What was advertised in a revolutionary American newspaper 250 years ago today?

“Best French HAIR POWDER may be had … if applied for immediately.”

The first page of the September 20, 1776, edition of the Essex Journal featured the text of a resolution passed by the Continental Congress near the end of August, extracts of letters “from the West Indies,” “from a Planter in Grenada,” and “from a Merchant in Bermuda,” and news from Newport, Rhode Island.  Bishop Norton’s advertisement for starch and soap for sale at his shop “near the lower Long-Wharf” in Newburyport, Massachusetts, ran at the bottom of the final column.  He sold “CHOICE Poland STARCH by the quantity or single pound” as well as “bar SOAP by the hundred or smaller quantity” and “crown SOAP by the dozen or single cake.”

In a nota bene, Norton also promoted “Best French HAIR POWDER.”  The war did not deter readers from wanting to look their best.  Norton proclaimed that the hair powder “may be had … of applied for immediately,” creating a sense of urgency to acquire the product.  He likely hoped that scarcity would prompt prospective customers to make purchases.  The final line included the town and date, “Newbury-Port, Sept. 20.”  Readers could determine for themselves how recently Norton had placed the advertisement and imagine whether he any of the hair powder might still be available.  The final line also included a notation for the printer, “42-44,” that indicated the advertisement would run in three issues (No. 142 on September 20, No. 143 on September 27, and No. 144 on October 4) before being discontinued.  Norton’s admonition to place orders for his limited supply of hair powder “immediately” gained greater urgency in each subsequent insertion of his advertisement in the Essex Journal, especially when readers took note of the date at the end of the notice.  Not every advertisement included a date, but in this instance the date played an important part in making Norton’s appeal to prospective customers to act “immediately” or risk missing out on his “Best French HAIR POWDER.”