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Trade cards for Ayer's cathartic pills, 1883

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Collection Type

  • Ephemera

Date

1883

Location Note

Library and Archives: Advertisements: Trade Cards: Medicine: General

GUSN

GUSN-190980

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Description

This trade card contains harmful imagery including racist stereotypes.

Historic New England acknowledges historical records / objects may contain harmful imagery and language reflecting attitudes and biases of their creators and time in which they were made. Historic New England does not alter or edit objects and / or historical text.

This trade card promotes Ayer's cathartic pills manufactured by Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co. Labeled "The country doctor," the image depicts a man with an infant girl on his lap holding a tin of the pills. A boy kneels beside the man, with a suitcase of Ayer's products open next to him.

Details

Descriptive Terms

advertising
business (commercial function)
people in health and medicine
pharmacists
racial discrimination
trade cards (advertising)

Additional Identification Number

Project number HNE0105

Physical Description

2 trade cards : chromolithograph ; 4 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches

Collection Code

EP001

Collection Name

Ephemera collection

Reference Code

EP001.01.076.01.01.001

Image Dimensions

4 3/4 x 2 3/4 (HxW)(inches)

Places

Lowell (Middlesex county, Massachusetts)

Record Details

Originator

Ayer, J. C. (James Cook), 1819-1878 (Manufacturer)

Material Type

trade cards (advertising)

Subjects

African Americans
Pills
Patent medicines
Drugs
Black People
Black

Accruals Note

Included in the Boston African Americana Project.

Description Level

Item

Location Note

Library and Archives: Advertisements: Trade Cards: Medicine: General

Reparative Language in Collections Records

Historic New England is committed to implementing reparative language description for existing collections and creating respectful and inclusive language description for new collections. If you encounter language in Historic England's Collections Access Portal that is harmful or offensive, or you find materials that would benefit from a content warning, please contact [email protected].