Catalog (145)

This striking, decorated, ceramic apothecary jar dates from the 1930s and is marked "GERMANY" on its base. Measuring 9 inches tall, this jar features lovely, gold-painted swags.

The cover has a crack as seen in the photo, but the jar otherwise is quite fine lending flair and elegance to your apothecary collection.

This is an often overlooked and rarely found drug store tool-of-the-trade used by the early pharmacist called a POWDER FOLDER. This nice example is from the late 19th century and is made of all brass. The functional portion of the folder is on the top side which can be adjusted to expand or contract the working surface. I believe this to be of English origin by S.MAW & SONS though it is unmarked.

This diminutive beauty measures less than 4 inches when closed and just over 2 inches wide. It has a wonderful patina and is in fine condition and functional.

Compounded medicines were often bitter tasting and when in the powder form were enclosed in edible type paper. When swallowed the medicine would bypass the taste centers and dissolve in the stomach. Think of them as paper capsules.

Offered is a group of six, very scarce, 19th century, tin, apothecary, storage containers with hand-painted, gold gilt labels and a decorative and stylized floral, front embellishment. The gold gilt labels make these early pharmacy canisters really stand out!

The tins sport an early and original, hand-painted, mustard-colored surface patina. The five smaller containers measure approximately 7 inches high x 4 inches wide x 5 inches deep (front to back including the distinctive front floral embellishment). The one large container measures about 8 inches high x 5 inches wide x 5 inches deep.

Structurally, the canisters are very solidly crafted containers, each with a slanted, well-fitting, hinged cover that snaps into place when closed. There are unobtrusive dings, and the finish shows modest wear and paint loss commensurate with a 19th century, well-loved and well-used, dispensary antique.

Offered is a hard to find painted cast iron meat and juice press from the late 19th century.

This dual purpose pharmacy tool of the trade measures about 9 inches high and retains much of its original black japanned surface.

Measuring a diminutive 2 inches in diameter and in mint condition, this interesting and unusual celluloid advertising pocket mirror features a person dosing with a magical "Nature's Remedy" tablet! (**Please note that any white spots in the photos are light reflections ONLY and not damage to the mirror.**)

The mirror front has a age-faded salmon colored border surrounding an image of a person's face with protruding tongue, about to swallow a "NR" (Nature's Remedy)tablet. The fading makes it a challenge to read the following which is imprinted around the circumference of the mirror: "Take One Tonight - You'll feel Better In The Morning."

AND....

"Better Than Pills For Liver Ills - Get a 25 Cent Box"

Original mirrored backing is in very fine condition with just a few very minute, superficial scratches.

Manufacturer name stamped on bottom edge: "Parisian Novelty Company, Chicago".

An interesting little advertising piece!

Offered are two fabulous Arlington Chemical Company Diagnostic Allergen Test Kits which were used to test skin sensitivity or allergy to a wide variety of potential allergans. The two boxed sets date to the 1940s - 1950s era and are in very nice condition. Both boxes are covered in a grained, leather-like material.

The larger boxed set contains 38 vials which are nearly empty and sport complete paper labels. There are 2 missing vials from this kit. It measures 6" long x 5" wide x 1.5" high. The inside cover of this larger boxed set lists the names of the 38 allergens contained in the kit.

The small boxed set contains 28 corked top vials which have the same type paper labels as found in the larger kit. This kit measures 5" long x 2" wide x 1.5" high and is missing (or never had) 8 vials.

These skin sensitivity testing kits contain vials which are specific to the southern California area.

A scarce duo indeed!

Offered is a wonderful, 1940 era, SENTINEL First Aid Kit sporting GREAT graphics. This visually-attractive, metal case contains all of its contents and appears to be in minimal and perhaps in unused condition!

This diminutive kit was designed to be portable and most useful for scrapes and scratches. The case measures 6" x x 3" x 1.25" and is in very nice condition with minor surface scratches and stains commensurate with age. The contents are near perfect.

Distributed by FOREST CITY PRODUCTS, INC. Cleveland, Ohio.

A wonderful kit for your medical, nursing or emergency-care student or professional in your life!

An additional tube of Ophthalmic ointment and a few early Band-aids are included!

Please note that the mortar and pestle pictured on the right side--as seen in the first photo--has been sold.

This wonderful, 1940-1950s vintage hand made and painted mortar and pestle display once adorned the interior of a Connecticut pharmacy. The display is decorated in red with painted bronze details for added flair.

Measures about 7 high” x 4.5” wide and is in very nice condition! Some unobtrusive surface paint loss and scuffing including a few tiny nail holes are apparent but do not distract from their visual appeal!

Scientific, chemist, laboratory-- these terms all best describe this circa 1930s, unused and most interesting device labeled "Bishops Arsenic Apparatus". Comes complete with original wrappers, jar, black stopper, piping and stained box with label. The box measures 5.5 inches long x 3.25 inches wide x 2 inches high. Condition is excellent.

Perfect for your laboratory, medical or weird science collection!

Offered is a very difficult-to-find group of six, matching, 19th century, iron, apothecary cabinet drawer pulls featuring stunning labels under glass!

Each visually appealing drawer pull measures about 4.7/8"W x 2 3/8"H x 7/8"D. The labels are reverse painted on glass, original and sport a wonderful patina.

The condition of the pulls is very good with only one pull, VIBURN..., showing minor glass damage(see photo). Otherwise, some pulls have minor paint loss, very faint superficial rust, and may need a slight cleaning of the glass, all of which add to the expected appearance and condition of an antique of this age and period.

Extremely hard to find in this condition!

This difficult to find tool-of-the trade pharmacy “IDEAL CAPSULE FILLER” was used by early 20th century druggists to enhance their capsule production. The patent date is stamped Oct. 31, 1905, and research indicates that it was produced by the "Baltimore Capsule Co."

The machine produces 2 different size capsules and has a filling plate that sports 4 parallel rows, each having the capacity of making 24 capsules. Also included are 2 capsule filling trays.

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. (Two top wood edges have been lost due to use, time and age as seen in the photos.) 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 interior contains sand that was used to add weight and stabilize the box when in use.

A must addition for any pharmacy/apothecary collection!

Offered for sale is a very nice FEMALE SPECIFIC glycerine based French medication tin from Paris, France. Marked with an interesting graphic “OVULES CHAUMEL” and “PANSEMENTS VAGINAUX” on the interior cover.

Measuring about 3 inches square, this circa 1920s - 1930s vintage tin is an unusual find.

The condition of the tin is good, commensurate with its age. Unobtrusive wear and paint loss do not detract from this hard to find tin .

Great for your pharmacy collection!

This is a very nice example of a Lowell, Massachusetts, patent medicine complete with box.

The 8.5 inch bottle is in fine condition and sports a label only on the side panel because it is embossed on the remaining three sides. The bottle label is almost complete with modest staining from content leakage.

This medicine retains its original, very decorative box which notes a 1915 date-- apparently when this "new" box was first introduced to the public in August of that year. The box is complete and in good condition noting modest content stain, mostly on the left panel.

Ayer's Sarsaparilla was actually a quack medicine first introduced in the mid 19th century, with no real evidence of therapeutic value, and in that regard, quite similar to many other medicines of that era. Sarsaparilla, J.C. Ayer's most popular product, was cited as a real blessing to humanity in that it purified the blood, stimulated the vital functions, restored and preserved health, and infused new life and vigor throughout the whole system!! Sarsaparilla was also recommended for jaundice, dyspepsia, pimples, boils, ringworm, female weaknesses and ‘lassitude and debility peculiar to the Spring.'

Offered is a nice example of a Pharmacist tool of the trade. Dating from the 1940s to 1950s, this pharmacy pill tile is constructed of durable glass and sports a numerical cutting scale to accurately determine the dosage of compounded medicines.

From the GLASCO Glass Company, this pill tile is in nice condition, with 2 edge dings and various faint glass scratches acquired as a result of use, resulting in a fine, vintage patina.

Offered are two wonderful, 1920-1930s era, Asthma Remedies labeled Dr. Schiffmann's "ASTHMADOR".

These lovely nostrums sport brightly colored graphics and include full contents.

The condition of both medicines is very good with the expected minimal wear as well as the minor scuffs and imperfections of vintage pieces.

The tin measures 4 inches tall x 2.75 inches wide. The box measures 3.25 inches wide x 2.25 high and sports the original clear wrapping. A delightful, desirable duo of vintage lung and supposed "breathing-support" medicines not to be missed.

This wonderful, 19th century, Whitall Tatum, hanging, apothecary show globe measures approximately 33 inches from top of chain to bottom of fixture. This egg-shaped, 3 1/2 gallon globe dates to circa 1895 and was manufactured at the Whithall Tatum Company in Millville, New Jersey.

The blown-glass globe is in very good condition with the expected and minor, age-related scratches and imperfections of antique glass. There are no cracks, and the globe holds water just fine!

The lovely and decorative, iron supporting frame sports an early, gold-painted finish which is quite appealing. (The original, factory-manufactured finish was completed in brass plate.) The interior of the globe's metal crown has minimal, superficial rust as seen in the photo.

This globe displays quite nicely and is ready for exhibit in your collection!

Offered is a very striking, Civil War era, clear glass, apothecary bottle sporting a wonderful and quite visually-appealing, gold, recessed label.

It is embossed on the base: W.N WALTON PAT SEPT 23, 1862.

The bottle is just about 8 inches tall and is in excellent condition, containing its original contents!

Offered is a 1913, wonderful, colorfully-designed, St Jacobs Oil Pharmacy Patent Medicine Bottle with box. The colorful image of the robed St. Jacob holding high a bottle of this liniment makes for great advertising!

This compound contains chloroform and claims to help relieve the pain of Rheumatism, Lumbago, Gout, and Headache, to name but a few. The box is in good condition and displays very well although it shows modest wear, surface staining, with some crimps as well as loss of the top flap. The 6.25 inch corked bottle is in fine condition and sports a complete label that is crimped just beneath the black "St Jacobs Oil" printing. Slight staining and loss near the base is also evident.

Overall, a very interesting, well-designed, patent medicine bottle and box which displays rather well and is worthy of any collection!