Pills and profits : the selling of medicines since 1870 : an exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine / Ken Arnold, Tilli Tansey.
- Arnold, Ken, 1960-
- Date:
- 1994
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: Pills and profits : the selling of medicines since 1870 : an exhibition at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine / Ken Arnold, Tilli Tansey. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![misleading. The BMA was at the time trying to tighten the laws controlling advertise- ments of patent medicines. They were, however, finding obstructions in the form of powerful vested business interests. CMAC SA/BMA C455 VI. 10 Chemist and Druggist, 18 September 1937 Attention to the appearance of pharmacists' windows increased dramatically during the twentieth century. As these pages from the Chemist and Druggist indicate, there was no shortage of advice on style and technique. Another article in the magazine urged shopkeepers to give closer attention to the window plan, as distinct form the design of its elevation. Prizes were also awarded for the best dressed windows. Set against this trend, a few 'high-class' pharmacies made a virtue out of not producing gaudy displays of merchandise. Modern Medicine Collection VI. 11 'Beechams Powders' Cardboard hanger, [191—?]. 'Owbridge's Lung Tonic' paper bird, [1900-1920?] The search by advertisers for new ways of promoting products has, since the late nineteenth century, been relentless. These two examples show the use of decorative and utilitarian household items. On the hanger is written Hang on to Health with Beechams Powders. On the other side is the famous advertising slogan: Worth a Guinea a Box. Beechams provides an example of a company that developed from a local pharmacy to a wholesale industrial giant. Modern Medicine Collection VI. 12 'Andrews' Liver Salt' promotional playing cards, [193-?]. 'Homocea' promotional game, [191-?] Games provided a popular promotional vehicle. The marketing objective was to link the fun of the game to the advertised product. It also provided a means of targeting a younger public. Like much advertising copy, that used by Andrews was based on a pun. Here an image of a glass of Liver Salt is labelled The Picture of Health. 'Homocea' was meant to help with every ailment from neuralgia to toothaches and Colds. The game was a skill and memory test. Modern Medicine Collection VI. 13 Gibbs Dentifrice promotional material: The World ofIF picture book, 1930. 'Ivory Castle Game', [193—] The children's booklet was the fifth in their series of 'Ivory Castle Fairy Books'. It contains a story littered with references to 'Giant Decay' and 'Gibbs Fairies'. In the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20456517_0060.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
