Refreshing Soap

A continuation of cleaning with something from the personal hygiene archive. The line drawing is from 1930 and features some young chap getting his hands clean at the sink. It reminds me of the illustrations for Just William, a series of children's stories by Richmal Crompton which started in 1922. They get a revival for Tv, radio & etc every few years.
In the 21st Century soap is sold on its soft fragrances. Jasmine, rosemary, geranium and primrose. In an earlier age there was a market for almost medicinal, disinfectant soaps. The carbolic, which was made with the particular pungent phenol C₆H₅OH.
A scent for ever associated with schools, hospitals and other institutions up until the 1970's. Then there was the legendary Wright's Coal Tar Soap (from 1860 onwards), and if that didn't get you clean then nothing would. Don't forget the Lifeboy soap (Lever Brothers 1895) that claimed it would remove any traces of body odour. Apart from the later the others are hard to find these days. Not the products to find in a shop that sells all manner of gentle, kind to your skin, soaps.

Pictures of the Carbolic Soap: left, one spotted in Gallery Oldham the other day. A museum exhibit of how we used to bathe. Right side is from Cooperative Stores on Flickr, your daily fix of co-operative pictures both past and present. Related Post : Soap Bar