MUSEUM BLOG
The Story of George Taylor Fulford I and his pink pills for pale people
Fulford and Co’s most famous remedy-- and the one which solidified the wealth and status of George Taylor Fulford-- was Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills for Pale People, the patent for which Fulford bought from Brockville doctor William Frederick Jackson in 1890. He advertised the pills very widely and cleverly, using patient testimonials in advertisements that look like little newspaper articles.
The Wild and Wacky World of Drug Advertisements
Back in the late 1800s, a time where saying yes to drugs might have actually been encouraged, patent medicines promised wild and wonderful cures. These medicines, as opposed to those prescribed by a doctor, were loosely regulated; leading to extravagant claims and dangerous, often unlisted, ingredients. From cure-alls to cough syrup, these medicines promised to treat a variety of ailments for those who could not afford a private doctor’s visit, although they would often do more harm than good.
Lydia E. Pinkham: Life and Legacy
Although she only turned to the commercial creation of medicine during the last eight years of her life, Pinkham experienced within that brief timeframe meteoric success as a producer of medicines marketed exclusively for women. Within her lifetime, Pinkham became a cultural icon.
Spotlight on Patent Medicines - Dr. William Hall's Balsam for the Lungs
In the mid-to-late twentieth century, advertising trade cards were important for circulating information about patent medicines, or “over-the-counter” drugs. Dr. William Hall’s Balsam was printed by the Donaldson Brothers of Five Points, New York, a popular advertiser from 1872 to 1891.