Ayer's Hair Vigor
date: label: date made
content: ca 1867
label: associated date
content: 1867
name: label: maker
content: Dr. J. C. Ayer and Company
notes: label: Description
content: Made by J. C. Ayer and Company, Practical and Analytical Chemists, Lowell, Mass., in the 1860s, Ayer’s Hair Vigor "Restores grey hair to its natural vitality and color," but "does not color the hair." Advertisements pronounced that it was "free from uncleanly dangerous or injurious substances" and that it would cure dandruff and stop falling hair. Patented in 1868, this was the only Ayer product to have a patent, although the company sold a variety of health-related products popularly known as "patent medicines."
label: Description
content: Along with these other medicines, Ayer’s Hair Vigor was advertised in <i>Ayer’s American Almanac,</i> which was first published in the mid-19th century and continued into the 1920s. The almanac featured astronomical, astrological, and weather information for the year, as well as medical advice promoting the company’s products.
label: Description
content: The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
label: Description
content: For Restoring the Natural Vitality and Color of the Hair
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Lowell
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
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Gary P. and Sandra Baden
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1979.0798.234
label: accession number
content: 1979.0798
label: catalog number
content: 1979.0798.234
objectType: label: Object Name
content: hair tonic
label: Object Name
content: hair care product
label: Other Terms
content: Patent Medicines; Drugs; Liquid
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: glass (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (container material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 1/2 in x 3 1/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 19.05 cm x 8.255 cm x 3.81 cm