This past month I was pleasantly surprised to come across this ad for Pomeroy—I thought I had found all the obvious ghost signs in the Fulton Mall area. The ad is located at 208 Livingston Street, Downtown Brooklyn/Fulton Mall. Pomeroy specialized in trusses, a surgical appliance worn to support a hernia, typically a padded belt, as well as elastic stockings, abdominal belts and artificial legs. 

Ads I found online date from 1879-1936. They advertised The “Finger Pad”, The “Water Pad”, The “Frame Trusses”, The “Jointed Spring Trusses”, The “Elastic Rupture Belt”. Later ads seem to focus on The “Master”—surgical elastic stockings. All these products have a whiff of quackery to me. Although they weren’t alone in this practice during this era with Dr. Tutt’s and Fletcher’s Castoria coming to mind.

You can view a few of their patents from 1871 and 1873 online at the National Archives. The earlier ones list only William Pomeory as inventor with Daniel Pomeroy as a witness. The April 1873 patent list the inventor as Daniel Pomeroy and the June 1873 patent lists them both as inventor.

I have to gather that William and Daniel were brothers; family at least. A 1868 listing in a Brooklyn, NYC Directory lists a William Pomeroy, trusses at Lafayette and Nostrand Aves. A few names above you’ll see a listing for a Charles Pomeroy same profession, same address. I assume Charles is the father and trusses are a family business.

I do not know how long Pomeroy stayed in business. The 1940s tax photo for 208 Livingston Street shows the Pomeroy name on the building and the building adjacent.

A bit of ephemera I found online for sale on ebay is a “Medal of Superiority” awarded to Pomeroy in 1885. It can be yours for $240.00!