Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup Bottle
Mothers in the late nineteenth century used Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, made by Curtis & Perkins of Bangor, Maine, to ease their babies’ teething pain and other ailments. It lived up to its name, soothing distressed children into a peaceful sleep, a far cry from the painful medical practices of the era. Composed of a high dose of morphine dissolved in grain alcohol, the product caused many infant deaths throughout its lifespan. A series of federal laws passed in the early twentieth century forced a reformulation. Stripped of intoxicating qualities and increasingly obsolete in an age of “scientific” child-rearing, it was quietly withdrawn from the market around 1920.<br /><br /> Read more about this object: <a href="https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/11">https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/11</a>
Recovered from excavation prior to construction of Rutgers-Camden dormitory at 330 Cooper Street, Camden, N.J.
Rutgers University-Camden
c. 1850-1875; photograph, April 2018.
Lucy Davis (Graduate Student, American Material Culture, Spring 2018); photograph by Jacob Lechner.
Collection of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Affleck, Richard, George Cress, Ingrid Weubber, Rebecca White, Kimberly Morrell, and Thomas Kutys. Phase II and Data-Recovery Archaeological Excavations of the Smith-Maskell Site Cooper Street Development Camden, New Jersey. Archaeological Excavation Report, Burlington: URS Corporation.
Glass bottle, nearly 5 inches tall and 1 inch in diameter.
Glass Syringe
<p>In the second half of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century, doctors and patients at home relied on glass syringes to treat various conditions, including venereal diseases. Unlike hypodermic needles, these artifacts, also called “male” syringes, did not inject medicine subcutaneously. Instead, these syringes irrigated or flushed the visibly infected parts of the body. The “male” syringe entered the tip of the penis to flush the symptoms from the urethra. In addition to the discomfort, these treatments failed to cure the venereal diseases and only masked the symptoms for periods of time.<br /><br />Read more about this object: <a href="https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/16">https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/16</a></p>
Recovered from excavation prior to construction of Rutgers-Camden dormitory at 330 Cooper Street, Camden, N.J.
Rutgers University-Camden
c. 1840-1900; photographed April 2018.
TJ Potero (Graduate Student, American Material Culture, Spring 2018); photograph by Jacob Lechner.
Collection of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Affleck, Richard, George Cress, Ingrid Weubber, Rebecca White, Kimberly Morrell, and Thomas Kutys. Phase II and Data-Recovery Archaeological Excavations of the Smith-Maskell Site Cooper Street Development Camden, New Jersey. Archaeological Excavation Report, Burlington: URS Corporation.
Hand-blown glass syringes.
Syringe #1, Barrel: 5 ½ in (L) (13.97 cm (L), Plunging Rod: 3 ½ in (L).
Syringe #2. Barrel 3 ½ in (L) (13.97 cm (L), Plunging Rod: 3 ¼ in (L).
Mason's Improved Fruit Jar
A product of the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company in late 1870s, this Mason’s Improved Jar proved to be popular and accessible to many people in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A common household item, the jar helped housewives during the time-consuming process of canning and changed the way people viewed food preservation. The storage and protection these jars provided helped mothers achieve their goals of maintaining a healthy household. These jars were mass produced until the twentieth century, which causes their abundance today.
The inventor of the Mason jar, John Landis Mason, was born in Vineland, N.J., in 1832. He patented his jar in 1858.
Recovered from excavation prior to construction of Rutgers-Camden dormitory at 330 Cooper Street, Camden, N.J.
Rutgers University-Camden
Late nineteenth century; photograph, April 2018
Ashley Angelucci; photograph by Jacob Lechner
Collection of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Affleck, Richard, George Cress, Ingrid Weubber, Rebecca White, Kimberly Morrell, and Thomas Kutys. Phase II and Data-Recovery Archaeological Excavations of the Smith-Maskell Site Cooper Street Development Camden, New Jersey. Archaeological Excavation Report, Burlington: URS Corporation.
Reconstructed glass jar, 7 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide.
Proprietary Medicine Bottle
Throughout the nineteenth century, entrepreneurs sold their own pharmaceutical concoctions without regulation. This was the business of proprietary medicine. This bottle likely contained pharmaceutical products or flavoring extract which was made using narcotics such as morphine or cocaine as the chief ingredient. The original contents of this bottle can still be seen inside, they are however, a mystery. This bottle is a mouth blown, mold pressed glass bottle. Bottles like this were mass-produced at glass factories like Whitall Tatum & Co. and Wheaton Industries in Millville, N.J., and shipped all over the United States.<br /><br /> Read more about this object: <a href="https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/13">https://omeka.camden.rutgers.edu/items/show/13</a>
Recovered from excavation prior to construction of Rutgers-Camden dormitory at 330 Cooper Street, Camden, N.J.
Rutgers University-Camden
c. 1800-1875; photograph, April 2018.
Will Krakower (Graduate Student, American Material Culture, Spring 2018); photograph by Jacob Lechner.
Collection of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Affleck, Richard, George Cress, Ingrid Weubber, Rebecca White, Kimberly Morrell, and Thomas Kutys. Phase II and Data-Recovery Archaeological Excavations of the Smith-Maskell Site Cooper Street Development Camden, New Jersey. Archaeological Excavation Report, Burlington: URS Corporation.
Glass bottle, 5 ¼ inches in height, including the neck (¾ inch). Base approximately 13/16 inches wide and 1-5/8 inches long.
Bisque Doll Head
The painted features of this porcelain doll face point to the work of firms in the Thuringia area of Germany. Thuringia’s natural clay deposits made it the center of the German doll industry. This doll likely once included glass enamel eyes and a mohair wig.
Lucy Davis
Recovered from excavation prior to construction of Rutgers-Camden dormitory at 330 Cooper Street, Camden, N.J.
Rutgers University-Camden
c. 1860-1890
Lucy Davis (Graduate Student, American Material Culture, Spring 2018); photograph by Jacob Lechner.
Collection of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts
Affleck, Richard, George Cress, Ingrid Weubber, Rebecca White, Kimberly Morrell, and Thomas Kutys. Phase II and Data-Recovery Archaeological Excavations of the Smith-Maskell Site Cooper Street Development Camden, New Jersey. Archaeological Excavation Report, Burlington: URS Corporation.
Ceramic (bisque) doll head, approximately 3" tall and 2" wide. Eyes and back of head missing.
421 Cooper Street
Contributing structure, Cooper Street Historic District.
419 Cooper Street
Contributing structure, Cooper Street Historic District.
Browning, Jerusha
A member of the prominent Browning family, after the death of her husband Jerusha Browning took in boarders at 415 Cooper Street.
415 Cooper Street
Contributing structure, Cooper Street Historic District.
417 Cooper Street
Contributing structure, Cooper Street Historic District.