Chemistry in Pictures: Pharma photography

Pharmacists are often called “chemists” in Australia and the UK, and this group of photos illustrates why. Until the middle of the 20th century, pharmacies often formulated medicines on-site, so they kept a vast array of raw materials on hand, including concentrated herbal tinctures, pure organic and inorganic chemicals, and excipients such as chalk and whiskey.

These historical pharmaceutical bottles, many of which are full and unopened, come from the collection of Charles Lonsinger, a pharmacist in Ohio. Lonsinger was in the Navy Hospital Corps during World War II, serving in California, Rhode Island, and the Philippines. After the war, he received a degree in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and took over Lynn Pharmacy in Utica, Ohio, in 1953. Most of these bottles were already in the building when he bought the business, and some date back to the 1920s.

Lonsinger passed away in 2007, and the family recently brought in auctioneer John Sperry to find the collection a new home. The substances in the bottles include herbs, over-the-counter medicines you can still buy today, controlled substances, heavy metals, and chemicals now considered poisons. Jeff Sperry, John’s son and a chemist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, came home to help. The pair is also working with local hazmat and narcotics authorities.

“The pictures really don’t do it justice. I spent almost two hours there with the family going through them to make sure they were safely moved and categorized,” Sperry says.

Credit: Jeff Sperry/John Sperry (all)

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