UA History of Pharmacy Museum's Rare Historical Photographs and Documents Displayed in Martin Drug Co. Lounge
The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy's History of Pharmacy Museum has had the privilege of partnering with Tucson Urban LLC in the development of the Martin Drug Co., a pop-up bar/lounge in downtown Tucson.
Located at 300 E. Congress St., the Martin Drug Co. lounge is so named because it is on the site of one of the many drugstores owned by the Martin family, one of Tucson's foremost pioneer families. As part of its interior decoration, the lounge features rare historical photographs and documents from the Pharmacy Museum's archives.
The Martin brothers, George and Andrew, followed in their father footsteps, becoming some of the earliest pharmacists in Tucson's history. The first Martin Drug Co. was established in 1882, three decades before Arizona was a state.
The Martins were incredibly influential in Arizona's territorial days. Andrew helped to write the original charter for the city of Tucson. He served as the first state commander of Arizona's American Legion chapter. George owned the Crystal Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the first of its kind in Tucson. He also acted as director of Tucson Medical Center. Both served on Arizona's State Board of Pharmacy, and were very instrumental in the founding of the UA College of Pharmacy.
The Martin Drug Co. lounge opened for business on Feb. 17, and will be open for about six months while the owners develop a restaurant on the site. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/MartinDrugCo [1].
The UA History of Pharmacy Museum is located in the College of Pharmacy complex at the UA Health Sciences and offers free self-guided tours. Its collection of hundreds of thousands of items, including bottles, original drug containers, books, store fixtures and artifacts (circa 1880 to 1950) from Arizona and elsewhere spans the Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Center and the Pulido Center of Drachman Hall. For more information, visit www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/visitors/pharmacy-museum [2].