Object Record
Images
Metadata
Collection |
Waterloo Region Museum |
Object ID |
2011.080.014 |
Object Name |
Jar, Ointment |
Description |
Two packages of Cress Ingrown Toe-Nail salve. The salve is in small glass jars with a black metal screw-top lid. "Cress" is embossed on the bottom of each jar. Black, white, and orange paper label adhered to the jar. Printed on the label is "Cress/Ingrown Toe-Nail/Salve/Price __/Cress Laboratories/Limited/Kitchener, Ont. Canada". Directions for use are also printed on the label in English only. Each jar is packaged in a cardboard box with a black, white, and orange design. The information printed on the box is in both English and French. The price has been stroked out on each box. "69 c" has been handwritten on the top of box .002. Two paper handbills describing Cress products are included in the box. |
Date |
1940 |
Date |
1950 |
Dimensions |
H-4 W-3.5 L-3.5 cm |
History |
Noah Cress (1864-1948) was the son of Levi Cress (1837-1916) and Mary Ann Geib (1845-1928) of St. Jacobs, ON. In 1903, he married Regina (Ricki) Schweitzer (1869-1943), daughter of Martin Schweitzer (1832-1911) and Philippine Flehr (1843-1917) of Conestogo, ON. Noah was initially a photographer but in the 1920s he developed corn and bunion salves which he began to sell door-to-door. Noah's only child, Marion (1907-1997) married Henry Heldmann (1906-1972), son of Henry Heldmann (1859-1943) and Anna Caroline Ruthig (1866-?) of Philipsburg, ON in 1931. Marion and Henry took an interest in the salves and that same year, formed Cress Laboratories in Kitchener, ON. The company grew and expanded its product line during the 1940s, and in 1951, the company held the US patent for the first plastic adhesive bandages called Wound Aids. The patent was bought by Johnson and Johnson in 1955. The company continued to be owned and operated by the Heldmann family, including Marion and Henry's two sons, John and James, until it closed in 1997. The last factory for Cress Laboratories was in the former Pine Grove schoolhouse at 4336 King Street East in Preston. As of 2012, the building is the Borealis Restaurant on Heldmann Road near Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener. |
Search Terms |
Cress Laboratories Limited |
People |
Heldmann, Henry Heldmann, Marion Cress Cress, Noah |