Sulfoam Shampoo
date: label: date made
content: after 1945
name: label: maker
content: Lawrence Laboratories, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: Sulfoam shampoo was produced by Lawrence Laboratories, of New York City. This medicated scalp treatment contained colloidal sulfur and lanolin to condition the scalp and cleanse the hair. It was used to treat dandruff, scalp itch, and dryness. Sulfur, which has antiseptic and skin softening properties, is used in many dandruff shampoos. Lanolin, or wool grease, helps to sooth and moisturize skin and hair. Sulfoam claimed to have a pleasing fragrance, unlike the sulfur with which it was made. In the mid-20th century, Sulfoam was often marketed with a picture of a nurse to reinforce the product’s medical claims.
label: Description
content: Sulfoam first appeared in the 1940s and this bottle appears to date to that period. Sulfoam remains on the market today (2012) as a sulphur-based dandruff shampoo treatment, but the brand is now owned by Fougera Pharmaceuticals.
label: Description
content: This object is one of over 700 items from Glaser’s Drug Store of Sayre, Pennsylvania. In 1921, Simon Glaser (1860-1936), an immigrant from Russian Poland, established the drug store at 121 West Packer Avenue in Sayre, PA. His son, Sidney Glaser (1899-1992), soon joined him in the business and continued to operate the store until 1961. After retiring, Sidney Glaser retained thousands of products dating from the 1920s – 1960s, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care products, and vitamins, and donated many of them to the Smithsonian in 1985.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: web subject
content: Hair Care Products
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Beauty and Hygiene Products: Hair Care and Enhancement
label: See more items in
content: Beauty and Health
label: See more items in
content: Hair Care Products
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Sidney Glaser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0481.374
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0481.374
label: accession number
content: 1985.0481
objectType: label: Object Name
content: shampoo
label: Object Name
content: hair care product
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (packaging material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (container material)
label: Measurements
content: overall, box: 5 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in x 1 5/8 in; 13.97 cm x 6.985 cm x 4.1275 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, bottle: 5 1/4 in x 2 3/4 in x 1 5/8 in; 13.335 cm x 6.985 cm x 4.1275 cm