George Lucien Swift was the first grocer and a prominent businessman in Marathon, New York until his death in 1900. After visiting his daughter in New York City in the summer of 1900, he became ill with some ailment that sarsaparilla could not cure. His health declined as the year progressed. Although he was able to get up for Thanksgiving dinner, he died a few weeks later.
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It is so funny and kind of sad I believe how back then they thought there were so many things that could cure this and that ...that today we think of my...no they didn't! But believing in something sure does make it help...this is a beautiful photo for sure! It would have caught my eye, back in the day !!!
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I did a post on the theme of late 19th-century advertising claims, including a bar of soap literally saving a child's life and the role of one of the competitors of Hood's in the discovery of America. It's at: http://dreamersrise.blogspot.com/2009/07/truth-in-advertising.html
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe now that all those claims were made and people believed them.
ReplyDeleteAh, but Mr Swift would have died many years before 1900 if he had not been drinking Hood's Sarsaparilla regularly.
ReplyDeleteI hear it gives you the strength to tear through newspapers head first!
ReplyDeleteQuite an interesting graphic on the front of the card, bursting thru the paper with health and vigor! I used to drive thru Marathon on the way to Greek Peak ski area (guess somebody missed their homeland...) years ago. Wasn't much there then, guessing it hasn't changed too alot since, but am sorry I never stopped into Swift and Son's for a belt of Hood's.
ReplyDeletean early study of the placebo effect, i daresay!!
ReplyDelete:D~
HUGZ
The image on the ad is almost alarming!
ReplyDelete