Other than the First World War, it appears there was another significant conflict raging a century ago. But this battlefield was not overseas; it was on the streets of Southampton, and the combatants were rival dentists.
The Southampton and District Pictorial, a precursor to the Daily Echo, was a weekly publication sold for a mere three halfpence. Within its pages, no fewer than five dental surgeries were locked in a fierce competition for patients, their advertisements vying for attention among the paper’s columns.
Aloysius Browne and Son, based on St Mary Street, undoubtedly had the most striking advertisement. They boasted that patients flocked to them from miles around, drawn by their promise of "every care, attention, and civility" alongside a pledge of "no pain at each operation."
Not to be outdone, the Public Dental Society of Above Bar countered with "painless extractions, free when artificial teeth are ordered," while Macdonald's surgery, situated nearby, offered a reassuring message: "If a tooth can be saved, we will save it. If it cannot be saved, you will be told frankly."
Beyond the dental drama, The Southampton and District Pictorial, which incorporated Southampton Amusements, provided its readers with news from the home front and the battlefields of the First World War.
One such article highlighted the perilous experiences of Mr H Jacobs, the Southampton chief steward of the oil tanker OB Jennings. The Pictorial reported that Jacobs had survived a harrowing ordeal, being torpedoed three times – once on a vessel that ran aground, and another time during a collision.
Gunner J Harder, a local resident with a famous boxing brother, Punch Harder, also featured in the newspaper. Wounded and hospitalised at Highfield Hall Red Cross Hospital, Harder demonstrated remarkable courage by donating a pint and a half of blood to save the life of an injured Australian soldier.
The paper softened the grim realities of war by visiting the Girls' Orphanage in King’s Park Road to cover the heartwarming story of a "benevolent gentleman" who donated dolls to the orphaned children.
The Pictorial poignantly observed, "One of the pathetically beautiful things about the little ones of the Girls’ Orphanage at Southampton, motherless in so many cases, is the way they themselves mother their dolls."
To help readers cope with wartime hardships, the Pictorial featured a popular column titled "Winning the War in the Kitchen – Splendid Saving Hints for Housewives." This column offered practical advice on stretching food supplies, including a recipe for a "refreshing jelly" made from Irish moss.
The paper assured its readers that Irish moss was readily available at most stores and possessed soothing properties for the throat.
Amidst the challenges of war, the Pictorial also provided a much-needed escape through its entertainment section.
Reviews of Miss Marie Lloyd’s performance at the Southampton Hippodrome and advertisements for the Atherley cinema’s "fine Pathe five-reel photoplay" starring Miss Irene Castle in "The Vengeance of Paula" offered readers a brief respite from the grim realities of the world around them.
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