Snapshots of the Past

Window display of the Central Drug Co. [in Detroit, Mich.] featuring Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by Merck & Co. – Vintage Wall Art

Window display of the Central Drug Co. [in Detroit, Mich.] featuring Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by Merck & Co., [1912?] — historic photograph
Window display of the Central Drug Co. [in Detroit, Mich.] featuring Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by Merck & Co., [1912?]. Historic photograph from the Detroit collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This historic photograph of Window display of the Central Drug Co. [in Detroit, Mich.] featuring Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by Merck & Co. brings a moment of history to your wall. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

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Window display of the Central Drug Co. [in Detroit, Mich.] featuring Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by Merck & Co.

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A drugstore window in Detroit is the focus here, with a display promoting Dekofa, a decaffeinated coffee distributed by the pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. Decaffeinated coffee was a fairly new product in the early 1910s, when many shoppers were still learning what it was and why someone might want coffee without caffeine. Drugstores then sold a wide range of packaged goods and patent medicines, and their street-facing windows were a main way to attract customers and introduce new brands. The record dates the photograph to about 1912 with a question mark, so that date is provisional, but the scene offers a useful look at early retail advertising in the city.

Created / published[1912?]
Medium1 photographic print.
SubjectsThis record contains unverified, old data from caption card. Caption card tracings: Drugstores--Michigan--Detroit--1912; Michigan--Detroit--1912; Nutrition; Coffee and Coffee-houses; Geogr; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,211 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-147551

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