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Soap, surgical, for civil defense shelters: 6 cakes & box, made by The Lightfoot Co., Hoboken, N.J., June 1964.

Object/Artifact
Surgical soap, 6 wrapped cakes in box, made by The Lightfoot Company, a division of Philip Morris, Inc., Hoboken, N.J., June 1964. Plain two piece cardboard box with imprinted lid, 4-7/8" wide x 2-7/8" deep x 1-7/8" high; contents six bars of soap individually wrapped with imprinted white paper wrappers, 2-5/8" wide x 1-3/4" deep x 3/4" high. Cakes (bars) wrapped inside wrapper with glassine packed on side in rectangular box. Each bar has molded lettering - side 1: Lightfoot - Soapmakers, New York, Made in U.S.A.; side 2: Surgical Soap, Contains 2% Hexachorophene. The product was made at the plant in Hoboken at 1413 Willow Ave. It was produced under a U.S. Government contract for providing supplies to stock medical kits in civil defense shelters and facilities. The soap would have been a typical emergency supply in the kits required for these shelters. Text imprinted on box lid, line for line: FSN LL 6505 - 889 -3482 [FSN = Federal Stock Number?] Soap, Surgical, 1-3/4 oz. (50 gm.) with hexachorophene 2% 6 cakes DSA 2 - 8464 A - 6/64 [date of June 1964 derived from this marking] Lot no. 55C - 48 The Lightfoot Company A division of Philip Morris, Inc. Hoboken, N.J.

2010.007.0192

2010.007

Lukacs, Claire

Gift

Museum Collections. Gift of a friend of the Museum.

1964 - 1964

Date: 1964-1964

Good

Notes: Images and listing of this product can be seen in Civil Defense Museum website offerings: http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/cdmuseum2/supply/medical.html ==== The Lightfoot Company had been long established in Hoboken under its original name, Lightfoot Shultz Company, a soap and toiletries manufacturer located at 1418-1424 Park Avenue, Hoboken (later using the address 1413 Willow Avenue - the plant occupied the middle of the block between Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets and running from Park to Willow Avenue - thus the use of either the Willow or Park Avenue address.) Founded circa 1915 by William Lightfoot Schultz in Brooklyn, it had operations at the Hoboken address by at least 1918 (possibly earlier.) He made fragranced soaps and shaving soaps. In 1919 the American Razor Blade Company became a part owner of the business. In 1933 Schultz was forced to sell control to American Razor Blade and left the company. (The next year he registered the name "Old Spice" and went on to this new and sucessful venture.) American Safety Razor Co.was acquired by Philip Morris, Inc. in 1960 and The Lightfoot Company became a division of Philip Morris (When the company name changed from Lightfoot Schultz Co. to The Lightfoot Co. has not been found, but it was likely done by Philip Morris.) It was dissolved in April 1973. The Lightfoot plant became the location of the Stahl Soap Company shortly after the 1973 dissolution and it remained there until 2009 when that company was bought and ended Hoboken operations (moved to Rhode Island by new corporate owner.) Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2010-10-01

typical cake of soap, wrapped; box lid top with printing
typical bar or cake unwrapped, both sides shown top view with soaps in box