DR. CARMAN'S DENTALAID and RICKSECKER'S DENTAROMA: A Connection?

The wild image on this Victorian trade card is especially eye-catching (Fig. 1A). The thirteen animals and birds casually hanging around the DR. CARMAN'S DENTALAID display booth at the 1882 AMERICAN INSTITUTE in New York, certainly drew attention by the strangeness of the illustration. The written description on the reverse of the DENTALAID card is an excellent example of good advertising by good writing and the obverse exemplifies, even without the use of color, eye-appeal. This card was undoubtedly given out at S.A. DUSTIN'S NEW DRUG STORE on Main Street in Batavia, N.Y. (see red stamp on obverse) and at the exhibit booth.