Esmarch Bandage
Johnson & Johnson
c. 1905
Museum Purchase
2009.5.76
And what is an Esmarch bandage, you ask? We wondered the same thing when this object came into our collection. About 3 feet long on its longest side, this triangular muslin bandage is printed with stark, instructional images of how to bandage various wounds and injuries. Though the images have a certain graphic appeal, its clear that they're intended to educate rather than decorate. Given its "Johnson & Johnson" label, the bandage was obviously a commercial product.
2009.5.76
2009.5.76
In researching this bandage, it quickly became clear that there was already an authoritative, online source of information about the Johnson & Johnson Esmarch Bandage: Kilmer House, the Johnson & Johnson corporate blog. Though we usually present you with our own research, the Kilmer House post on the Esmarch Bandage says it all. It also includes additional images from the company archives. You can read their entry here.
2009.5.76
I, too, have located the J & J Esmarch Bandage you have pictured (in an old PA house); folded up in a doll tin from the early 1900’s. But when I tried to get to the Kilmer House Blog,unfortunately it cannot be found.
Hello Ellen,
I just updated the links in the post, so they should be live. Make sure you click on the highlighted words to be taken to the post. Just in case, here’s another link to the Kilmer House blog post on the Esmarch bandage: http://www.kilmerhouse.com/2010/10/product-instructions-you-cant-lose/
Thanks for reading!