From the Disney publicity machine comes this interior shot of the Upjohn Pharmacy on Main Street U.S.A., circa 1950’s:
Youthful visitors to Disneyland are intrigued by a weird array of symbols—part of a new exhibit created by The Upjohn Company to trace the course of pharmaceutical history through the ages. The pharmacist’s familiar “Rx” (left), shown in its original form, was a medieval symbol meaning “to take.” It inaugurated the use of minerals in medical practice. Other symbols designated earth substances believed to possess curative powers.
These May 1958 photos show the exterior of The Upjohn Pharmacy:
And the same area today, now called the Fortuosity Shop:
See more Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos at my main website.
10 comments:
That looks like part of the The Artists Formerly Known As Prince and is now Prince Again's symbol on the display...
Most likely a repressed memory from a childhood visit to Disneyland that later resurfaced for Prince!
Wow! I stared at that brick building for several minutes - it looked so foreign to me only to find out it's my favorite shop, LOL!!
I sure love that stained-glass mortar and pestle lamp that hung outside the pharmacy!
I confess, my eyes went straight to the "Prince" symbol too. Such is the power of good marketing.
For a number of years while working at the Park, I would stop into the Upjohn shop and get small glass continers of free vitamins that were handed out to guests. Still have a couple of the empties to this day...the vitamins were free and the family used them!
Ha, I remember the vitamins, small, round, orange flavored.
Bottles all gone, memories remain.
The symbols are originally those of the alchemists, forefathers of the pharmacologists. Of course, in UK, the drug store is still the "chemist".
Knowledge and study of the combinations of materials was forbidden by the Church. The alchemists adopted cryptic symbols taught only to initiates to record and transmit the knowledge gained in their studies. Secrecy was required in order to escape torture and persecution.
Ironic that symbols conceived as ciphers to conceal forbidden knowledge are now universally recognized as advertising emblems of something completely different.
Sorry, you got me going on symbols and icongraphy again.
JG
Thanks Anonymous & JG for the extra info - much appreciated!
Trying to research this. Was this at Disneyland in Anaheim or at Disneyland in Florida? Thanks.
Hi Spaz - just like the post states, it's Disneyland. You can visit this link to my website to learn more about the Upjohn Pharmacy and to see more photos: http://davelandweb.com/mainstreet/upjohn.html
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