Ephemeral Beauty: Dr. Jacques German Worm Cakes

What have we here? A mother and child—they’re being visited by a fashionable lady who seems to be offering something to them. Soap, perhaps? Or is it a German Worm Cake? After all, they never fail.

Why would this healthy-looking young lady need worm cakes? She seems to be okay, maybe a little tired. Her ENORMOUS baby seems hearty enough. But, then…who can tell when worms might attack? They come from candy, you know? What? You didn’t know? Well, I didn’t either, but that’s what the reverse of the card tells us. Candy and good health bring worms. Poor health and over-eating brings worms. Water and air bring worms. Everything brings worms! Worms, worms, worms! You need vermifuge! You need it now! 

Read on and be afraid…

DR. JACQUES' 
German Worm Cakes, 
The Most Efficient Remedy Discovered

     These Worm Cakes have had the most wonderful suc-
cess, and have proved to be the very best, safest and
most efficient Worm Remedy ever placed within reach of
the people. They are a safe medicine and easily admin-
istered, as children will readily take them, and their
efficiency is remarkable. Nearly all children are at some
time affected with worms, and worms in the system are
more dangerous than is generally supposed , as they de-
prive the children of the benefit of the food they eat,
thus reducing them to a constant state of emaciation and
debility, and also lay the foundation of many serious dis-
eases. The origin of worms in the human body is very
obscure. However, it is certain that children of scrof-
ulous tendency and generally depraved health are most
apt to be affected with them, although they are also
quite generally found in children who are in robust
health. Certain causes are well known to be exceedingly
favorable to their growth, such as excessive indulgence
in food, excessive indulgence in candy and confectionery,
impure water, etc. Worms are most abundant in moist
countries or during a long prevalence of warm, damp
weather. Children after weaning, are more frequently
affected than very young infants, and Convulsions or
Spasms are often caused by worms in the system. Be
sure to ask for Dr. Jacques’ German Worm Cakes.

                           Prepared by theEMMERT PROPRIETARY CO.,    --    Chicago, Ill. 
                          PRESENTED BY… 

NO ONE.

Let's translate the above, shall we?

So, whether you’re strong or weak, whether you eat well or poorly, whether you’re a grown up or a baby…WORMS ARE GONNA GET YA. So, you might as well eat these German Worm Cakes. We don’t tell you what they are or what’s in them. Are they also made of worms? We’ll never tell. Just know that worms are going to get you and make your baby have spasms and be depraved. And, you’ll never know where they came from!

Unusual Artifacts: A Silver Rattle, 1901

Baby's Rattle
Sterling Silver and Bone
Saunders and Shepherd
Birmingham, England, 1901
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Silver rattles are still being given as special gifts—a lasting way to mark the birth of a child, and something which can be passed through generations. The practice of presenting a newborn with a silver rattle dates to the early days of the Victorian era, a time when children were especially revered and doted-upon.

This example dates to the end of Queen Victoria’s reign (and life), 1901, and the start of the brief reign of her eldest son, King Edward VII. Though many styles were changing during this period, this rattle looks as if it could have been made in 1837 and adheres to a traditional style which was expected for such gifts.

Unlike the silver rattles given as gifts today, the sterling rattles of the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries were actually intended to be used by the baby. Let’s examine this one more closely. The silver rattle is mounted with a teething ring of bone at one end while the other side is fitted with a loop for a ribbon, and terminates in a whistle. The bulbous central section is decorated with scrolling ornament and hung with six, enclosed, cone-shaped bells. Above this, two more bulbous tiers are mounted, each of these hung with three similar bells with two below.

The little object would have provided quite a lot of hours of entertainment for a baby who could make it rattle, ring and whistle. Furthermore, the bone teething ring would have helped junior work his teeth through his gums. But, there’s also another aspect of this rattle which isn’t immediately apparent or remembered.

As I mentioned, this a period during which children and babies were especially romanticized. The infant mortality rate, at the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, was much higher than at the end of it. During this time, anything that could be done to ensure the long life of a child was going to be employed. Superstitions and what we now refer to as “Sympathetic Magic” were big parts of this philosophy. Even the smallest detail might have had some importance. For example, the fact that the teething ring portion of the rattle is made of bone is not just a matter of practicality and availability of the medium. The use of animal bone was thought to confer the strength of the animal to the child—a strength which would be employed to fight pain and illness. Sometimes teething rings were made of red or white coral—or both—in order to symbolize the battle between the flesh and the bone which was inherent to teething. But, also, the use of coral would have imbued the child with the power of the ocean.

This may sound very quaint and silly. But, think about it. Even as recently as 1901, such superstitions came to play. And, if you think about it, humans are, by their very nature, still a species which relies quite a lot on “magic” and assigns significant power to the unknown. The rattle is marked “CS” with a six-point star. It is also stamped “FS/ anchor/ lion/ b” and “Made by Saunders & Shepherd.” It was assayed in Birmingham, England as sterling silver; marked 1901.

Object of the Day: Dr. Jacques German Worm Cakes

What have we here? A mother and child—they’re being visited by a fashionable lady who seems to be offering something to them. Soap, perhaps? Or is it a German Worm Cake? After all, they never fail.

Why would this healthy-looking young lady need worm cakes? She seems to be okay, maybe a little tired. Her ENORMOUS baby seems hearty enough. But, then…who can tell when worms might attack? They come from candy, you know? What? You didn’t know? Well, I didn’t either, but that’s what the reverse of the card tells us. Candy and good health bring worms. Poor health and over-eating brings worms. Water and air bring worms. Everything brings worms! Worms, worms, worms! You need vermifuge! You need it now! 

Read on and be afraid…

DR. JACQUES' 
German Worm Cakes, 
The Most Efficient Remedy Discovered

     These Worm Cakes have had the most wonderful suc-
cess, and have proved to be the very best, safest and
most efficient Worm Remedy ever placed within reach of
the people. They are a safe medicine and easily admin-
istered, as children will readily take them, and their
efficiency is remarkable. Nearly all children are at some
time affected with worms, and worms in the system are
more dangerous than is generally supposed , as they de-
prive the children of the benefit of the food they eat,
thus reducing them to a constant state of emaciation and
debility, and also lay the foundation of many serious dis-
eases. The origin of worms in the human body is very
obscure. However, it is certain that children of scrof-
ulous tendency and generally depraved health are most
apt to be affected with them, although they are also
quite generally found in children who are in robust
health. Certain causes are well known to be exceedingly
favorable to their growth, such as excessive indulgence
in food, excessive indulgence in candy and confectionery,
impure water, etc. Worms are most abundant in moist
countries or during a long prevalence of warm, damp
weather. Children after weaning, are more frequently
affected than very young infants, and Convulsions or
Spasms are often caused by worms in the system. Be
sure to ask for Dr. Jacques’ German Worm Cakes.

                           Prepared by theEMMERT PROPRIETARY CO.,    --    Chicago, Ill. 
                          PRESENTED BY… 

NO ONE.

Let's translate the above, shall we?

So, whether you’re strong or weak, whether you eat well or poorly, whether you’re a grown up or a baby…WORMS ARE GONNA GET YA. So, you might as well eat these German Worm Cakes. We don’t tell you what they are or what’s in them. Are they also made of worms? We’ll never tell. Just know that worms are going to get you and make your baby have spasms and be depraved. And, you’ll never know where they came from!

Object of the Day, Caption Contest: The Baby Sitter

Click on the image to get a closer look.

This handsome chromolithograph was never utilized. In one way, it’s a shame that it wasn’t since it’s very cute. However, the fact that it wasn’t used also increased its chances of surviving in such good condition. See the “sign” in the upper right corner? That was meant to be over-printed with a company’s information. This card was printed in bulk. Advertisers could select it from a catalog and have the already-printed stock, over-printed with their own slogan and address, etc.

I was quite happy to see this card tucked into a stack I’d bought a few weeks ago. I like dogs, as you know, and I rather find the idea of a terrier taking care of a baby to be a charming one. Of course, if I was a parent to a human child, I might feel differently about this. But, as I am only a parent to Bertie, I find it cute.

Having lived with a terrier for over a decade, I have to tell you that should I ever tie a rope to a basket containing a baby, Bertie would not conclude that it was his job to gently pull the rope to rock the baby. If instructed to do something with the rope, Bertie probably would, bit, gentle rocking would not be the result. Forceful, playful tugging on the rope would occur because, well, that’s how dogs play. Babies would be flying all over the place. But, Bertie’d like that. He likes babies. They’re soft and they taste sweet (to kiss not to eat).

The Home Beautiful: A Baby's Cradle, 1810

Bateau Cradle
French with German Ormolu Mounts
Circa 1810
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Cradles that would either swing or rock have been built for over five centuries. Of course, most of those cradles, when rocked or swung a little too hard, would deposit Baby onto the floor. It wasn’t until the Nineteenth Century that the makers of baby cradles began to realize that they could build a mechanism that would keep the cradle from swinging or rocking too far and spilling the child out.

Here’s a handsome example of an early Nineteenth-Century cradle. The boat shape of this French cradle gives it the name “Bateau.” French cradles in this ovoid shape were usually made without elaborate decoration except for some figural carving at the top of the curving pole which was used to hold drapery—in this case a swan. So, with its glittering mounts, this one is quite a rarity. Instead of the usual plain mahogany of most similar cradles, this one is mounted with ormolu adornment. It’s believed, given the unusually elaborate decoration, that though the cradle was decidedly built in France, the ormolu mounts were added later, likely in Germany. 

Object of the Day: Dr. Jacques German Worm Cakes

What have we here? A mother and child—they’re being visited by a fashionable lady who seems to be offering something to them. Soap, perhaps? Or is it a German Worm Cake? After all, they never fail.

Why would this healthy-looking young lady need worm cakes? She seems to be okay, maybe a little tired. Her ENORMOUS baby seems hearty enough. But, then…who can tell when worms might attack? They come from candy, you know? What? You didn’t know? Well, I didn’t either, but that’s what the reverse of the card tells us. Candy and good health bring worms. Poor health and over-eating brings worms. Water and air bring worms. Everything brings worms! Worms, worms, worms! You need vermifuge! You need it now! 

Read on and be afraid…

DR. JACQUES' 
German Worm Cakes, 
The Most Efficient Remedy Discovered

     These Worm Cakes have had the most wonderful suc-
cess, and have proved to be the very best, safest and
most efficient Worm Remedy ever placed within reach of
the people. They are a safe medicine and easily admin-
istered, as children will readily take them, and their
efficiency is remarkable. Nearly all children are at some
time affected with worms, and worms in the system are
more dangerous than is generally supposed , as they de-
prive the children of the benefit of the food they eat,
thus reducing them to a constant state of emaciation and
debility, and also lay the foundation of many serious dis-
eases. The origin of worms in the human body is very
obscure. However, it is certain that children of scrof-
ulous tendency and generally depraved health are most
apt to be affected with them, although they are also
quite generally found in children who are in robust
health. Certain causes are well known to be exceedingly
favorable to their growth, such as excessive indulgence
in food, excessive indulgence in candy and confectionery,
impure water, etc. Worms are most abundant in moist
countries or during a long prevalence of warm, damp
weather. Children after weaning, are more frequently
affected than very young infants, and Convulsions or
Spasms are often caused by worms in the system. Be
sure to ask for Dr. Jacques’ German Worm Cakes.

                           Prepared by the
EMMERT PROPRIETARY CO.,    --    Chicago, Ill. 
                          PRESENTED BY… 


NO ONE.

Let's translate the above, shall we?

So, whether you’re strong or weak, whether you eat well or poorly, whether you’re a grown up or a baby…WORMS ARE GONNA GET YA. So, you might as well eat these German Worm Cakes. We don’t tell you what they are or what’s in them. Are they also made of worms? We’ll never tell. Just know that worms are going to get you and make your baby have spasms and be depraved. And, you’ll never know where they came from!

Sculpture of the Day: Bust of a Boy, c. 1750

Crying Boy
Germany, c. 1750
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Germany around 1750, this bust of ivory is the work of Johann Christian Ludwig von Lücke (1703 - 1780). This is one of several ivory bust created by the artist which depict disconsolate children. Von Lücke excelled at showing the physical manifestation of emotion. For example, look at the face of the child here. His teeth, gums and tongue are visible, tears forming in his eyes and his nose is running. To create the look of fluid with a solid medium and one as layered as ivory is quite exceptional.

The bust is signed on the back, '”L. von. Lücke.” Aside from his ivory carving (a family tradition, actually), he famously worked as a modeler in the Meissen factory before travelling around Germany, working in various towns until his death. 

Object of the Day, Caption Contest: Don't Cry Out Loud

Click on image to further upset the baby.

This is rather how I feel today.

However, I must wonder—at what point in our human history was this image ever considered appealing or attractive? Why a crying baby? Not just a crying baby, mind you, but a yowling, distraught baby who is almost deformed by the sheer wretchedness of his wail.

Who thinks, “You know what our product needs to help it sell? A really, really upset baby. No cute babies with smiles on their faces for us! No, no. We want our babies to be extraordinarily disturbed.”?

Well, let’s see what you think. This seems like a good time for a caption contest. Since we don’t know what this was meant to advertise, I look to all of you clever folks. Answers in the comments section, please.

Mastery of Design: Cameo of a Child, 1820-1850

Head of a Child
1820-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The practice of engraving gemstones has been ongoing since the earliest days of the Roman empire. Though the art has seen periods where it is more in fashion than others, it has remained one of the most popular jewelry-making techniques in history.

Made between 1820 and 1850, this cameo is the work of Benedetto Pistrucci, (1784-1855). Born in Italy, Pistrucci moved to England as an adult. There, he became Chief Medallist at the Royal Mint and was responsible for designing and crafting the coronation medals for George IV and Queen Victoria.

The example we see pictured above shows the fineness and delicacy of Pistrucci’swork. The carving shows the infant daughter of his friend Dr. Archibald Billing—a physician and a gem collector. Pistrucci carved the girl’s image based on a wax model which Billing made himself. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Layette Pin Cushion, 1778

Layette Pin Cusion
England, 1778
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Until the widespread marketing of the safety pin in 1870, baby clothes were pinned with the same, ordinary, sharp pins which were used for everything else. For this reason, the gift of a layette pincushion was traditional and entirely appropriate. However, many believed that a pin cushion should not be given unto after the birth since it was thought that pins in the home would make for a painful delivery. “For every pin, a pain” and “More pins, more pain” were common sayings. When a pin cushion was given as a gift, it was typically adorned with pins in a pattern with some importance or relevance to the situation. This English example from 1778 is made of hand-quilted ivory cotton which has been edged with cotton fringing. The topmost plane of the cushion has been adorned with a pattern of pins which show an escutcheon with a coat of arms used by the Pateshall family. The initials “AP” are shown above and the date (1778) below. On each side of the initials, a speckled bird with raised wings is depicted while a stylized flower is shown at each side of the date. Other pins make a floral border or tendrils. 

The curators at the V&A have, through careful research, deduced that this cushion was given as a gift in commemoration of the birth of one Edmund Burnam Pateshall of Allensmore Court on December 3, 1778.

The Home Beautiful: A Baby's Cradle, 1810

Bateau Cradle
French with German Ormolu Mounts
Circa 1810
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Cradles that would either swing or rock have been built for over five centuries. Of course, most of those cradles, when rocked or swung a little too hard, would deposit Baby onto the floor. It wasn’t until the Nineteenth Century that the makers of baby cradles began to realize that they could build a mechanism that would keep the cradle from swinging or rocking too far and spilling the child out.

Here’s a handsome example of an early Nineteenth-Century cradle. The boat shape of this French cradle gives it the name “Bateau.” French cradles in this ovoid shape were usually made without elaborate decoration except for some figural carving at the top of the curving pole which was used to hold drapery—in this case a swan. So, with its glittering mounts, this one is quite a rarity. Instead of the usual plain mahogany of most similar cradles, this one is mounted with ormolu adornment. It’s believed, given the unusually elaborate decoration, that though the cradle was decidedly built in France, the ormolu mounts were added later, likely in Germany. 

Object of the Day, Caption Contest: The Baby Sitter

Click on the image to get a closer look.

This handsome chromolithograph was never utilized. In one way, it’s a shame that it wasn’t since it’s very cute. However, the fact that it wasn’t used also increased its chances of surviving in such good condition. See the “sign” in the upper right corner? That was meant to be over-printed with a company’s information. This card was printed in bulk. Advertisers could select it from a catalog and have the already-printed stock, over-printed with their own slogan and address, etc.

I was quite happy to see this card tucked into a stack I’d bought a few weeks ago. I like dogs, as you know, and I rather find the idea of a terrier taking care of a baby to be a charming one. Of course, if I was a parent to a human child, I might feel differently about this. But, as I am only a parent to Bertie, I find it cute.

Having lived with a terrier for over a decade, I have to tell you that should I ever tie a rope to a basket containing a baby, Bertie would not conclude that it was his job to gently pull the rope to rock the baby. If instructed to do something with the rope, Bertie probably would, bit, gentle rocking would not be the result. Forceful, playful tugging on the rope would occur because, well, that’s how dogs play. Babies would be flying all over the place. But, Bertie’d like that. He likes babies. They’re soft and they taste sweet (to kiss not to eat).

So, let’s have a caption contest.

What could this advertise? Why is the dog baby sitting? Whose baby is it? How does the baby feel about all of this? Why are they outside? Why is there a blank piece of wood nailed up there? And, go… Answers in the comments, please. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Silver Rattle, 1901

Baby's Rattle
Sterling Silver and Bone
Saunders and Shepherd
Birmingham, England, 1901
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Silver rattles are still being given as special gifts—a lasting way to mark the birth of a child, and something which can be passed through generations. The practice of presenting a newborn with a silver rattle dates to the early days of the Victorian era, a time when children were especially revered and doted-upon.

This example dates to the end of Queen Victoria’s reign (and life), 1901, and the start of the brief reign of her eldest son, King Edward VII. Though many styles were changing during this period, this rattle looks as if it could have been made in 1837 and adheres to a traditional style which was expected for such gifts.

Unlike the silver rattles given as gifts today, the sterling rattles of the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries were actually intended to be used by the baby. Let’s examine this one more closely. The silver rattle is mounted with a teething ring of bone at one end while the other side is fitted with a loop for a ribbon, and terminates in a whistle. The bulbous central section is decorated with scrolling ornament and hung with six, enclosed, cone-shaped bells. Above this, two more bulbous tiers are mounted, each of these hung with three similar bells with two below.

The little object would have provided quite a lot of hours of entertainment for a baby who could make it rattle, ring and whistle. Furthermore, the bone teething ring would have helped junior work his teeth through his gums. But, there’s also another aspect of this rattle which isn’t immediately apparent or remembered.

As I mentioned, this a period during which children and babies were especially romanticized. The infant mortality rate, at the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, was much higher than at the end of it. During this time, anything that could be done to ensure the long life of a child was going to be employed. Superstitions and what we now refer to as “Sympathetic Magic” were big parts of this philosophy. Even the smallest detail might have had some importance. For example, the fact that the teething ring portion of the rattle is made of bone is not just a matter of practicality and availability of the medium. The use of animal bone was thought to confer the strength of the animal to the child—a strength which would be employed to fight pain and illness. Sometimes teething rings were made of red or white coral—or both—in order to symbolize the battle between the flesh and the bone which was inherent to teething. But, also, the use of coral would have imbued the child with the power of the ocean.

This may sound very quaint and silly. But, think about it. Even as recently as 1901, such superstitions came to play. And, if you think about it, humans are, by their very nature, still a species which relies quite a lot on “magic” and assigns significant power to the unknown. The rattle is marked “CS” with a six-point star. It is also stamped “FS/ anchor/ lion/ b” and “Made by Saunders & Shepherd.” It was assayed in Birmingham, England as sterling silver; marked 1901.