Oppenheimer Pharmaceutical/Drug Co in North London 1900

[ankerpep_52]

My Grandmother worked at Oppenheimer in North London possibly up to the time of her marriage in Aug 1905. She lived Tufnell Park, Islington.  I believe I have a photo of the employees and would like to verify this photo.  I am unable to locate this company.  My mother (deceased)told me it was a Drug Company and have searched under Pharmaceutical, Drugs, and Chemical Companies.  Would anyone be able to advise me on this Company, & possible its employee records.  Would there be a library file on this Co & photo's of employees available.  I would be willing to share copies of this photo.
I am in London,On,Canada & unable to research any further. Your advice & help would be much appreciated.
I also have a photo of grandma and members of a   a penny farthing bike club & would like to pass  copies to anyone that had relatives in this photo.

[Valda]

Hi

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society may know more about the company and when it traded

http://www.rpharms.com/about-pharmacy/our-museum.asp

The name of the company appears to be

Oppenheimer Son & Co Ltd
179, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.4.

This is a City of London address (now known as the square mile)

http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=ConMediaFile.9612

That is what comes up on Google search but nothing giving actual information about the company.


Regards

Valda

[ankerpep_52]

Valda: Thank you oh so much-It  is great to have the photo of the company name & where located at the time. I will get in touch with the R. Pharm.Society soon as well.
My Grandma died before my birth & it is lovely to fill in the blanks from the time she was still a single woman until my mothers recollections.  Everyone I have spoken to all say-"I wish I had asked so many questions while the relatives were still alive"  Again my appreciation for your help.  Janet
Do you think it would help by posting a copy of the photo(when I learn how) online & if so, under which catagory would I  use.  I also recv'd a message at first that this querie re: the company had been moved--can you say where I was wrong in my posting please? 

[Valda]

Hi


I don't know where you first posted the topic and I wasn't the moderator who moved the post so I'm sorry I can't answer that question.

I think the Oppenheimer company is now called LRC Products Ltd. There doesn't seem to be any deposited records for the company. The photograph was taken around 1930 so now going beyond the memory of most posters. The area looks nothing like this today. Oppenheimers seem to have moved certainly after the Second World War to South London - Clapham Road.


Regards

Valda

[jorose]

From some entries on Google books the "Oppenheimer" in question was William who died in 1906 (there was some legal issue with shares in the company he left to his wife). This mentions his death and gives him as "manufacturing chemist".
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27912/pages/3273

http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/findbykeyword.asp
 - a search here for Oppenheimer son will show you where the company was listed in different years.
In 1901 and 1904 they are listed at Handforth Road (comes off Clapham Road, so addresses that mention either probably simply refer to a site which was on the corner of the two).
I think this was the factory and the Queen Victoria address was the office.

In earlier records (1891/1895 directory) of this company they are listed at addresses in Finsbury which does makes more sense if they were employing someone who lived in Tufnell Park.

There is are some mentions of the factory on Handforth Road during WWII on this site:
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2008/01/12_beastly_thin_1.php
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2007/12/7_london_belong_1.php

http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME079-1931/page223-volume79-august1931.pdf
  - and a nice ad here for one of their products!

ROBOLEINE is a valuable body building and nerve restoring food, containing all the vitamins deficient in
ordinary diet. It consists of BONE MARROW, CREAM OF MALT, YOLK OF EGG and neutralised LEMON JUICE.

(Delicious!)

collectionsonline.nmsi.ac.uk
 shows that a number of products produced by Oppenheimer & son are held by the Science Museum.

[trishvanzyl]

My grandfather, Frederick Michael Wells was the owner (or so I believe) of Oppenheimer and Son. I am not sure when he bought the company but I guess he sold it around 1956 or so.  He stayed on as a director until his death in 1966. When I visited him after the war (I was born and grew up in South Africa) I thought his office as well as the 'factory' was at 1 Clapham Rd. My grandfather was involved with the City and became Lord Mayor of London in 1947-48. The products I remember were Robolene (absolutely yummy and as he brought the bottles  out to us on his annual visits, they were strictly rationed by my mother! It was not available in SA) Woodwards Gripe Water and a cough mixture which was ghastly ( I can't remember the name at the moment). Maybe his tenure at Oppenheimer and Son was after your mother worked there, but I do not know.

[ankerpep_52]

HI trish:  I have heard oh Gripe water-never had it myself & never heard of Robelene-perhaps because I live in London Ontario Canada.and was raised here.  It was myGrandmother who worked there possible from about 1897 to 1905 when she married my grand dad and immig.to Canada.
 I have a photo which I am certain were the employees at that time and would love to find out if anyone else has a copy who can put some of the others names to it.  This is why my interest in this company.  My Grandmother was raised in London and returned to St Pancras, for the birth of my mom.  I have only been in London Eng for a 2 day stop over in the 1960's. Would love to go back.
Thanks for sharing this with me & if your grandad had photo's, I would like to see if some of the same people are in them.  Thanks alot-Janet

[Rudolf H B]

Hi Janet,

this thread would be a good place to post your photo.

-There is an "Attachments and other options-Button under the reply field.
- Maximum size: 500 kb, larger scans or photos should be shrinked to this size.

Regards
Rudolf

[trishvanzyl]

Hi Janet,
I am leaving on holiday tomorrow and will only be back in 10 days so will not be able to do much research before then.  I did however go into a Google search for Robolene and found this link.
www.ebay.co.uk › Collectables › Bottles/ Pots › Medicine/ Cures  this is for a vintage bottle and it is exactly as I remember it.  I still have a Robolene spoon which was just a long shaft oval shaped spoon to get right to the bottom of the jar.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1923-Robolene-Swan-Ink-Fountain-Pen-Carrs-Biscuits-Lavender-Soap-Prices-/141343447615?pt=UK_art_prints_GL&hash=item20e8b9da3f&nma=true&si=R7aguU6MChDM8XjVZ1qdqz4Yd3g%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

This link shows an advertisement for Robolene and gives the manufacturers as 'Oppenheimer Son &Co. Ltd.  As you can see it gives the address as 179 Queen Victoria St, LONDON, EC4. But it comes from a 1923 paper.

Hope this is of interest to you. I will see what I can find when I get back.
Regards
Trish