Health and Beauty standards in the 19th Century
The “ideal” image of a woman in the nineteenth century in America was a feminine, demure woman with pale, almost translucent skin, white teeth, rosy cheeks and lips, and bright eyes. She is waspishly thin with elegant collarbones, and perhaps, she is prone to fainting. For the most part of the nineteenth century, few paint cosmetics were manufactured in America. Instead, women relied on recipes that circulated among friends, family, and women’s magazines; using these recipes, they discreetly prepared lotions, powders, and skin washes to lighten their complexions and diminish the appearance of blemishes or freckles. Druggists sold ingredients for these recipes, as well as the occasional ready-made preparation. Painting one’s face was considered vulgar and was associated with prostitution, so all products used need to appear “natural.”
Some women secretly stained their lips and cheeks with pigments from petals or berries or used ashes to darken eyebrows and eyelashes. The following advertisements depict what customers were looking for in the 1880s. Because there were no major companies manufacturing cosmetics, entrepreneurs began to produce their own lines of cosmetic products that promised to provide a “natural” look for their customers. Some of these new companies were small, woman-owned businesses that typically used an agent system for distribution. Magazine advertisements like the ones found in the Demorest Family Magazine were a convenient way for small business owners to reach a large group of people and sell them their products.
In 19th-century America, many people also feared doctors and medicines and the treatments they used and it was a time when dangerous diseases were prominent including smallpox, cholera, typhus, dysentery, scarlet fever and more. Some of these diseases permanently altered a person’s hearing or their ability to walk. A person looking for answers to these inflictions can also peruse the advertisement section found in the back of the Demorest Family Magazine and locate advertisements catering to their needs.
Demorest Family Magazine, Vol. XXVIII., No. 1. November 1891. Sozodont.
This advertisement for Sozodont toothpaste and whitener is clearly geared towards women by mentioning “laughter lends a new charm to beauty:” in bold at the top although men probably wanted clean white teeth as well. The manufacturer claims that the ingredients contain no acid and will aid in maintaining normal conditions for healthy teeth and gums. The advertiser also stressed the fact that they are the number one leading toothpaste in sales in the country and more of this brand is sold than all other toothpaste and mouthwash combined. The flashy description, almost poetic prose hopes to convince the reader that they must order this brand right away before it sells out due to high demand but it also reassures the readers that they should easily be able to locate Sozodont at any Druggist or Fancy Goods Dealer near home. The interesting thing about this particular advertisement is it asks the reader to mention Demorest's magazine when they write in, but it does not make clear who they are writing to or where they are sending the letter.
Demorest Family Magazine, Vol. XXV, No. 4. February 1889. Rolling Chair Co., New Haven, Conn.
This advertisement for Rouge Balm promises the female user that they will be joining women of the highest rank and fashion by purchasing this product. The manufacturer and sole owner, L. Shaw lists several prominent locations to acquire their beauty product under two names, either labeled Eugenie’s Secret of Beauty or C.B., and promises the reader that they have “withstood the test of time as well as the recommendation of thousands of well-known ladies who have a membership. The advertisement even claims that they will withstand the purity test of adding one drop of ammonia to the rouge because any inferior product will turn black. Rouge was commonly sold and sometimes even made at home in the 19th century. Made from toxic bismuth or vermilion, or carmine from cochineal beetles, it was applied to cheeks, lips, ears, and sometimes even nostrils to make them appear transparent. It came in liquid, cream, and powder forms. This particular brand promises to produce a brilliant, youthful, and charming effect on any skin, however, blemished or marred by “organic derangements, freckles, or moth blotches. It promises a choice of three shades and costs $1.00 per box. Readers are instructed to mention the magazine when writing in.
Demorest's Family Magazine, Vol. XXV, No. 4. February 1889. Rolling Chair Co., New Haven, Conn.
Toward the middle of the 19th century, wheelchairs with wooden frames and seats and backs made of cane were introduced. They were used widely in the United States by veterans of the Civil War. In the late 19th century, other modifications, such as wire-spoke wheels and rubber tires, were introduced. Even with those developments, however, independent mobility with most wheelchairs remained limited to the confines of indoor environments. This particular advertisement shows an “Invalid Rolling Chair” that can be reclined to lay the person back in the zero gravity position. The Rolling Chair Company claims to have the largest factory and best chairs in the world and asks the customer to mention Demorest’s Magazine in the letter. Price is not mentioned but it is implied that they will send a free catalog.
Demorest's Family Magazine. Vol. XXXL, No. 1. November 1894. D.L. Dowd’s Health Exerciser
Exercise was very important in the 19th century as can be seen in the many article written giving advice on female form and healthy eating. This advertisement by D. L. Dowd’s Health Exerciser targets men, women, children, athletes, and the disabled. The gymnasium takes up six inches of space and is allegedly endorsed by a 100,000 physicians, lawyers, clergymen, editors, and others. Mentioning the magazine when writing it will return a free illustrated catalog.
