HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
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The Florence Brush Factory: Artifacts from the Pro Brush Company Collection
December 6, 2014 - August 16, 2015
curated by Marie Panik

The history of a local manufacturer is on display in The Florence Brush Factory: Artifacts from the Pro Brush Company Collection, 1854-1945.   This exhibition traces the early history of the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Company and its predecessor companies, A.P. Critchlow & Company (1854-1858), Littlefield, Parsons & Company (1858-1866) and the Florence Manufacturing Company (1866-1924).
PictureFlorence Manufacturing Company factory, circa 1870
Incorporated in 1854, A.P. Critchlow and Company manufactured buttons and daguerreotype cases made from the Florence Compound, a natural plastic based on shellac.  In 1858, Alfred Critchlow sold his share of the company to his business partners who renamed the company Littlefield, Parsons and Company.  The company expanded its number of case designs to become the most prolific producers of daguerreotype cases in the United States.  As daguerreotypes became an obsolete form of photography in the early 1860s, the company needed to find new uses for the thermoplastic composition.  In 1866, it reorganized as the Florence Manufacturing Company to manufacture hair brushes and hand mirrors made of the Florence Compound.  In 1885, the company introduced the Prophylactic tooth brush, based on a patent for an improved toothbrush designed by New York dentist, Meyer L. Rhein.  By 1915, this toothbrush was the company's best-selling product and in 1924, the company changed its name to the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Company.

HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
46 Bridge Street Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
info@historicnorthampton.org | 413-584-6011

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Historic Northampton is closed temporarily due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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  • About
    • Visit
    • Board-Staff
    • Legal/Financial
    • Exhibits >
      • Main Street Exhibit
      • The Sarah Strong Chest
      • Wear It Reproduction Clothing
  • Programs
    • Program Calendar
  • Discover & Learn
    • Research & Reference
    • Educational Websites
    • Collections >
      • Online Collections Catalog
      • Howes Brothers Collection >
        • Howes Brothers Photographers
      • The Gare Collection
      • Properties >
        • Parsons House
        • Damon House
        • Shepherd House
        • Shepherd Barn 2020
        • The Bridge Street School Sprouts
    • Historic Highlights
  • History at Home
    • Videos
    • Interactive Witch Trial
    • Hidden Histories
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Coloring Pages
    • Brain Teasers
    • Peg Doll Hunts
    • Jonathan Edwards Prayer Requests
  • COVID-19 Stories
    • Submit Your COVID Story
    • Children React
    • Family and Neighborhood Fun
    • It's a New World
    • Hope and Togetherness
    • Images
    • How Illness Feels
    • Brings Forth Memory
    • Blessings and the New Busy
    • Fear and Worry
  • DONATE
    • Make a Donation
    • RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
    • Become a Member
    • Donate to the Collection
    • Volunteer