The current exhibit, This Won’t Hurt a Bit: A History of Pain Relief provided some unusual inspiration for new store products. The CHS ephemera collection was a great source for trade cards, once used to advertise remedies to soothe or eliminate pain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. An assortment of images for plasters, witch hazel, toothache drops, and ginger tonic proved perfectly suited for custom magnets, notepads, and puzzles.
They say laughter is the best medicine, so tickle the funny bone of your favorite nurse, doctor, or dentist, with one (or more!) of our medically themed pewter lapel pins, signed by the artist, Jim Clift. Laugh them into stitches with our Ouch! silk neck and bow ties by Allyn Neckwear, in a navy blue background with colorful bandages covering the entirety of the tie.
For the History Nut who prefers authentic home accents, the pharmacy bottles in our store actually lined the shelves of apothecaries in the 19th century. Once filled with tinctures, remedies, or concoctions each is unique in shape and size. Give them new purpose in the bath filled with soaps, salts, and cotton or in other areas of your home.
Stop suffering through ho-hum shopping experiences! Find relief at the CHS store! Since all proceeds go to support our programs, exhibits, and collections your purchases will be practically pain free!
Kathy Whitney is the Customer Service and Store Manager at the Connecticut Historical Society.
inside the CHS 