Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10

Domestic Medicine Chest by Thompson & Capper

About the Item

An invaluable addition to the 19th century home, this domestic medicine chest contained nearly everything needed to nurse a member of the household back to health. Made by the firm of Thomas Thompson and S. J. Capper, homeopathic chemists of Liverpool and Birkenhead, this chest would have been the first, and in some instances the only, way to immediately administer medical care to the sick or injured. The case would have been crafted by a skilled cabinetmaker, with this elegant specimen, in particular, being enveloped in handsome burl walnut with flush brass hardware. Thompson & Capper would have purchased the chest and fitted it out fully to a specific customer's specifications, which is why the interiors of these fascinating medical antiques are rarely ever identical. The interior contains a multitude of medications, glass bottles with original contents, jars and various instruments used to administer medicines and give first aid treatment. Medications include various antiseptics, mastic (used for cuts, stomach problems, and oral care), quinine (for the treatment of malaria), bismuth and calcined magnesia (both for digestive disorders), aspirin and hydrogen peroxide, or eau oxygénée. An array of instruments, including a nasal pipe, dropper tube, vial, tongue depressor and even a bandage with illustrations on proper usage are held within this remarkable medical compendium. Though the need to keep medical supplies at the ready dates to ancient Egypt, the first medicine chests did not appear until the late 1700s, with their popularity and level of sophistication reaching a zenith in the mid-1800s. To find a chest in this exquisite, original condition by a respected maker is quite extraordinary. Interior lid marked "THOMPSON & CAPPER / LIVERPOOL / BIRKENHEAD / HOMŒOPATHIC CHEMISTS circa 1860 Measures: 15 3/4" wide x 12 1/4" deep x 8 1/4" high.
  • Creator:
    Thompson & Capper (Cabinetmaker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)Depth: 12.25 in (31.12 cm)
  • Style:
    Other (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Brass,Burl
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1860
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    New Orleans, LA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 30-5401 1stDibs: LU89117022853

More From This Seller

View All
Portable Copying Machine by James Watt & Co.
By James Watt
Located in New Orleans, LA
Considered the first step into the world of modern photocopying, the copying machine was among the first widely used devices to successfully produce an ex...
Category

Antique 18th Century English Other Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Mahogany

Joe DiMaggio Silver Presentation Tray by Cartier
By Cartier
Located in New Orleans, LA
Made for one of the most celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, this incredible Cartier presentation tray was gifted to the baseball star Joe DiMaggio...
Category

20th Century French Other Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Silver

Aqueduct Wood Memorial Trophy Won by Personality
Located in New Orleans, LA
A rare and exceptional trophy, won by the thoroughbred personality at the 1970 Wood Memorial Stakes race held at the Aqueduct Racetrack. Beautifully craf...
Category

20th Century American Other Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Silver

19th Century Exhibition Model of Expanding Table by Samuel Hawkins
By Samuel Hawkins
Located in New Orleans, LA
A masterpiece of both cabinetmaking and mechanical engineering, this one-of-a-kind expanding table was crafted by the renowned cabinetmaker Samuel Hawkins of London for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Diminutive in size, the fascinating table was designed as a model to demonstrate Hawkins’ innovative patent screw movement to visitors of the Exhibition – six million people in total over five months. It was exhibited again a century later at the Victoria & Albert Museum during the Festival of Britain, an event intended “to symbolise two main qualities of the national character: realism and strength on the one hand, and, on the other, independence and imagination” (Catalogue of the Exhibition, 1951, p.117). To this day, the miniature masterpiece demonstrates the quest of English furniture makers to combine technical innovation with superb craftsmanship. Displaying exceptional ingenuity, Hawkins’ wind-out screw mechanism allowed one to extend the table’s base to accommodate concentric leaves with the simple crank of a handle. It is based on the inventive expanding table originally designed by Robert Jupe in 1835, which used a swivel mechanism to separate sections of the tabletop and allow for segmented leaves to be inserted. Hawkins’ tabletop, on the other hand, extends outwards directly from the center in order to accommodate additional leaves around its diameter. This unique design allowed the mechanism to also smoothly operate on rectangular tables, which could be wound out from the middle to allow for more table space. Hawkins was not alone in his endeavor to combine the technical merits of engineering and mechanics with the most artful pursuit of cabinetmaking. The first half of the 19th century saw a prolific increase in the popularity of applying new ideas to traditional furniture principles, which allowed furniture to serve many purposes. The resulting “patent” furniture was practical and refined, though few were as innovative as Hawkins’ prodigious design. Carved with the year of the Exhibition on the beautifully designed pedestal base, the table is a testament to the significance of this innovation. The model is mentioned in detail in the catalog of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first international exhibition of industry, manufacturing, and science. Held at London’s dazzling Crystal Palace, its visitors were treated to exhibits from around the globe, including feats of engineering, innovations in industry, and marvels of design. Queen Victoria herself was a frequent visitor, along with her husband, Prince Albert, and others including Charlotte...
Category

Antique 19th Century English Other Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Holland Circle by Baumann and Kinzelbach
Located in New Orleans, LA
This intriguing item is almost certainly a Holland Circle by German scientific instrument makers Baumann & Kinzelbach. The Holland Circle, sometimes referred to as a Dutch Circle, was used in land surveying and is a precursor to the theodolite, an optical instrument for measuring angles. Baumann and Kinzelbach were based in Stuttgart, Germany, and in addition to crafting surveying instruments...
Category

Antique 19th Century German Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Napoléon's Footbath by George Bullock
By George Bullock
Located in New Orleans, LA
This amazing footbath was created for Napoleon Bonaparte. It was part of the toilet service to be used during his exile on St. Helena. Just before shipm...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Empire Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Porcelain

You May Also Like

Unusual Early American Quack Medicine Thompson-Plaster Electric Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and most unusual Thompson-Plaster electrical cabinet, by Physician's Specialty Company, Leesburg, Virginia, United States. The historic turn of the late 19th / early 20th century quack medicine machine used a violent ray electrotherapy apparatus as a cure-all, claiming to cure numerous ailments, cancers, and more. Featuring the original oak framed glazed glass-covered marble top for use with 'medical' instruments, atop quartersawn oak chest fitted with three graduated drawers, opening to reveal various associated equipment and supplies, including blown glass evacuated tube implements of varying shapes and for different therapeutic uses. High-quality solid wood case, rising on castors. Signed, retaining the original manufacturer plaque. Museum quality. Provenance / Acquisition: Reportedly purchased by Dr. Slaughter, of Goldthwaite, Texas, May, 1903. Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, established 1983, Austin, Texas. Day 2 of 3, Important Estates catalog. 2021 Similar examples can be found in select museum collections and exhibitions, including Loudoun Museum, Leesburg, Virginia. Holmes Medical Museum, Foley, Alabama. Dimensions: (approx) 40.75" High, 26" Wide, 17.5" Deep Condition: Excellent original antique condition. Museum quality. Unknown if complete. Wear consistent with age and use. A scarce example of medical quackery...
Category

Early 20th Century American Cabinets

Materials

Marble

Domestic Architecture by H.T. Lindeberg (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A very good copy of the first edition which was published in 1940 in a limited number of only 1,000 copies. Hardback folio, quarter red leather and cloth with embossed gilt titles, 3...
Category

20th Century Books

Materials

Paper

Everlast Medicine Ball by Everlast
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A medicine ball with a black leather laced cover.
Category

20th Century American Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Leather

Emily Thompson Flowers
Located in New York, NY
An extraordinary first book celebrating contemporary floral designer Emily Thompson, known for her unique and dramatic artistry For the first time, innovative floral designer Emily ...
Category

2010s American Books

Materials

Paper

Vintage Leather Medicine Ball
Located in Vienna, AT
Original patinated leather medicine ball with a branded manufacturers mark "Platura.
Category

Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Leather

Vintage Leather Medicine Ball
Located in Vienna, AT
Original patinated leather medicine ball with a branded manufacturers mark "Platura.
Category

Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Leather

Recently Viewed

View All