Old Advertising Card McNeil’s Pain Exterminator

Trade Card for Dr. T. S. McNeil’s Pain Exterminator. Circa 1870s – 1880s.

Price:  $10.00         Size:  4 and 1/4 x 2 and 1/2″

The most detailed information on T. S. McNeil, found in some quick searches, comes from a Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA) article (see link in sources below.) The authors explain that T. S. McNeil was a minister who went into the medicine business; the title of “doctor” was honorary. A number of ads can be found in old newspapers for McNeil’s Pain Exterminator (formulated in 1848) including a rather long one from 1906, stating the product was sold in 15 states, as well as in Liverpool, England and on the west coast of Africa. By the look of the card, we’d guess the date 1870s through the 1890s, but to try to narrow it down, we searched city directories. The address showing on the card for McNeil Medicine Co., Proprietors, 500 N. Third Street and 242 W. State Street, Harrisburg, PA was not found, however a few entries from 1891 – 1895 show 1111 N. 3rd St., (so if we were betting, we’d bet that the card is from the 1880s.) Thomas S. McNeil was born in 1814 in Virginia and died, unfortunately quite young, in 1847 from a drowning accident.

Sources:  Alcodray, N.I. and Bause, G.S. (2021). “Thomas S. McNeil, An Enterprising Pastor.” (https://www.lycoming.edu/). Accessed May 13, 2022.

“McNeil’s Pain Exterminator (Established 1848) Goes to West Coast of Africa.” The York Daily (York, Pennsylvania). July 13, 1906, p. 8. (Newspapers.com).

Boyd’s Directory of Harrisburg and Steelton, 1891. p. 321; 1895, p. 226. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

Les Bonnes Nouvelles de la Marelle

Vintage envelope, made in France. Date unknown. Publisher:  La Marelle.

Price:  $2.00        Size:  5 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/2″

This one reminds me more of an underwater scene from a fantasy world:  mushrooms growing from the sandy ocean floor, “seaweed” gently rolling…. butterflies navigating a gentle current…..letters grouping together to form words….

But anyway, all are appearing on the front of an unused envelope put out by La Marelle – a French publishing company that produces work by various licensed artists, on stationery, travel bags, mugs, earrings and other items. (La Marelle translates as hopscotch.)

Mellier’s High Class Perfumes

Trade card, Oberdeener’s Pharmacy and Mellier’s Perfumes. Circa 1889 – 1901.

Price:  $15.00          Size:  4 and 1/2 x 3″

A lovely trade card in blue, pink and yellow showing a ladies shoe, a fan, a flower, a butterfly and a paper memento of some sort, resting in a large sea shell. This particular design was not the only one with this theme. There is another to be found for sale online showing a yellow shoe facing in the opposite direction. Mellier’s, based out of St. Louis, Missouri, was very prolific in creating fragrances over the years. We’ve counted a total of eighty, found on the web, including one called Ping Pong (!) The titles shown on this card are:

Ascension Lily, Sweet Crab Apple, Favorita, Violet Bouquet, Bon Silene Rose, Lilac Spray, Golden Pansy, Arabian Nights, Peach Blossom and Allien Bouquet (sometimes seen as Allen Bouquet).

The advertiser on the trade card was S. Oberdeener, of Santa Clara, California, who stated,  “We can confidently recommend – Mellier’s ‘High-Class’ Perfumes – and will take pleasure in showing our patrons how closely they imitate the natural flower and how they possess at the same time both wonderful delicacy and great permanence.”

1038 Franklin Street, Santa Clara, CA

Samuel Oberdeener, per Find A Grave, son of Moses and Libby Oberdeener, was born in San Francisco, September 14, 1860 and died May 20, 1901 in Santa Clara, California. He was married to Emma Lauck. They had one daughter, Mildred. Sam Oberdeener was a graduate of the California College of Pharmacy in 1880, a member of the State Board of Pharmacy, Board of Town Trustees and an active member in the Masonic order, the Odd Fellows, Elks and Foresters. Oberdeener’s would have been well-known in the area, at the time of Sam’s passing, the store had been in business for over thirty years, Samuel having taken over from his father in 1882.

Dating the trade card

All of the perfume titles listed on the trade card, with the exception of Peach Blossom, were found advertised in The American Drug Clerks Journal, January 1889, Vol. 3. (A date for Peach Blossom was not located.) And since Samuel Oberdeener died in 1901, we would estimate this card to be from about 1889 to 1901. The pharmacy continued for some years after Samuel’s death. Below, an ad from the 1913 Santa Clara directory:

Sources:  “Dr Samuel Oberdeener” Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

“Dr. Samuel Oberdeener.” Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1901. Tuesday, p. 5. (Newspapers.com).

The American Drug Clerks Journal, January 1889, Vol. 3.(Google.com).

Polk-Husted Directory Co.’s, San Jose City and Santa Clara, 1913-14, p. 470. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Young Man With Hat

Cabinet Card. Circa 1880s. Photographer unknown.

Price:  $5.00

No identifying info on this one for either the subject or the photographer, but it’s a nice photo with a nice rural backdrop. The young man wears a sack suit and bow tie, holds an open book in one hand and his low-crowned hat with upturned brim in the other, and by virtue of the fake stonework, gets to strike a casual pose. The headgear might remind one of a parson’s hat because of the short crown but from a quick online search it appears the parson’s hat has a much wider brim.

Butterfly Woman

Butterfly Woman

Victorian-Era card   

Price:  $10.00          Size:  About 4 and 1/2 x 2 and 7/8″ 

An unusual, really cool, antique print of a woman’s head on a butterfly’s body. She wears a green bow around her neck. What would her companions in the background look like if we could see them up-close?