he earned a living from translating books and was interested by a reference in a medical textbook describing the use of China (Peruvian bark) as a cure for malaria. Intrigued to know why China worked, he took doses of the remedy until he himself began to exhibit malarial symptoms. He stopped taking the China, and the symptoms went away. From this he deduced that the ancient principle of 'like cures like' actually worked.

His next step was to determine if there were safe levels at which toxic substances could be given - and still cure the type of symptoms that they might otherwise cause. His experiments with dilution led him to discover that the more a substance was diluted, the more potent it appeared to become.

Homeopathic medicine was born, but in practicing it, Hahnemann and his followers were subjected to ridicule and persecution by the medical establishment, despite the fact that they were seeing patients getting better on tiny doses of medicines, prescribed on the basis of 'like cures like'. Many European practitioners immigrated to the United States, where homeopathy flourished in the 19th century – until the traditional medical establishment systematically acted to remove its influence.

Hahnemann ended his days as a renowned and very busy practitioner in Paris, working into his 80's. He is interred at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise, where a large monument honors him and his discovery of Homeopathy.

Offered is a complete Civil War Era traveling Doctor Medicine Case recently acquired from an estate in New Hampshire. The supple leather case houses 20 corked vials sporting vintage paper labels including some with partial contents. The condition is very good considering the age. There are minor areas where a mouse nibbled on an edge and some unobtrusive areas of loss due to ancient tiny insects nibbling on the strap.

The leather case measures 6"L x 4"W x 1.5"H and the corked bottles are just about 3" without cork. No damage to the glass.

This extraordinarily difficult to find pharmacy “IDEAL CAPSULE FILLER” was used by early 20th century druggists in the Pierce Pharmacy, Hartford, Connecticut.

The machine was successfully developed to increase a pharmacist's capsule production. The patent date is stamped Oct. 31, 1905, and the direction guide is marked "Baltimore Capsule Co." The capsule filler has a filling plate with 4 parallel rows of 24 holes and each row was made for 2 different size capsules.

The condition of this wonderful apothecary tool of the trade is very good, complete with the warm, rich patina one would expect of an antique of this age including the usual scratches, marks and unobtrusive dings and tarnish. The metal parts appear to be nickel plated, and the wood base looks like walnut. The filler measures approximately 13”L x 4.5”W x 4.5” H.

The accessories appear to be complete when compared to the images seen in the guide that is included.

The interior has traces of residue from the sand that was used to stabilize the box when in use.

A must addition for any pharmacy/apothecary collection.

Please check my website often as this and many other vintage pharmacy items from the Pierce Pharmacy will be posted in the coming weeks. (Circa 1960 PHOTOS of the Pierce Pharmacy are NOT INCLUDED in the sale.)

I am pleased to offer this latest acquisition direct from a pharmacy collection in Delafield, Wisconsin. This lovely 19th century hand blown clear glass apothecary show globe is a rarity indeed!. The condition of the glass is wonderful with no chips or cracks noted with only minor faint interior water remnants seen. The sculptured finial has some unobtrusive scratches noted.

There are 3 pieces to the 33 inch show globe with the base being molded to the bottom globe, the decorative middle section and the finial. The base has an open pontil mark and all stoppers are ground glass which fit perfectly.

A similar example can be found in SCHIEFFELEINS 1883 catalogue and is listed as a “Pineapple Show Globe”.

An original 1940s photograph showing the globe on display in the front window of Delafields pharmacy is included. C.J. Cather, R. Ph., was the proud pharmacist owner of this great drugstore display.

A point of clarification: the hand-blown finial ends in a solid ground stopper- very, very rare- thus, it cannot be filled with color water. However, both the bottom and middle globes can each be filled with a different color liquid if so desired.

A great find indeed!

Offered is an exquisite pair of 1890's, cobalt blue, label-under-glass, poison, apothecary bottles. Measuring 5 inches high, these beauties are in fine condition with some faint and unobtrusive manufacturing flaws.

The lighter blue bottle is embossed "W.T. & CO." on the base. The dark blue bottle has a faint, double stamped mark. Together they make a wonderful pair waiting for a place in your collection.

Offered is an exquisite, Victorian era, barber shop shaving mug sporting a highly decorated label-under-glass owner's nameplate, which has been recently acquired from a South Carolina estate.

This exceptional, shield-shaped label is executed in a rare and strikingly colorful design that was certainly a special order item for its owner, JOHN E. MATTES.

The condition of the porcelain mug is excellent! It is embellished with mildly worn gold gilt paint on the rim that coordinates with the gold adornment also on the label. This visually-striking label has mild loss, tiny chips and subtle cracks as noted in the photos. The shaving mug measures 4 inches tall x 3.5 inches in diameter at the top. A gem that is worthy of the most advanced barber shoppe collection!

Offered is a wonderful, circa 1920s, hanging, Apothecary Show Globe fashioned in the Art Deco style, complete and all-original. Very often hung in the front window of the local drug store to attract customers, these show globes were frequently filled with colored water to add extra depth and interest to their sculpted appearance.

Condition of this fabulous piece is quite fine. The interior of the globe and finial note some faint, scattered, age-related haziness. While the large globe has absolutely no damage, the decorative finial has a few mild chips to its ground glass base as noted in the photo, that are completely invisible when the finial rests perfectly in place inside the neck of the globe.

For perspective, the globe with finial in place measures about 16 inches tall. The total height as measured from the globe base to the point where the 3 chains terminate at the bracket is 32 inches. An additional 19 inch chain was added by the previous owner.

A noted feature of this globe is the original and very handsome, decorative, metal bracket which supports the globe in a fancy, Art Deco style frame. The delightful hanger rounds out a wonderful example of the "architecture" of pharmacy history of the 1920s. The condition of the globe frame, chains and support bracket is good with the light wear and mild loss of finish expected of an approximately 100 year old piece. The wall hanger is in excellent condition with minimal surface imperfections.

An exceptional opportunity to purchase a visually striking, Art Deco styled Apothecary Show globe in complete and all original, an advertising piece of a bygone era certain to become a central focal point of any apothecary, pharmacy or drug store collection!

This vintage dosage spoon measures approx. 4 3/4" long dates to the 1930-1940 era. On one end of the spoon there is a clock face with a rotating dial indicating the next time to take your medicine.

The handle of the spoon is engraved "D & G DRUG STORE" and in the bowl of the spoon are the graduation marks for 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.

Very nice advertising / drug store collectible.

A rarely found Antique Medical Teaching Display entitled "BODYSCOPE" by Ralph H. Segal, Copyright 1935.

This marvelous piece of medical ephemera is quite large, measuring approximately 20" by 15 7/8" and is constructed in a hard-bound, book format with four interior pages. The condition is quite good with the expected, minimal wear of an early teaching aid. The interior pages and the exterior binding are solid.

The four primary, highly colorful, and well-detailed teaching models on each page are all complete with turning wheels on the page side which rotate to display different organs and systems of the body.

Graphic images of the male and female anatomy are featured in the center pages along with 2 other wonderful images. Turn the wheel and 10 different body systems are shown: "1. Our Body, Its Physiology. 2. The Torso, Anterior Organs. 3. The Torso, Posterior Organs. 4. Digestive System, Digestion. 5. The Portal System, Absorption. Body Comparison of Sexes. 7. The Circulatory System. 8. The Respiratory System. 9. The Excretory System. 10. Female Generative Organs."

Published by Bodyscope Publications, Inc. Educational Building, 10 Fifth Ave., N.Y.C.

A fabulously eye-catching medical teaching display adorned with Art Deco inspired design elements! A phenomenal display piece!

If you are looking for a pharmacy sign that is nearly mint and sports great graphics, you can stop searching!

This awesome example dates to 1955, is painted and has a reflective finish on the large lettering. This sign is new-old-stock, was never used and was acquired directly from the family of the former proprietor of the now-defunct, Stanley, North Dakota, Rexall Pharmacy!!!

This beauty measures 36" long x 18" wide and was manufactured by the Continental Sign and Advertising Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It appears to be made of a galvanized metal, is pre-drilled for hanging and is in fine condition! There are a few faint manufacturing imperfections on the surface. The one worth mentioning is a 5 inch scratch by the letter "A" on the white painted word DAKOTA (the far right hand "A").

Ready for your collection! A fabulous, visually striking, pharmacy advertising piece!

Offered for sale is a lovely apothecary show globe that was originally offered to druggists in the 1960s – 1970s by Parke-Davis pharmacy salesmen. This 19.5 inch beauty sports a deep red decorated globe set upon a gold and black pedestal. The globe sports advertising on two sides of the base and the “Rx” on the globe.

The condition of the globe is very good with no damage to the plastic. There are some tiny white paint flecks to one side of the base otherwise the globe displays beautifully! Embossed “PRESCRIPTIONS” and “PARKE – DAVIS PHARMACEUTICALS” on the base.

A striking vintage advertising show globe ready for your collection.

Offered for sale is a stunning 1920's, Art Deco, Apothecary Show Globe with stand.

This beautiful pharmacy display is in very nice, all-original condition including the lovely sculptured glass finial with stopper!

The show globe measures about 21 inches high and and is capable of holding the colored water if so desired! The finial's ground stopper retains its original rubber cork and smoothly fits into the ground neck of the globe. Very minor interior hazing of the finial is present.

The sleek architectural lines of the show globe's stunning aluminum stand exemplifies the epitome of Art Deco design! Some very faint wear and use imperfections commensurate with its age are noted. Slight interior blue haze line noted by the upper portion of globe.

So very difficult to find in this all-original condition complete with finial and stand. A simply gorgeous and iconic Art Deco drug store advertising display piece!

Offered for sale is a 19th century, medium-sized, apothecary pharmacy bottle sporting “PULV. CANEL. ALB.” on the label under glass label!

The 8.25 inch tall bottle is marked on the base, “WN WALTON PAT. SEP 23 1862”, and is of early blown glass construction. The fancy, recessed applied label is complete and is in very nice condition. The stopper is of ground glass construction and is in very good order as well.

The inside of the bottle is 1/3 full of a light brown powder. Very nice indeed!