Hudson’s soap certificate/card

michaelm88

Newbie
May 1, 2020
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All Treasure Hunting
Hi all,

I came across an old family bible and tucked away was this card. It has a signature on the reverse and a description. Sadly I don’t have pictures of the reverse as the card is currently in storage.

E79CBED9-6F4F-4406-987C-D5C4809010B2.jpeg

I have done some research on it but I can’t seem to find another online. And I’m just curious to what exactly it is?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 

Welcome to Tnet from Toronto! :hello:
Whoever the company was, they were obviously awarded a gold medal for exhibiting in Paris in 1877

Sorry I couldn't be of more help,
Dave
 

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Some history:
R. S. Hudson owned a small chemist's shop in West Bromich. In 1837 he started producing soap powder in a small room at the back of his shop. He himself ground the soap with a pestle and mortar. His powder was so popular that he was soon employing 10 women to keep up with demand. In 1875 he opened a factory at Bank Hall in Liverpool. Hudson’s soap was a very successful brand and was used across the country.
Don......
Source:
Advert for Hudson's Extract of Soap 5089
 

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Great info on that nice piece of history
 

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OK, I'll ask...
What is "Extract" of soap? :dontknow:

Not an extract in the conventional sense of the word. In 1837 Hudson produced the first satisfactory commercial soap powder by grinding coarse bar soap and converting it into a more convenient dry powder. He never actually made any soap, bulk-buying it from William Gossage of Widnes, England.

Up until that time people had to either use bar soap with a washboard or make their own more readily soluble ‘flakes’ by shredding it with a grater. The business was sold to Lever Brothers (now Unilever) in 1908 and ultimately spawned laundry detergent brands such as ‘Rinso’ and ‘Omo’.

Hudson was also a pioneer in advertising techniques, mass-producing striking posters designed by top artists long before other companies used this kind of powerful advertising. I expect this card was more a boastful advertising thing than an actual certificate for his achievement in being awarded a gold medal from the Paris Academy. Surely it would be in French (and signed) if it were an actual certificate?
 

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