1920s

C. H. Hanson Company, est. 1866

Museum Artifact: Promotional Paperweight, c. 1920s

Made By: C. H. Hanson Co., 303 W. Erie St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Damon MFG Co., est. 1914

Museum Artifact: 999 Polish for Automobiles, Pianos & Furniture, 1920s

Made By: Damon MFG Co., 325 W. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL

“Oxidation, it is pointed out by the manufacturer of Damon’s 999 automobile and furniture polish, is the reason for loss of luster and deadened appearance in any varnish finish. It is claimed 999 polish keeps the surface waterproof and airtight with pure wax,

E.C. DeWitt & Co., est. 1886

Museum Artifact: DeWitt’s Foot Powder, 1920s

Made By: E.C. DeWitt & Co., Inc., 1127 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL

It probably wouldn’t be fair or accurate to call Elden C. DeWitt a “snake oil salesman.” For one thing, the guy’s been dead for nearly a century, so unless a secret diary surfaces, we’ll never know for sure if he genuinely believed in the quirky patent medicines he peddled.

National Washboard Company, est. 1903

Museum Artifact: The Universal No. 134 Washboard, c. 1920s

Made By: National Washboard Co., 72 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL

Long before “upcycling” and “repurposing” became part of the antiquing lexicon, it was the washboard that practically invented re-invention—evolving from a contrivance of laborious laundering practices into a peppy and versatile musical instrument.

The artifact in our own museum collection,

Sprague, Warner & Co., est. 1862

Museum Artifact: Ferndell Brand Crystallized Ginger Tin, c. 1920s

Made By: Sprague, Warner & Company, 600 W. Erie Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Universal Medicine Co. / Universal Laboratories

Museum Artifact: Universal Special Cream & Wormwood Oil (Piolunkowi Olejek), c. 1920s

Made By: Universal Medicine Co. / Universal Laboratories, 1857 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Victor X-Ray Corporation, est. 1893

Museum Artifact: Victor Interval Timer, 1920s

Made By: Victor X-Ray Corporation, 2012 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL

As company names go, the word “Victor” is so ubiquitous—particularly in early 20th century circles—that it basically cancels out the concept of brand recognition. The most famous Victor of the era, the Victor Talking Machine Company of New Jersey (est. 1901), was at least smart enough to distinguish itself with an iconic logo—“His Master’s Voice”

Illinois Cosmetics Co., est. 1926

Museum Artifact: IL Cosmet Talcum Powder, c. 1920s

Made By: Illinois Cosmetics Co., 2108 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL

“This is the day of the Flapper. With the Armistice she came, and today she is firmly established in the hearts of all America.”

Those words appeared in a 1927 advertisement for the Illinois Cosmetics Company—aka Il Cosmet—and for all intents and purposes,

Western Clock MFG Co. (Westclox), est. 1888

Museum Artifacts: Luminous “Big Ben” & “Baby Ben” Clock Dials (1940s) and Style 1A “Big Ben” Alarm Clock (1920s)

Made By: Western Clock MFG Company, aka Westclox, 350 5th St., Peru, Illinois

A clock without hands might seem indifferent to the passage of time, but these old “Big Ben” and “Baby Ben” dials have some serious stories to tell.

Purchased from a man who claimed to have salvaged them from the backroom of an unnamed Chicago watch repair shop,

American Automatic Devices Co., est. 1915

Museum Artifact: Ritz Stick Foot Measure, c. 1920s

Made by: American Automatic Devices Co. / King Bee MFG Co, 500-530 S. Throop St., Chicago, IL

When a stick of any kind becomes culturally relevant enough to have its own name, we tend to ascribe it a simple, self-descriptive one: match stick, hockey stick, joy stick. A rare exception is the Ritz Stick,

E. K. Pond Company, est. 1870

Museum Artifact: Peter Pan Peanut Butter Tin, 1920s

Made By: E.K. Pond Company / Derby Foods, Inc., 517 W. 24th Street, Chicago, IL

In 1929, the Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie made a charitable contribution the likes of which we may never see again in the modern age of intellectual property. And it didn’t have anything to do with peanut butter.

Having already enjoyed international acclaim for his various tales of Peter Pan,

The Gem Pencil Sharpener by APSCO, 1920s

Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co., 58 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL

“The Gem” was another model of 1920s hand-crank wonders from Chicago’s Automatic Pencil Sharpener Company, aka APSCO. It’s bit lighter and smaller than the “Chicago” brand or the “Giant” (both of which we also have in the museum), but the essential function and design is pretty darn identical.

We do have a full history of the Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co.

Stone Medicine Co., est. 1885

Museum Artifact: Dr. X. Stone’s Bronchial Throat Wafers, c. 1920s

Made By: The Stone Medicine Co., 3451 W. Madison St., Chicago, IL

There’s likely not a soul alive who can still speak to the product’s effectiveness, but for over 50 years—from 1883 to the middle of the Great Depression—Dr. X. Stone’s Bronchial Wafers remained a ubiquitous checkout-counter solution for Americans suffering from “hoarseness,

Reed Candy Company, est. 1883

Museum Artifact: Reed’s Butter Scotch Patties Tin, c. 1920s

Made By: Reed Candy Company, 1245 W. Fletcher St., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

 

Archived Reader Comments:

“I maybe able to help you. My great grandmother was Mildred Reed. I have pictures of my father and uncle at the Reed factory.

Reid, Murdoch and Co., est. 1853

Museum Artifact: Monarch Cocoa Tin, 1920s

Made By: Reid, Murdoch & Co., 325 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL

“When a Chicago business attains dimensions which overshadow those with which it may be compared, it becomes in the broadest sense a Chicago institution and belongs in a manner to every Chicagoan. It stands for Chicago pluck, Chicago brains and Chicago energy.”— Frank H.

Liberty Dairy Products Co., est. 1915

Museum Artifact: Liberty Dairy Milk Bottle, c. 1920s

Made By: Liberty Dairy Products Co., 851 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Ingento No. 7 Paper Cutter by Burke & James Inc., c. 1920s

Burke & James, Inc., 240-258 E. Ontario St., Chicago, IL

The Ingento No. 7 was Burke & James’ custom-made guillotine / trimming board for 5×7″ photographic prints. The “Ingento” brand, like the “Rexo” and others, was used liberally across a lot of the Burke & James product lines, including some of the actual cameras themselves. As the advertisement below indicates, there were at least seven other Ingento paper cutters by 1919,