Object Record
Images
Metadata
Collection |
Waterloo Region Museum |
Object ID |
2011.080.016 |
Object Name |
Jar, Ointment |
Description |
Two packages of Cress Athlete's Foot Salve. The salve is in a small glass jar with a white metal screw-top lid. Blue and white paper label adhered to the jar reads "Cress/Athlete's Foot/Salve/Price 50 c/Cress Laboratories/Limited/Kitchener, Ont. Canada". Directions for use are also printed on the label. Embossed on the bottom of the jar is "Cress". The jars are packaged in cardboard boxes with a blue and white design. Printed on the top of the box is "Cress/Athlete's/Foot/Salve/Relief At Your/Finger's Tip/Just rub it in". The price of 79 cents has been handwritten on the top of box .001. Information is printed on the box in both English and French. A paper handbill describing all Cress products is included in box .001 but is missing from .002. |
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 |