American Dental Office, Early 20th Century: Home
Dental Furniture
This replica of an early 20th century dentist's office consists of items from the Dr. George W. Ferry Dental Collection, formerly displayed within Squire Hall, in the UB School of Dental Medicine. Major items include (from left to right): dentist’s desk, chair and bag; x-ray machine (Ritter Dental Manufacturing Co., Rochester NY); red velvet dental chair; Ritter Tri-Dent Dental Station featuring cuspidor, drills, and examination lamp (removed due to height restrictions); and a dental cabinet. Many of these historic items were used by UB dental students and faculty during the early days of the school.
Birge Wallpaper
The green, pink, cream, and gold wallpaper behind the scene has been reproduced from an original sample manufactured by renowned wallpaper company, Buffalo-based M.H. Birge & Sons during the early 20thcentury. Perhaps most notable among Birge artists was American watercolorist, Charles Burchfield, who designed for the firm between the years 1921-1929. The framed original of the wallpaper highlighted here can be found in the University Libraries’ Poetry Collection, on UB’s North Campus.
