Description:
Medicine chest in mahogany with a brass handle and corners, which contains the original 8 bottles and mortar and pestle, and an ointment jar. The inside hinged lid has two labels: "John Needles / Manufacturer / of / Cabinet Furniture, / Hanover St. / Baltimore" over "Medicine Chests, / PREPARED AND SOLD BY / EDME DUCATEL & SONS / Chemists & Druggists / Baltimore." John Needles (1786-1878) was one of the best of the Empire cabinetmakers in Baltimore where he worked on Hanover Steet between 1810-1853. Edme Ducatel was a French refugee from Santo Domingo, who moved to Baltimore in 1791. A well-trained apothecary, Ducatel is listed at a store on Baltimore Street from 1796 to 1824 as "Edme Ducatel" and from 1824-1833 as "Edme Ducatel & Sons" when it became "Edward Ducatel & Sons." The Ducatel store was considered one of the most scientific 'drug' stores of his time. The center section has spaces for 8 bottles in the top, over a drawer with a green cloth tab. The two side sections swing out, with room for 4 containers and a mortar over a drawer labelled "CHAMOMILE" on the right and "SENA LEAVES" on the left. There are secret compartments over the side drawers.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+60.125 |
