Fly-Tox Hand Sprayer, 1940-1950
Add to SetSummary
The Toledo Rex Spray Company trademarked "Fly-Tox" in 1923. The Rex Company (later Rex Research Corporation) marketed Fly-Tox to kill common household pests. As the organochlorine Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) gained creditability after World War II as a less-toxic compound, Fly-Tox incorporated DDT. Widespread use of DDT and its documented negative effects on ecosystems led U.S. legislators to ban the chemical in 1972.
The Toledo Rex Spray Company trademarked "Fly-Tox" in 1923. The Rex Company (later Rex Research Corporation) marketed Fly-Tox to kill common household pests. As the organochlorine Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) gained creditability after World War II as a less-toxic compound, Fly-Tox incorporated DDT. Widespread use of DDT and its documented negative effects on ecosystems led U.S. legislators to ban the chemical in 1972.
Artifact
Hand sprayer
Date Made
1940-1950
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
2017.0.34.269
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Metal
Wood (Plant material)
Color
Red
Dimensions
Length: 13 in
Width: 3 in
Height: 4.5 in
Inscriptions
on barrel of sprayer: USE / GENUINE / FLY-TOX / ESTABLISHED / REX / 1896 / KILLS / FLYS BEDBUGS MOTHS ANTS / MOSQUITOS ROACHES FLEAS / MADE IN USA on each end of reservoir: FLY-TOX
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