1899 The Antikamnia Calendar for the year 1900
DESCRIPTION
A wonderfully macabre example of turn of the century medical advertising, the 1900 Antikamnia Calendar features six colorful illustrations of skeletons engaging in surprisingly human activities.
Created by physician and artist Louis Crusius, the calendar transforms the traditional symbol of death into a cast of humorous characters, including a pharmacist preparing medicine, a bespectacled newspaper reader, a fashionable gentleman, a uniformed policeman, a theatrical performer and a country woman carrying groceries. Each illustration accompanies two months of the year and bears a witty caption, combining medical humor with imaginative commercial artwork.
Medicine, Marketing and Macabre Humor
The calendar was distributed by the Antikamnia Chemical Company of St. Louis, Missouri, a manufacturer of proprietary pain and fever remedies marketed primarily to physicians. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the company became known for its aggressive promotion of Antikamnia, a preparation containing acetanilide, a pain reliever and fever reducer later recognized as potentially dangerous. The company commissioned Crusius, himself a physician, to create memorable illustrations that would appeal to medical professionals. His skeletons became among the most recognizable examples of American pharmaceutical advertising from the period.
The six illustrations are accompanied by amusing captions, including "No Substitution," "Looking for Another 'Button'," and "Where's Me Goat?" The original Christmas 1899 introductory letter remains attached, explaining that the illustrations reproduce Crusius's original watercolors and presenting the calendar as a gift to physicians. Advertising on the reverse promotes Antikamnia preparations, including combinations containing quinine, codeine and other medicinal ingredients. Retaining its original string binding, this complete calendar offers an entertaining combination of medical history, pharmaceutical advertising and the distinctive visual humor of the Victorian era.
CONDITION
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