In the summer of 1999 or 2000 I was riding down Brooklyn’s Broadway El, of course riding in the front car of the R-40 so I could see out the front of the “railfan window,” and I got this shot of an exceedingly ancient ad which was, I think, in the vicinity of the Kosciuszko Street station on the east side of Broadway. I doubt it’s there any more. The ad was for a pain remedy, “Dr. Tucker’s “59” available from the 1880s into the early 1900s. I gather it was discontinued because one of its chief ingredients was cocaine; Coca-Cola was forced to remove whatever coca extraction it had around this time, as well.
The best shot of this sign came from the narrow walkway on the side of the tracks. That’s where Fading Ads man Frank Jump got his optimal shot of the ad at around the same time. Frank was on ForgottenTour #1 on June 1, 1999 when ForgottenFans saw several other exceedingly old painted ads under the el on Broadway; most have been painted over now, as gentrification creeps in.
Dr. Tucker’s 59 [Sidecar Brooklyn]
Dr. Tucker’s 59 Cough Drops [Smithsonian]
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3/18/17