MUSEUM TOUR STOP
DRACHMAN HALL, THIRD FLOOR
Image
Located just outside the College of Pharmacy administration suite on the third floor of Drachman Hall, you will come across a large display alcove. The display is filled with a variety of exquisite show globes and apothecary jars. Similar to the symbolic concept of a barber pole, show globes have been used for centuries as symbols of pharmaceutical and medical care, and pharmacists through history have prided themselves on their ability to create and preserve vibrantly colored liquid. It is theorized that sailors landing in England knew that a show globe in a store window meant medical treatment was available there. In early America, a red show globe could mean the town had some kind of quarantine or disease, while a green show globe indicated the town was healthy.
The museum has thousands of apothecary jars and bottles, most of which date back to the late-19th and early-20th centuries. These vessels come from pharmacies and apothecary shops all over the nation and serve as a physical, tangible connection to the past. Apothecary jars were very typical in early pharmacies in Arizona for storing wet and dry materials for dispensing or prescription preparation. Many jars are ornately decorated with gold labels, while others use paper labels.
At the center of this alcove is a bust of Dr. Rufus Lyman, the founding dean of the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Dr. Lyman was a physician and educator. He also founded the College of Pharmacy at the University of Nebraska.
Moving farther down the hall, toward the stairs and restrooms, there is an additional display case and memorabilia from the Upjohn Pharmacy collection. Black-and-white photographs of the Disneyland Upjohn Pharmacy between 1955 and 1970 line the walls.