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Wellcome Collection will have reduced opening hours from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday 21 until Sunday 26 June, due to disruption caused by industrial strike action affecting UK transport networks. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this week. 

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Printed advertisement for Dr Johnson's Yellow Ointment, 'formerly prepared by Mr Thomas Singleton, Proprietor, Lambeth Butts; but now by his son, William Singleton, (sole proprietor) no 2, Union-Place, Lambeth aforesaid. The advertisement reads: This Ointment is of great Use in Inflammations, and all other Disorders of the Eyes; and is calculated for all Scorbutic Humours in any Part of the Body, drawing out the Humour, and is no Ways repellant ...

Advertisement for Dr Johnson's Yellow Ointment

Fold out leaflet for Faulding's "Emu" brand Eucalyptus Oil, used on a dressing for cuts and wounds as an antiseptic, made by F. H. Faulding and Co. Ltd, Australia

Illustrated advertisement in British Medical Journal for Streptococcus Antitoxin as a treatment for scarlet fever. Manufactured by Burroughs Wellcome, London.

Advert, scarlet fever treatment, Burroughs Wellcome, 1929

Advert for Mr Smedley's Dental Surgery offering 'really painless extractions'.

Advert for Mr Smaedley's Dental Surgery

In the Second World War, better care regimes and new drugs such as penicil-lin greatly improved the survival rates of wounded British and American sol-diers who could reach a hospital. This object shows Schenley Laboratories Inc. advertising their large scale production of penicillin. They were one of twenty firms designated by the United States government to produce penicillin especially for the war effort. The picture shows a soldier’s life being saved by penicillin, under the caption: “Thanks to PENICILLIN… He will come home.” The war theme continues by calling penicillin “the most potent weapon ever developed against many of the deadliest infections known to man”. This shows how penicillin was considered a wonder drug.

publisher: Time Incorporated

Place made: United States

Advertisement for penicillin production from Life magazine,

Advert for Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil with Hypophosphites showing a fisher man smoking a pipe

Perry Davis' Pain Killer, John M. Richards' sozodont.

Advertisements from The Chemist and Drugist 1880

Advert for Kimmond's Table Waters

Illustrated advertisement from British Medical Journal for 'Wellcome Insulin', an injectable insulin used to treat diabetes. Manufactured by Burroughs Wellcome, London.

Advertisement for insulin, Burroughs Wellcome, 1930

Brightly coloured advertisements like these were placed on shop counters to attract the attention of customers. Made by W T Davies & Sons, Sweet Briar ready rubbed tobacco was popular among pipe smokers. The product is advertised as being “for contentment”. 

Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance and one of a number of dangerous chemicals that are inhaled when smoking. 

W T Davies became part of the Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland in 1902, which was formed to protect British companies from American takeovers.

maker: W T Davies and Sons

Place made: Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom

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Advertisement for Dr Johnson's Yellow Ointment

Fold out leaflet for Faulding's "Emu" brand Eucalyptus Oil, used on a dressing for cuts and wounds as an antiseptic, made by F. H. Faulding and Co. Ltd, Australia

Advert, scarlet fever treatment, Burroughs Wellcome, 1929

Advert for Mr Smaedley's Dental Surgery

Advertisement for penicillin production from Life magazine,

Advert for Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil with Hypophosphites showing a fisher man smoking a pipe

Advertisements from The Chemist and Drugist 1880

Advert for Kimmond's Table Waters

Advertisement for insulin, Burroughs Wellcome, 1930

Advertisement for Sweet Briar ready rubbed tobacco, England,

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More filters

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Advertisement for Dr Johnson's Yellow Ointment

Fold out leaflet for Faulding's "Emu" brand Eucalyptus Oil, used on a dressing for cuts and wounds as an antiseptic, made by F. H. Faulding and Co. Ltd, Australia

Advert, scarlet fever treatment, Burroughs Wellcome, 1929

Advert for Mr Smaedley's Dental Surgery

Advertisement for penicillin production from Life magazine,

Advert for Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil with Hypophosphites showing a fisher man smoking a pipe

Advertisements from The Chemist and Drugist 1880

Advert for Kimmond's Table Waters

Advertisement for insulin, Burroughs Wellcome, 1930

Advertisement for Sweet Briar ready rubbed tobacco, England,

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

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Wellcome collection