In 145 years, Oswald’s Pharmacy has undergone and witnessed plenty — multiple pandemics, shifting retail trends, the introduction of delivery and online ordering, and more.
Beginning this weekend, customers at the Naperville business — the oldest family-owned pharmacy in the state — will have a chance to view relics of Oswald’s past through a small pop-up exhibit set up inside the store for a limited time.
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The exhibit is a partnership between Oswald’s and Naper Settlement, containing a handful of artifacts from the museum’s collection, as well as pieces from the family’s personal archives.
“Naperville has a longstanding history of entrepreneurship and the family legacy of Oswald’s is a testament to that,” Naper Settlement Vice President/Chief Program Officer Donna Sack said in a news release announcing the exhibit. “Bringing history directly into the community is critical during times like these to keep our local story front and center.”
The display includes more recent items like Beanie Babies collectibles, as well as decades-old artifacts like an itemized note from first-generation owner W.W. Wickel to local businessman George Martin, the original owner of the 1880s Martin Mitchell Mansion.
Another item of note is a Hamilton Beach Drink Master aerator machine that was used at the Oswald’s soda fountain from the 1930s into the 1950s. General Manager Alex Anderson called it his favorite item on display.
“My great grandfather, he got rid of the fountain for cosmetics. He had to do away with something that wasn’t profitable for something that was…it’s a reminder of all the changes we’ve had to make over the years,” said Anderson, a sixth-generation member of the Wickel-Oswald-Kester-Anderson family behind Oswald’s.
Organizers looked for items of the 1918 flu pandemic to showcase, but Anderson said the search was unsuccessful.
“I was looking to see if we had some inventory books from 1919 but nothing stuck out, nothing from the 1918 pandemic,” Anderson said.
Naper Settlement is collecting artifacts and oral histories to document 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the news release.
The pop-up exhibit is part of the store’s 145th anniversary festivities, which include prize giveaways and a new store logo that was recently unveiled.
“We’re looking at (the 145th anniversary) in preparation of celebrating our 150th, which will be very exciting,” Anderson said.
“My parent’s house, built by great-great-grandfather Wickel, has been in the family since it was built and is a repository for our family’s history,” Bill Anderson, fifth-generation owner of Oswald’s, said in a news release. “Generations have moved in and out of the home, but the attic and closets hold letters, pictures, memorabilia, and everyday items from prior generations. Getting to share our history with the community during this milestone year is a gift.”
The pop-up exhibit at Oswald’s, 88 W. Gartner Rd., is free, open to the public, and will be up through the end of the year.