Item #10162 Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor. David Heston.
Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor.
Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor.
Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor.
Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor.

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Heston’s Lithographic Specimens of Druggists’ Printing From the U. S. Label Printing Establishment David Heston, Proprietor.

Frankford, Philadelphia, 1878. 4to (9.75” x 6.75”), decoratively printed pale pink wrappers. 22 pp. CONDITION: Very good, two short tears (.5” and 1”) and .5” chip to top edge of front wrapper, first leaves dog-eared, 1” closed tear to inner margin of second leaf.

A scarce and appealing catalog of druggists’ labels issued by a Philadelphia printer, Quaker minister, and inventor.

The specimens included here embrace everything from the unadorned prescription labels providing the name and address of the apothecary (to be filled out with the date, directions, and so on), to elaborately decorated labels for “Castor Oil,” “Cream of Tartar,” “Bird Seed,” etc., with the pharmacist’s or druggist’s information, to an illustrated, multi-part label designed to be affixed to three sides of a box (“Full Weight Seidlitz Powders,” “Dissolve the contents of a BLUE and of a WHITE paper, separately in one fourth of a tumbler of water, then pour one solution into the other and drink while in a state of effervescence”). The final page is bordered in gold, like the specimens in displays, and introduces “Heston’s Improved General Label,” to take the place of the old style, which “will not be furnished hereafter except upon special agreement, when ordered in large quantities.” A price list is printed following Heston’s introductory note “To Druggists.”

David Heston (1827–1905) was born in Bucks County and, in 1873, established a printing business in Frankford, Philadelphia from which, in addition to trade cards and labels, he published the long-running Quaker Tract Repository. Heston was also engaged in box manufacturing as part of the firm Brown, Heston & Co. in the late 1880s, and was awarded several patents for inventions in printing, box making, and paper cutting. He was a Quaker minister, and a member of two Meetings, in Frankford and Abington.

OCLC lists just two examples of this catalog, at AAS and Northwestern University.

A wonderful printer’s specimen book of pharmaceutical labels by a Quaker printer in the City of Brotherly Love.

REFERENCES: “The funeral services of David Heston…,” Daily Local News (West Chester, PA), March 17, 1905, p. 2; Piola, Erika. “Curator’s Favorite: David Heston, Frankford Printer” at The Library Company of Philadelphia online.

Item #10162

On Hold

Price: $475.00

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