The inscriptions on the handle of this toothbrush read “Pro-phy-lac-tic / MADE IN U.S.A. STERILIZED / ‘A CLEAN TOOTH NEVER DECAYS’” and “SOFT” and “GUARANTEED” and “FLORENCE MFG. CO.” and “1.” The Florence Manufacturing Company, which began in business as such in 1866, produced hairbrushes and hand mirrors made of the Florence Compound. In 1885, the company introduced the Prophylactic toothbrush, based on a form designed by Meyer L. Rhein, a New York dentist. By 1915, this toothbrush was the company's best-selling product. In 1924, the company became the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Company.
Ref: “Dr. Meyer L. Rhein, Dentist, Dies at 68,” New York Times (July 18, 1928), p. 21.
One of six toothbrushes donated to the museum in 1924 by the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Co. for use in the "Hall of Health" exhibition about the importance of dental hygiene. Only two of the brushes remain from this collection.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.