Collection Highlights
Cake board
Date:
1825-1835
Object Number:
1937.1562
Medium:
Wood (possibly mahogany)
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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Medicine chest
Object Number:
1938.440
Date:
1870-1925
Medium:
Leather, wood, glass, textile, paper, cork
Dimensions:
box: 2 x 6 3/4 x 4 in. (5.1 x 17.1 x 10.2 cm)
Marks:
stamped: in gold on inside of lid: "SMITH'S/HOMEOPATHIC/PHARMACY/NEW-YORK."
stamped: on tops of corks for vials: "Platina"; "Rheum"; "Opium" [each cork stamped with different name]
printed: on paper wrapper around neck or body of vials: "Platina 6"; "Rh
Description:
Rectangular wooden box (medicine chest) covered with black leather, with flat lid that lifts off, and latch; inside of lid covered with orange velvet, with label at center; inside edges of box stamped in gold with geometric pattern; interior divided into shallow square wooden compartments, with space to side with circular slots cut out for round bottles; box contains 66 colorless glass vials with round bases, 60 with corks arranged in alphabetical order according to name of remedy stamped on cork or printed on paper wrapper around neck, three larger round colorless glass bottles, two with corks, also with name of substance printed on paper wrapper around neck.
Gallery Label:
According to accession records, this medicine chest belonged to John Vaché Cox. As a young man he was employed by Prall and Ray, a wholesale drug firm in New York. He later became a drug broker and a mercantile broker.
Credit Line:
Gift of Miss Isabella Vaché Cox
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
