

Glucose, Spice, and Everything Nice
Today we are highlighting a neat piece of medical equipment called the Lumetron Hemoglobin and Glucose Meter! This was made by the Photovolt Corporation in New York City. The Photovolt Corporation was incorporated on December 26, 1939 (today they are located in Minneapolis). This device tested hemoglobin and glucose levels through urine samples
Survival in a Northern Wilderness: A Mother's Story--Part XLIII
Violet was just going out the door when the phone rang, it was a hot day in August of 1981. It was her daughter-in-law Mardell in Orr, Minnesota where she and Violet’s third son Floyd resided. Mardell told her that her son Bill and wife Audrey and two infant sons who lived in Duluth were out on a canoe trip when Billy was stricken suddenly with fever. Violet suspected polio, however polio was a thing of the past and who wanted to believe that her Billy had polio. What had st


Cooking Up History
Here we will be adding recipes from old cookbooks we have in our collections. Be sure to check back often to find new recipes!


Maybe It's Medicine, Maybe It's Make-believe
The small vial of white powder is “Matt J. Johnson’s Hay Fever, Catarrh, and Flu Remedy.” Catarrh is the excessive buildup and/or excretion of mucus in the nostrils and throat. Johnson worked out of Eau Claire, WI. This powder was meant to be sniffed to help alleviate symptoms. It could also be dissolved in warm water to be used as a mouthwash to cure foul breath.


A Brief History of Vibrators
Today's objects are vintage electric vibrators. The Royal No. 1 Vibrator was patented in 1911 and the Hamilton Beach Type "D" Vibrator in 1912. Electric vibrators/personal massagers were common household items between 1900 and the 1920s. They were advertised as medical devices meant to alleviate a variety of physical pains such as muscle fatigue, headaches, and even constipation…in men and women. They came with several different attachment heads usually made of rubber. They u