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RARE VINTAGE WEEKS' BREAK-UP-A-COLD TABLETS 9-PIECE "W" ADVERTISING PUZZLE — EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS
Offered is an original vintage nine-piece advertising puzzle for Weeks' Break-Up-A-Cold Tablets, complete with the original printed instruction card.
*** A numbered solution image is also included in the photographs to show how the pieces fit together to create the “W”. The numbered image is a modern reference created for this listing and is not part of the original vintage advertising material. A copy of this photograph will be mailed along with puzzle and invoice.
This unusual advertising puzzle was designed to be assembled into the letter “W,” reproducing the “W” in the Weeks' trademark.
COMPLETE 9-PIECE PUZZLE
The complete set includes:
- All 9 original puzzle pieces
- Original printed instruction/envelope card
- Original period printing and advertising
- The pieces assemble to form the intended “W”
The puzzle pieces advertise several Weeks products, including:
- Weeks' Break-Up-A-Cold Tablets
- Weeks' Pleasant Laxative Wafers
- Weeks' Kidney Pills
- Rectol
The original instruction card states:
“The Mysterious 9 Piece W Puzzle”
and identifies the item as a reproduction of the “W” in the name Weeks.
Most importantly for collectors of local history, the card states:
“Compliments of Harry A. Underriner
Effingham, Illinois.”
EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS HISTORY
This is more than a generic national pharmaceutical advertisement.
Harry A. Underriner was a real Effingham businessman associated with the Underriner Drug Store.
A surviving 1942 U.S. Selective Service registration card for Harry Aloys Underriner provides particularly strong documentation. The card identifies:
Harry Aloys Underriner
Born February 17, 1887
Residence: 300 N. 3rd St., Effingham, Illinois
“Own Business”
and identifies his place of business as:
“Underriner Drug Store, 205 W. Jefferson, Effingham, Ill.”
This provides direct documentary evidence that Harry A. Underriner owned/operated the Underriner Drug Store in Effingham.
The Underriner family also had documented pharmacy connections. Harry's brother Edwin Joseph Underriner received a Graduate in Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois in 1916, while another brother, Alfred Bernard Underriner, received a Certificate in Pharmacy in 1923.
Underriner Pharmacy subsequently became a recognized downtown Effingham business.
Please see attached photo of:1942 U.S. Selective Service registration card for Harry Aloys Underriner.
CONDITION
The puzzle is complete with all nine pieces and the original instruction card \ envelope.
The pieces show expected age-related wear, discoloration, handling, edge wear and/or minor bends from their age. Please examine all photographs carefully.
The original paper is approximately a century old and should be handled carefully.
Please note: The pieces shown in the photographs are the actual pieces being sold. All pieces are double sided.
non-smoking-home
The exact year this particular puzzle was issued has not been established. Based on the products and historical research, it appears to date from the early 20th century, likely the 1910s.The puzzle has been previously handled and used, and the paper pieces and instruction card\envelope show appropriate age and handling wear.Please review all photographs carefully, as they are considered part of the description and show the actual item being offered.
