Night Soil for Sale in Preston

 

 

From the Preston Chronicle, Saturday, February 26th, 1859

 

The address of Henry Ashcroft, Pottery Hill, was very close to the Wharf where this valuable manure of night soil* and street sweepings** was lying.  Unless it was well covered, the stench must have been appalling.

 

 

*Human excrement, collected by the 'night soil' cart from privies.

 

**Horse and other animal excrement.



J Franks - Preston Optician and Lens Grinder

 

 

From the Preston Chronicle, Saturday, July 11th, 1846



The Perfect Figure: Corsets, Girdles and Rupture Belts

All adverts from Lancashire Life Magazine, Vol IV, Number 5, June, 1956.

This last product, in particular, looks extremely uncomfortable. 

Victorian Mourning - Newspaper Advert

From the Preston Chronicle, February 20th, 1869.

This advert has educated me in the names of various material types which I had never heard of: Paramatta; Henrietta; Burathea; Coburg.  It perfectly illustrates Victorian mourning practices, when the entire family would go into mourning for extensive periods of time.

Alex Ross's "Nose Machine"

I'm currently going through some very old Preston newspapers which were bought from a secondhand bookshop quite a few years ago and they are revealing startling insights into the 19th century, whilst also illustrating that human concerns with appearance and health never change - and that there will always be those who seek to take advantage of this.

From the Preston Chronicle, February 25th, 1882.
 

In case the worn type proves difficult to decipher:

"ALEX. ROSS'S NOSE MACHINE, applied to the Nose for an hour daily, so directs the soft cartilage of which the member consists that an ill-formed Nose is quickly shaped to perfection.  10s 6d; post free 10s 8d., secretly packed; pamphlet two stamps - 21, Lambs' Conduit-street, High Holborn, London.  Hair Curling Fluid, curls the straightest and most ungovernable hair, 3s. 6d.; sent for 54 stamps.  Alex. Ross's Ear Machine, to remedy outstanding ears, 10s. 6d. or stamps.  His great Hair Restorer, 3s. 3d.; it changes grey hair to its original colour very quickly, sent for 54 stamps.  Every speciality for the toilet supplied. Beware of imitations of Ross's articles.  As Chemists keep his articles see that you get his Hair Dye for either light or dark colours, 3s. 5d.; his Depilatory for removing Hair, and his Oil [???] for the growth of Whiskers."

 

I would love to know what the Nose and Ear machines looked like.

Wartime Recipes No. 3: Madeira Cake

The Daily Express, Thursday October 19th, 1944.

Craven "A" Cigarettes Advert

From The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday, January 27th, 1943.

Bird's Nutritious Custard

Found on one of the end pages of a 'Chatterbox' Volume from 1904.  I particularly like the last sentence: "For this reason, Scientists are able to say that Bird's Nutritious Custard is one of the most nourishing dishes you can possibly eat..."