Wrigley's Spearmint Gum 1938 Real Photo Postcard
This postcard from October 6, 1938, documents a significant product defect concerning Wrigley's Spearmint gum. The image displays a piece of gum containing what appears to be a foreign object, identified by the handwritten note as "this half tooth." The sign declares, "We Do Not Sell Wrigley's Gum - This Is The Reason," indicating a severe consumer complaint or a retailer's protest against the product's quality.
The incident reflects the growing consumer awareness and the nascent but strengthening consumer protection movement of the late 1930s. This period saw increased scrutiny of manufacturing practices and product safety, culminating in the passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Such direct evidence of contamination, even if an isolated incident, underscored the importance of quality control for large corporations like Wrigley's, which had been a dominant force in the chewing gum market since the turn of the century.
The incident reflects the growing consumer awareness and the nascent but strengthening consumer protection movement of the late 1930s. This period saw increased scrutiny of manufacturing practices and product safety, culminating in the passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Such direct evidence of contamination, even if an isolated incident, underscored the importance of quality control for large corporations like Wrigley's, which had been a dominant force in the chewing gum market since the turn of the century.
