Septone Soap - A Shampoo - Riker's
date: label: date made
content: ca 1902 - 1923
name: label: maker
content: Riker Laboratories, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: In the 1850s William B. Riker established a patent medicine business in New York City. He was selling a preparation known as Riker’s Septone as early as 1878, and Wm. B. Riker & Son was still selling products into the early 20th century. The company had several drug stores in New York. In the first decade of the 20th century, Riker merged with Jaynes Drug Company of Boston and with Hegeman Drug stores of New York, creating a chain of over 100 stores.
label: Description
content: A 1908 advertisement for Septone states that it is a shampoo of "remarkable value." It "accomplishes wonders for sparse and falling hair," and "nourishes and strengthens the roots, gives the hair vigor and youthful beauty." Septone also "destroys dandruff germs." This particular bottle probably dates around 1910. The Septone Soap was one product in Riker’s "Beauty Builders," which also included Violet Toilet Water, Dresden Face Powder, Violet Cerate Face Cream, and Violet Excelsis Talc Powder. The "Beauty Builders" were marketed as "natural and helpful aids to feminine loveliness." The company advertised Septone Soap until the early 1920s.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
topic: label: web subject
content: Hair Care Products
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
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content: Health & Medicine
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content: Beauty and Hygiene Products: Hair Care and Enhancement
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content: Beauty and Health
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content: Hair Care Products
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.293320.0963
label: catalog number
content: 293320.0963
label: accession number
content: 293320
objectType: label: Object Name
content: shampoo
label: Object Name
content: hair care product
label: Other Terms
content: Cosmetics
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (packaging material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: alcohol, 20% (product active ingredients)
label: Measurements
content: overall, box: 5 1/4 in x 2 1/2 in x 1 3/4 in; 13.335 cm x 6.35 cm x 4.445 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, bottle: 5 in x 2 1/4 in x 1 3/4 in; 12.7 cm x 5.715 cm x 4.445 cm