Museum Artifact: Reliable Cold Water Wall Size Paste, c. 1950s
Made By: Reliable Paste Company, 3560 S. Shields Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Cleaning Products
O-Cedar Corp. & Channel Chemical Co., est. 1906
Museum Artifact: O-Cedar Solid Center Polish Mop No. 15, 1929
Made By: O-Cedar Corp. / Channel Chemical Co., 4501 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
American Varnish Company, est. 1883
Museum Artifact: Floorene Varnish, c. 1910s
Made By: The American Varnish Co., 1138 N. Branch Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
American Shoe Polish Co., est. 1900
Museum Artifact: Eagle Brand Suede Powder, c. 1920
Made by: American Shoe Polish Co., 1956 S. Troy Street, Chicago, IL
“Wherever footwear is worn and shoes are shined, the American Shoe Polish Company, of Chicago, have made their ‘Eagle Brand’ dressings known”—this according to a 1913 article in that much beloved periodical, Shoe and Leather Facts.
“Through a harmonious co-operation between the manufacturing and selling forces,
Angel Dainty Dye Co., est. 1898
Museum Artifact: Angel Dainty Dyes Color Packets, 1930s
Made by: Angel Dainty Dye Co., 5201 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL
Their fabric dyes were promoted as colorful miracles in a paper packet, but the Angel Dainty Dye Company itself may have been founded on a dastardly fib.
“The Angel Dainty Dye Co., Chicago, have something which everyone wants,” read an ad in an 1899 issue of the American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record,
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,
Fitzpatrick Bros. & Kitchen Klenzer, est. 1894
Museum Artifact: Kitchen Klenzer Scouring Cleanser, c. 1940s
Made By: Fitzpatrick Bros., 1300 W. 32nd Place, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
William Cooper & Nephews, Inc., est. 1852
Museum Artifact: Pulvex Products – Flea & Lice Powder, Analgesic Tablets, and Kitty & Cat Flea Powder, 1930-1960
Made By: William Cooper & Nephews Inc., 1909 N. Clifton Ave., Chicago, IL
You might not guess it by looking at the cutesy packaging, but the 1961 bottle of Pulvex “Kitty & Cat Flea Powder” pictured above represents an important crossroads in the history of pet-care pesticides.
Armour & Company, est. 1867
Museum Artifact: Lighthouse Cleanser, c. 1930s
Made by: Armour and Company, 1355 W. 31st St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
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,
The Simoniz Company, est. 1910
Museum Artifact: Simoniz Car Wax Tin, 1940s
Made By: Simoniz Company, 2100 S. Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Clipper Products Co., est. 1930s
Museum Artifact: Modern Finished Bleached Wood Clipper Cleaner Polish, 1940
Made By: Clipper Products Sales Co., 3223 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago, IL
Who was A. Maxwell Brown? If you can solve that riddle, you might be one step closer to piecing together the story of Clipper Products—one of the more obscure and mysterious companies included in the Made-in-Chicago Museum.
Fittingly, our introduction to the Clipper brand took place in a quiet corner of a dark basement in Albany Park.
Illinois Bronze Powder & Paint Co., est. 1906
Museum Artifact: Decorative Bronzing Liquid, c. 1910s
Made By: Illinois Bronze Powder Co., 162 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.