The Hagley Vault

Selections from Hagley Museum and Library's archives and published collections on the history of American business, technology, and innovation.

April 21, 2025
Advertisement depicting a family and pets in silhouette, engaged in a chaotic chase after a rat

This week's visitor to the Hagley Vault is the E.S. Wells Medical Company, which produced this ca. 1890 advertising card for it's "Rough on Rats" pesticide. The New Jersey firm manufactured a strange combination of products: medicines for the general public, as well as rat poison.


The company's founder, Ephraim S. Wells (1841-1913) began his career apprenticing to a druggist in West Virginia before moving to New Jersey in 1862. There, he worked for a time in L.B. Bowie's Drug Store in Uniontown before purchasing two drugstores in Jersey City and, eventually, a manufacturing plant for his remedies. 

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Archive

For posts prior to October 2020, visit the Hagley Vault on Tumblr.

Black and white photograph of a man helping a woman strap roller skates onto her shoes.
Monday, October 17, 2022
The internet says that today International Roller Skating Day ...
The internet says that today International Roller Skating Day. The holiday appears to be a made up one organized around October being National Roller Skating Month, a designation assigned by Roller Skating Association International, a a trade association representing commercial and nonprofit skating center owners and operators (the association...
Cover of Hampton's Magazine featuring an illustration of an airship.
Friday, October 14, 2022
This weekend will mark a historic moment in communications and aviation history ....
This weekend will mark a historic moment in communications and aviation history. On October 15, 1910, Melvin Vaniman sent one of the first in-flight air to ground radio transmissions; "Roy, come and get this goddamned cat." The flight in question was that of the dirigible America. Led by journalist and aviator Walter Wellman, the flight was an...
Hand colored lantern slide from a scenic overlook over the Nesquehoning Valley.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Here's a special sneak peek ....
Here's a special sneak peek at what we have in store for guests of the Wagner Free Institute of Science tonight. We'll be joining them this evening for their annual Archives Month Lantern Slide Salon, where we'll be sharing slides made by William H. Rau (1855-1920) for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. This hand-colored lantern slide, titled "...
Color image of two men installing a large UNIVAC computer
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Today's #TechTuesday find shows employees of the Sperry UNIVAC division ...
Today's #TechTuesday find shows employees of the Sperry UNIVAC division installing a UNIVAC Solid State Computer at the Ilion Computer School around the year 1959. The Sperry Corporation was an electronics company that manufactured the first commercial digital computer. Its UNIVAC division has its origins in the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation...
Spread from Fury magazine. Illustration of an attacking bear.
Monday, October 10, 2022
Chunk would never ....
Chunk would never ....​ or maybe he would. On this penultimate day of Katmai National Park's annual Fat Bear Week, we're sharing a spread from the December 1953 issue of Fury Magazine: Exciting Adventures for Men. Published by Weider Publications in Jersey City, N.J. from October 1954 to May 1961, the magazine was one of many examples of a genre...
Switchback view of the Mauch Chunk Railway tracks from the top of Jefferson Plane
Friday, October 7, 2022
America's first intentionally constructed roller coaster opened on June 16, 1884 ...
America's first intentionally constructed roller coaster opened on June 16, 1884 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. But Americans looking for thrills prior to that date had two options; travel overseas to the Promenades Aériennes (or, "the Aerial Walk), which became the world's first roller coaster when it opened in Parc Beaujon in Paris on...
May 1955 cover of Lukens Life. Photograph of children writing a thank-you letter to Jonas Salk.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
On this date in 1956, Dr. Albert Sabin announced ....
On this date, October 6, in 1956, Dr. Abert Sabin announced that a new orally-administered vaccine for polio was ready for worldwide testing. Sabin's vaccine followed the one developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, which completed testing on April 12, 1955, as well as an early vaccine developed by virologist Hilary Koprowski in the late 1940s. At the time...
Posed group photograph of the 1929 officers and directors of Westinghouse Athletic Association
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Today's #WorkerWednesday guests are the 1929 officers and directors of the Westinghouse Athletic Association ...
Today's #WorkerWednesday guests are the 1929 officers and directors of the Westinghouse Athletic Association for the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company's South Philadelphia Works. This photograph was taken by staff photographer Charles Yessel (1877-1953) for publication in the company’s newsletter, Machine News. The Westinghouse...
Black and white photograph of two women in a laboratory testing strands of Lycra fiber.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
The DuPont employees in this photograph were part of the company's Lycra production and testing staff ...
The DuPont employees in this photograph were part of the company's Lycra production and testing staff. This ca. 1962 photograph shows Jean Craun (foreground) and Florence Clark as testing Lycra fiber as it came off the production line at the company's Waynesboro plant in Virginia. Photographed for inclusion in the company's magazine, Better Living...
Monday, October 3, 2022
This #MovieMonday clip is a promotion from Kodak Cinegraphs & Kodascope Libraries for 1930s feature films ...
This #MovieMonday clip is a promotion from Kodak Cinegraphs & Kodascope Libraries for 1930s feature films The Early Bird and the Worm, Felix in Hollywood, Easy Street (with Charlie Chaplin), The Night Cry (with Rin-Tin-Tin), and more. It is the second part of a short film that the Eastman Kodak Company made with the Taylor-Wharton Iron &...
Page from California Perfume Company color plate catalog showing dental care products
Friday, September 30, 2022
This page advertising oral hygiene products is from a 1927 California Perfume Company catalog ...
This page advertising oral hygiene products is from a 1927 California Perfume Company catalog. It is part of Hagley Library's collection of Avon Products, Inc. records (Accession 2155). Avon is one of the oldest direct selling companies in America.  It traces its origins to 1886, when David H. McConnell (1856-1937) bought the Union Publishing...
Sheet music cover with title 'Drink a Highball'. Abstract and fleur de lis decorations.
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Today's #ThirstyThursday entertainment is being provided courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania's Houston Hall ...
Today's #ThirstyThursday entertainment is being provided courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania's Houston Hall. This 1901 sheet music folio documented the music and lyrics to "Drink a Highball", a tribute to the Pennsylvanian, the school's unofficial cocktail. The tune was created by Chicago resident Gustavas Brewster Brigham (1863-1925) who,...
Drawing of a devil with assorted objects labeled 'Secession' and 'Treason'.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
We've got a troublesome little visitor with us today ....
We've got a troublesome little visitor with us today; this devil with objects marked 'Secession' and 'Treason' can be found on a ca. 1863 pictorial envelope in Hagley Library's collection of Civil War pictorial envelopes (Accession 1969.064). This collection consists of 141 envelopes with printed cover illustrations from the American Civil War....
Black and white photograph of a man demonstrating protective goggles and shoes to a classroom of women.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Today's #TrainTuesday post has us visiting a safety meeting ....
Today's #TrainTuesday post has us visiting a safety meeting (check out those goggles!) for women railroad workers, hosted by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Juniata, Pennsylvania on December 14, 1942. This item is part of Hagley Library's Pennsylvania Railroad negative collection (Accession 1993.300).  Incorporated in 1846, the Pennsylvania Railroad...
Black and white photograph of a group of people assembled at a seaside streetcar station.
Monday, September 26, 2022
Here's to squeezing in those last weekends at the shore while you still can ...
Here's to squeezing in those last weekends at the shore while you still can ... this ca. 1885 photograph shows the family and friends of Lammot du Pont at a seaside streetcar platform in Cape May, New Jersey. This item is part of Hagley Library's collection of P.S. du Pont photographs (Longwood) (Acc. 1969.002), which includes nearly 70...
Ad with color illustration of a woman holding a party mask. Text: When its Party Time its Canada Dry time.
Friday, September 23, 2022
It's a whole Friday mood over here, thanks to this ca. 1939 ...
It's a whole Friday mood over here, thanks to this ca. 1939 pamphlet for Canada Dry Ginger Ale. This illustrated pamphlet, which also features advertising for the 1939 New York World's Fair, is call number Pam 2000.190 in Hagley Library's collection of pamphlets and trade catalogs.

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