Johnson & Johnson Adhesive Tape Tin Used by the Jackson Family, Selma, Alabama

01

Artifact Overview

Medical adhesive tape helps secure bandages around wounds or wrap bone, joint, or soft tissue injuries. Early medical tapes developed in the mid-19th century used a rubber-based adhesive mixed with other compounds that often irritated the skin. In 1899, Johnson and Johnson developed adhesive plasters infused with anti-bacterial zinc oxide, and by the mid-1900s, it had developed a waterproof adhesive tape.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Adhesive tape

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2023.50.879

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Tin (Metal)
Metal
Paper (Fiber product)
Plastic
Rubber (Material)

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 1.5 in
Diameter: 2.325 in

Inscriptions

top and bottom: [Red Cross symbol] Johnson & Johnson / 1 in. adhesive tape 5 yds. side: 1 in. [Red Cross symbol] 5 yds. / Adhesive tape / Waterproof / Johnson & Johnson / 43 [cent symbol] / Made in U.S.A. / No connection whatever with American National Red Cross.
Johnson & Johnson Adhesive Tape Tin Used by the Jackson Family, Selma, Alabama