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1. 1 2023-03-19T13:36:37-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781 A blooming poppy. Mollie Brown 3 plain 2023-03-19T14:20:05-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781
2. 1 2023-03-05T18:05:38-08:00 Jacquelyn Bakshian 52d68685d14de5aeb65dd86b9847902dcf777e32 Red Poppies. Jacquelyn Bakshian 3 plain 2023-03-10T12:25:01-08:00 Jacquelyn Bakshian 52d68685d14de5aeb65dd86b9847902dcf777e32
3. 1 2023-03-19T13:38:08-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781 A yellow and red outfit Mollie Brown 3 plain 2023-03-19T14:20:33-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781
4. 1 2023-03-05T22:26:14-08:00 Abby Kim 08e378bf6a4c0d1b9771b770d0e23a742b868ee1 Red Flower. Abby Kim 2 plain 2023-03-05T22:28:51-08:00 Abby Kim 08e378bf6a4c0d1b9771b770d0e23a742b868ee1
5. 1 2023-03-19T13:40:20-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781 A blooming poppy. This shows that the flowers on the trade card are young and thriving. The blooming of flowers typically occurs in the early to mid Spring season, and this card takes advantage of that youthful quality in nature by aligning it with more o Mollie Brown 1 plain 2023-03-19T13:40:20-07:00 Mollie Brown bc075bc74ed3a9c46ceb1a461bbb8af7a235f781

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• 1 2023-02-27T12:39:26-08:00 Changing Seasons - The Aesthetic Values and Parallels of Depicting Youthful Imagery and Temperate Climates in Medical Ephemera 77 For various reasons, children were common figures in medical ephemera trade cards. My scalar page attempts to analyze several reasons why this may be, including themes of trustworthiness, pureness, and "family" oriented products, and the historical effectiveness of those marketing tactics. Moreover, I will also attempt to cover the repercussions of marketing children with medicines that contained toxic and hazardous components.- By Mollie Brown structured_gallery 2023-03-25T22:28:55-07:00
  
  Historical marketing tactics have been evolving for centuries.  From royal aesthetics and coat of arms to racist imagery, medical ephemera has mirrored many historical and social trends.  One of the most prominent medical ephemera themes that we still see today emerged in the 19th/early 20th century medical trade cards, and that is different forms of youth in the imagery.  From infants to children roughly the age of 5 years old, this specific period of youth was very appealing for its time.
  
  
  
  
  While the most overt form of advertising youth is through infants and children, another important form of advertising youth was through different visuals of flora and fauna.  In terms of "flora", I noticed that many medical trading cards that advertised children also included imagery of the Spring and early Summer seasons.  To the left, in Alexander's tonic pills (inscribed) (Front), we can see a young girl holding what appears to be a fresh fruit, surrounded by budding poppies.  Not only is the child the only form of youth in this ephemera, but the flowers themselves represent the youthfulness, purity, and rejuvenation of Spring.  While not directly correlated to themes of youth, I thought it was interesting that they included poppies in this card, given that the flower is a symbol of peace and remembrance.  This could possibly connect to the advertiser wanting to visually communicate that their medicine is peaceful and long lasting.
  
  To the right, "Oil of Gladness" cures all pains and aches [inscribed] (Front) and Sechler's aromatic blackberry cordial [inscribed] (Front) both are prime examples of marketing the "fauna" of youth in medical trade cards.  In the former, we can see a puppy rocking a baby to sleep.  The jovial expression on the puppies face shows the energetic side of youthful marketing, while the sleeping baby represents the calm, "pure" side.  In the latter, a young kitten looks seemingly with admiration at an older cat.  The curiosity of the "baby" and the supposed maturity of the "adult" exudes a dynamic of parents and their children, an important marketing tactic towards a family oriented target audience.
  
  
  Likewise, another important way of conveying youthful themes was through color and shading.  Where trade cards depicting more mature figures had darker colors and harsher shading, cards depicting themes of youth used soft shading and colorful, pastel shades in the imagery.
  
  
  Overall, the consequences of advertising youth in medical ephemera were an important component of why we have medical regulations and departments such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control today.  Both target and control medical misinformation, and by today's standards, these trade cards would be labelled as such.  However, because consumers weren't aware of the true consequences, and were lead to believe the vast lies told by medicinal companies, many developed addictions, developed horrible side effects, or passed away.  While it is important that the lessons have been learned from these vast generalizations, it is still very common to see children and fresh Spring scenery in medical commercials.  The rhetorical legacy of the medical ephemera produced in the late 19th/early 20th century is still thriving, and hopefully after reading this page, viewers are more aware of these marketing tactics put onto them. 
  
  
• 1 2023-02-28T17:56:18-08:00 The Appeal of Youth and Family in Patent Medicine Trading Cards 72 Medical Ephemera has had a long history of using emotional tactics to appeal to its intended target audiences. One of the most prevalent motifs is that of youth and children. Through visual and written rhetoric, this theme appeals to many family oriented communities and their values. From reliability to rejuvenation, for many people children can represent what they want in a medicine. However, this era of trade cards was particularly deceitful towards audiences by using this rhetoric, yet had a significant impact on marketing tactics that are still seen and thriving today. - By Lauren Tanaka, Allison Bushong, Mollie Brown, and Garrison Hallum structured_gallery 2023-06-26T15:17:36-07:00 In many pieces of medical ephemera, the themes of youth and children are proven to be prevalent marketing techniques through both illustrations and in text. In the cards we examined, nude, cherub children are portrayed on the frontside of “Ayer’s Cathartic Pills,” a child in a pill basket advertises “Tarrant’s Seltzer,” a sleeping infant is shown in “Oil of Gladness,” and a young girl is displayed as the face of “Alexander’s Tonic Pills.” This motif is employed to increase the perceived safety of all of these products, as almost all of these cards place special emphasis on their safety for children.
  

  Not only are children immediately observed in the illustrations of these trade cards, but a closer examination reveals that many products' entire marketing technique revolves around their relationship with children. This can be most clearly observed with the card "Oil of Gladness," which relies almost exclusively on the ploy of youth to advertise their product. In this card, "gladness" is equated to youth and the designation of this medication for children; when analyzing the backside of the trade card, it becomes evident that ingredients, instructions about usage, or any details regarding the product itself are excluded in favor of promoting the innate safety of the medicine as something which will make "Diseases of Children yield" to its "benign influence." It makes sure to mention that treatment is equally effective for mature adults, but this card is a stark example of utilizing children as a way to promote a product's safety and innocence.
  

  
  
  In reality, many of the alternative medicine techniques being advertised were likely ineffective, or even unsafe. Taking “Alexander’s Tonic Pills” as an example, a common similarity in these advertisements is the promotion of treating a wide variety of ailments at once - ranging from indigestion to nervousness to “impure blood.” Today, using knowledge of modern medicine, we know that these symptoms are likely impossible to treat with a single medication, and attempting to address them all could even be detrimental to the patient. However, if a pill was deemed safe for children, using youth as a primary point of focus could have served as a deceptive marketing tool to promote safety that is not truly ensured.
  
  
  In the selected patent medicine trade cards, children were represented in a variety of ways to best reflect the intentions of the manufacturers and how they hoped to influence their target market for their product. In “Tarrant’s Seltzer”, the card shows a child in a basket. This could be used by the manufacturer to show the safety of the medication as the basket looks to be a container for the marketed product. Putting the baby directly in a container labelled with the product demonstrates how the manufacturer is attempting to show that the product is so safe that it could be used by a baby. This theme of safety through the depiction of children is similarly seen in “Ayer’s Cathartic Pills” where multiple babies are seen assembling the pills. By representing the children in this way, the manufacturer is trying to show that the medication is safe enough to be handled by children and thus parents should think about purchasing the product.
  
  Other patent medicine cards show the children as “poster children” to appeal to parents and the themes of youth. These images hope to show the consumers that this product should provide youth to the consumers and rejuvenate them. By presenting children as consuming the product in the cards, the consumer might be convinced that consuming the product will make them feel youthful or give them a youthful appearance.
  
  
  One of the most prominent aspects of marketing medicine is highlighting the desired outcome, mainly through using words such as “healing”, “curing”, “magic”, or “sudden”.  Juxtaposing this verbiage with imagery of children isn’t a coincidence, and links the physical and personal ideas that these companies want to put in people’s heads regarding their products.  For instance, in the “Tarrant’s Apperient” ephemera, an infant is seen laying in a laundry basket, donning blushed cheeks while surrounded by assumedly fresh spring flowers.  The medicine claims to “cure biliousness…and indigestion”.  Not only are there youthful qualities in the infant depicted, but also in the colors and the laundry basket itself.  The depicted "freshness" of an infant, bright spring colors and flowers, and clean laundry are all working together to visually support the claims the ephemera is making regarding the effectiveness of the medicine itself.
  
  
  
  Overall, the depiction of children and family in these cards are used as marketing techniques to capture the attention of the consumer and demonstrate that the products are safe and effective. The themes of youth and family continue to appear in patent medicine trading cards in order to market a goal of happiness, security, and vibrancy, which is seen to be achieved through safe and effective medicine.
• 1 2023-02-27T12:18:39-08:00 Nature's Palette: Usage of Aesthetics and Nature to Attract Consumers and Convey Safety 61 As a highly effective marketing tool, patent medicine trade cards utilized a variety of techniques to grab the attention of consumers and spark interest in the products being advertised. Designed with aesthetics and natural imagery, these cards captivated consumers and created a sense of safety and reliability around the products as well. Nature was additionally associated with calmness and tranquility in which reassured potential customers that the medicines were natural and effective. - By Abby Kim plain 2023-03-26T09:52:04-07:00 Among the many trade cards in the UCLA Library Digital Collections, there are three examples of medical ephemera that illustrate aesthetics through color and utilize imagery of nature to appeal and convey a sense of safety and reliability to their consumers: Morley’s Blackberry Balsam, Alexander’s Tonic Pills, and David Nicholson’s Liquid Bread. A pure extract of malt. These cards provide a fascinating glimpse into alternative medicine, where pain relief and remedies for irregular ailments were often advertised with unusually bold claims. Each of these three cards portray a different balance between natural imagery and aesthetically pleasing colors. Even though all are depicted with various color tones, David Nicholson’s Liquid Bread. A pure extract of malt places more emphasis on the aesthetics of vibrant colors to establish a vivid and eye-catching design compared to the others. On the other hand, Morley's Blackberry Balsam and Alexander’s Tonic Pills both equally feature natural elements such as flowers and mix contrasting colors to construct a striking visual effect to captivate the viewer.
  
  The card shown above is the front of Morley's Blackberry Balsam, advertising a blackberry balsam to help with bowel troubles. This trade card utilizes natural elements and earthy tones to appeal to the audience and convince them of the safety and efficacy of the product. The graceful and elegant scenery of the church next to a lake suggests a sense of peace, tranquility, and harmony with nature. Additionally, the birds that are perched on the branches with flowers contribute to the overall sense of natural beauty and calmness. By associating the blackberry balsam with these natural elements, the trade card suggests that the medicine is both safe and effective in providing relief from any type of bowel troubles. When looking at the whole picture, the trade card utilizes aesthetically calm and earthy tones which also add on to the overall calming effect. The soft natural hues and subtle colors establish an atmosphere of serenity and peacefulness which ultimately reinforces the idea that the medicine is reliable and will not cause any harm to the buyer.

  Here you can see the front and back of Alexander’s Tonic Pills side by side, advertising tonic pills that can help with a wide range of illnesses such as leanness and even pimples. Both the front and back of the trade card uses similar natural elements and an image of young girls to draw attention and create a pleasing visual experience for the customer. The cards feature two young girls with pink rosy cheeks holding objects, an apple and a fan. The pink color of the cheeks and the green of the foliage suggest health and vitality which further helps convince consumers that the product is effective and safe. Since the colors are also typically associated with nature and the outdoors, it adds to the overall wholesome and natural image of the tonic pills, ultimately reinforcing that it is safe to take. Additionally, the use of flowers and vibrant colors in the background help appeal to the consumers’ desire for natural remedies and attempts to calm and assure them that the product is not harmful.
  
  The card shown below on the left, is the front of David Nicholson’s Liquid Bread. A pure extract of malt, advertising a tonic that can supposedly help with appetite, muscular strength, nervous energy, and producing hydro-carbon. This patent medicine trade card emphasizes the use of contrasting colors to attract potential consumers with eye-catching designs. The image on the front of the card features a nun that is pouring "Liquid Bread" into a glass for a male patient who is severely injured. Since nuns are usually associated with healing and caring for the sick, the presence of the nun helps conclude that the product is trustworthy and reliable. Additionally, the stained glass windows in the background illustrate muted colors and intricate designs that reinforce the sense of peace and are visually soothing. With the usage of deep reds, golds, and blues, the aesthetic colors create an elegant atmosphere to draw the attention of consumers and allow the card to stand out from other advertising materials.

  Specifically, when looking closely at this card, the bright colors and different fonts of the title are eye-catching and striking. The cropped image on the right shows the title of the product with two different fonts colored in yellow, orange, and a hint of red. With the vibrant blue background, the image illustrates a clear contrast in color that allows the title to visually pop out for customers to see clearly. Additionally, the top of the image depicts a golden bird on top of a crest surrounded by pink flowers and green leaves. By including these elements, it convinces consumers that the product is legitimate and the ornate designs that are incorporated make the card visually appealing and memorable as well. These aesthetic elements play a vital role in allowing the cards to be seen as high-quality, conspicuous, and to help evoke certain emotions in viewers such as curiosity or nostalgia.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• 1 2023-02-27T12:36:46-08:00 The Use of Subliminal Images in Advertising Medication in the Early 20th Century 51 While flowers and animals may be visually pleasing, they may also be utilized to convey meanings that may not be immediately obvious. Advertisers can make better use of the limited surface space of patent medication trade cards by pairing specialized visuals with secondary information. On the Antikamnia Tablet patent trade card, there is warm lighting and a young woman staring out the window while holding white Tiger Lilies. A little child with rosy cheeks holds up an apple with both hands on the front of the Alexander's Tonic Pills patent trade card, which is framed by exceptionally large red poppies. The front of the Bell-cap-sic Plasters Patent Trade Card features a sizable illustration of cute puppies. - By Jacquelyn Bakshian plain 2023-03-25T22:22:57-07:00
  While animals and flowers may be aesthetically appealing, they can also be used to portray messages which may not be evident at first glance. By using specific images with ulterior communications, advertisers can get greater use out of the small surface area of patent medicine trade cards. The Antikamnia Tablet, Alexander’s Tonic Pills, and the Bell-cap-sic Plasters Patent Medicine Trade cards in the UCLA collection use hidden meanings in images of flowers and animals to sell medications to treat all types of health issues. They are able to sell their product by creating a lifestyle which seems attractive to buyers. 
  

  Warm lighting and a young woman in a flowing white dress holding flowers gazing out the window is seen on the Antikamnia Tablet patent trade card. The whole aesthetic is intended to appeal to customers and feels extremely warm and pleasant. The woman is carrying White Tiger Lily flowers in particular. Tiger lilies are a symbol of purity. The advertisers continue to convey the idea of purity and wholesomeness by using this specific flower. The woman's face displays a look of relief as she inhales the scent of the flower. The benefits of inhaling the flower of purity are felt by the lady. As a result, if the flower represents the Antikamnia tablet, taking this medication will help you achieve the same purity of health and body.
  

  On the cover of the Alexander's Tonic Pills patent trade card, a little girl with pink cheeks holds up an apple with both hands while being surrounded by unusually huge red poppies. These poppies are particularly important because according to flower meanings, red poppies represent hope for a peaceful future. As the Alexander’s Tonic Pill is meant to treat general wellness, the choice of this flower is very intentional in creating a theme. The back shows a little girl carrying a yellow fan and is also surrounded by pink flowers and other natural elements. The flowers on the back are Cherry Blossoms. Cherry Blossoms represent new beginnings. By using this flower, the advertisers portray the veiled message that this medication will heal your general health issues and you will begin a new chapter of your life without health issues. Together with the flowers, the image portrays a caring and tranquil picture, and the little girls' bright cheeks portray an image of purity and wellness. 
  
  
  The Bell-cap-sic Plasters Patent Trade Card's front has a large image of adorable puppies. People adore dogs, and because they convey a positive message, the product appears more enticing. The ambiguous statement "The Father and Mother of the Puppies" fills up the bottom of the card. The fact that the dogs appear innocent sends a positive message about the product they are promoting. People are more inclined to use a product if they don't see any harm from it. Advertisements frequently employ psychological manipulation to increase sales.
  
  
  
  
  
• 1 2023-02-28T17:57:55-08:00 How Depictions of Women and Children Sell Medication 41 In this page, we examine the usage of women and children portrayed on patent medicine trade cards to advertise and sell medication. Throughout this page, we employ the collection of patent medicine trade cards from the UCLA Library Digital Collections, analyzing the images and text to gain a deeper understanding of this form of advertising. - By: Jacquelyn Bakshian, Abby Kim, Tyler Maghen, David Sagizadeh, Shana Simanian, Mia Tumbaga structured_gallery 2023-06-26T15:05:52-07:00

  As patent medicine trade cards were utilized to sell medicine and remedies that claimed to be effective, a wide range of strategies were used to advertise the products. Among the patent medicine trade cards in the UCLA Library Digital Collections, there are six different medical ephemera that utilize images and designs portraying women and children as a method of promoting the product: Alexander's Tonic Pills, Ayer's Sarsaparilla Gives Health and Sunny Hours, Brown's Iron Bitters, Antikamnia Tablets, Three Most Reliable Remedies, and Dalley's Magical Pain Extractor. Our focus will be on specific examples that depict women as caretakers and nurturers and portray the vulnerability of children. By discussing common themes and motifs, we will explore how these depictions were utilized to appeal to the emotions of consumers and how they were used to develop reliability in the products being sold.

  First, we have the front and back of Alexander’s Tonic Pills patent trade card side by side. The front portrays a young girl with rosy cheeks holding up an apple with both hands while being surrounded by abnormally big red poppies and nature. Similarly, the back depicts a young girl holding a yellow fan while being surrounded by pink flowers and nature as well. The young girls and their rosy cheeks reflect an image of purity as well as the flowers which also illustrate a nurturing and peaceful image. These featured images suggest that their products were safe and effective for use by the whole family, including children. As a tactic to draw the attention of consumers, this portrayal taps into the emotions of parents who were concerned about the health and well-being of their family members.. 
  
  Next, we have the front of Ayer's Sarsaparilla Gives Health and Sunny Hours as shown on the right. This trade card depicts a young woman in a brightly colored dress holding a baby over her shoulder. The bottom half of the image is decorated with plants and flowers. Flowers are a symbol of purity, joy, and life. Evidently, this is a stylistic choice used to convey that this medication would offer each of these things to the patient. Furthermore, we are exploring a theme of roles and social norms assumed of women and how these depictions can help sell a product. Society often pushes the role of motherhood on women, assuming that a woman in good health and high social standing can and should have children. By depicting this woman to be carrying a child, this portrayal offers users of the drug health and high social standing as well. 
  
  As shown on the left, the front of Brown's Iron Bitters shows a young and beautiful woman sitting in a field. The woman is depicted as a peasant, due to her simple clothing and the basket she is holding. Although she is a working woman she still has a pure and simple look that shows how great  Brown's Iron Bitters works. Brown's Iron Bitters claims that their product causes women to have a healthy tint on their skin, their cheeks and lips to grow more, and lastly, their muscle strength is invigorated. This woman that is portrayed as a peasant has beautiful skin with full cheeks and lips, making the consumer desire this product. 
  
  On the right, the front of Antikamnia Tablets advertises a young woman wearing all white and holding a white flower. She appears to be sniffing the flower, and having a relieved expression on her face. This image is a clear depiction of all the health and well-being that one can experience if he or she takes the tablets as advertised. Both the dress and white flowers express warm color and detail to catch the audience’s eye, and draw them into the trade card to then read on the back about all the different uses and remedies that the tablets provide. On the front, we can even see a small inscription that says “Purity”, expressing how the overall image conveys purity and wellness through the woman and the flower.
  
  Next, shown below is the The Three Most Reliable Remedies patent trade card. This card depicts a beautiful woman in a low cut pink silk dress showing off her pearl necklace. This card was distributed after the Victorian Era, as society was pivoting away from the Victorian austerity towards a new culture. The woman on the patent card is meant to represent the new modern woman. Her body positioning and posture is very open as she bares herself to viewers. This “modern women” is meant to reflect new “modern” health treatments. The novelty of the medication is meant to be appealing to audiences seeking something fresh and new. 
  
  Lastly, we have Dalley’s Magical Pain Extractor on the left. This specific card is interesting as it uses both women and animals in its marketing. However, more specifically, the card shows a metaphorical representation of motherhood though the beautiful shepherdess herding her goats. Her baby goats, or “kids” are surrounding her and it is clear that she is a figure of love and nurture. Clearly this is a way of establishing and enforcing gender roles in society. Not only does the card advertise the medicine as a “family medicine” but it specifically calls attention (through the use of the woman on the card) to the fact that the mother would be the one responsible for administering, buying, and investigating the medicine for the family.