Worn Over Time

Answer: Nasal Correction Device. Patented in 1894, this Zello Punkt Nasal Correction Device was designed to correct nasal deformity or septal deviation. Learn more ››

Answer: Respiratory Inhaler. An antique Respiratory Inhaler made from dark green Bakelite with a central cartouche which reads “The Inspirator” and on the base “Patented Nov 3 1908″. Learn more ››

Answer: Apple Peeler. Apples were a staple in the diet of 19th-century Americans which resulted in the invention of countless mechanisms to lighten household tasks. A flood of labor-saving kitchen tools such as this Reading Hardware Company Turntable Apple Parer or Peeler patented in 1877. Learn more ››

Answer: Hair Growth Device. In the nineteenth century, manufacturers produced a number of devices to address the “medical problem” of hair loss powered by direct current, static electricity, magnetism, heat, and vibration. This 1920s Merke Thermocap by Allied Merke Institutes was a Hair Growth Device that used heat. The heating element in this simple device was a light bulb. Learn more ››

Answer: Blood Pressure and Pulse Reader. In 1881 the English physician and homeopath, Robert Ellis Dudgeon introduced a new, highly portable Sphygmograph. Dudgeon’s Sphygmograph was strapped to the wrist. The pulse at the wrist caused a metal strip to move a stylus, transmitting a record of the pulse onto smoked paper. Learn more ››