A PHILADELPHIA DRUGGIST, CHEMIST AND RETAIL SELLER OF SURGICAL SETS
This is a two-tiered civilian set made by Bullock & Crenshaw of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a partial set, missing a few instruments, and there is no working key.
Bullock & Crenshaw’s business was primarily pharmaceuticals, but they also marketed instruments under their own name. They were in business from 1854 – 1900. This is one of their earlier sets – c. 1854 – 1860 – as evidenced by the style of the set plus the style of the saw handle and the heavier nature of the knife handles.
Bullock & Crenshaw was a wholesale drug firm in Philadelphia. Edmund A. Crenshaw entered the store of Smith & Hodgson at the northeast corner of Sixth and Arch streets, Philadelphia to learn the drug business. This business house had been established by Daniel B. Smith In 1819. In 1849 he graduated at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and in the same year, in connection with Charles Bullock, succeeded Smith & Hodgson and continued the business as Bullock & Crenshaw at the old stand until 1868, when the firm removed to 528 Arch street. The company was apparently in existence at least up until 1903, since it does not appear in the Philadelphia business directory in 1904 or later.
Below are photos of the original store, located at the N.E. corner of 6th & Arch. This was their address during the Civil War. Their sign offering “Medical Saddle Bags” and “Surgical Instruments” is visible in the close-up:
(from the Samuel Castner Scrapbook, Print and Picture Collection
Free Library of Philadelphia)
Shown below are photos of the front page from the 1851 and 1854 catalogues from Bullock & Crenshaw. Note that although they refer to their business as that of “Druggists and Manufacturing Chemists”, there are a few pages showing the surgical and instrument sets they offer for sale.
Both catalogues list “amputating” and “trepanning” sets for sale, as well as a combination “amputating and trepanning” set. The price remained the same between 1851 and 1854.
The set shown above fits the description for the combined “amputating and trepanning” set
“in one case” Price: $26.00.
After 1868, Bullock & Crenshaw relocated to 528 Arch Street. The photo shown below is c. 1890, and the firm is now in a smaller store. Judging from the window advertisements, their trade is limited to drugs, chemicals and chemical apparatus.
(look at the bicycle parked in front!)