Gibbs Dentifrice

Medicines & Health > Teeth, Toothpaste

23 Comments

Gibbs Dentifrice
Gibbs Dentifrice
Year: 1946
Views: 24,901
Item #: 177
FOR YOU - and the children too! Gibbs Dentifrice. Cleansing. Refreshing. Economical. The family choice for over 30 years.
Source: Picture Post. February 9, 1946

Comment by: Sandra Box on 7th July 2024 at 12:11

I am curator of a small museum in the goldfields town of Cue in mid-Western Australia. I recently found a mashed up tin lid of the Gibbs Dentrifice. When I was a kid in school Mum told me were related to the manufacturers (maiden name is Gibbs) but I don't know if I believe it. My brother and I were mercilessly teased about Gibbs toothpaste. Anyway, the museum has a mangled tube of Ipana (no box) in the dental display and I was wondering if anyone out there has an old spare tin of this stuff or the jigsaws or adverts they would be happy to donate for display? Any dental relics and tools would be very much appreciated. Just thought I'd put it out there, thanks. Have a great day.

Comment by: ann bwling on 16th July 2021 at 13:55

My parents bought this in a pink tin and a green tin for me to use as a toddler in the early 1950s. I remember scrubbing my Noddy toothbrush on it. It is a strong early memory.

Comment by: Susan Reeves on 19th March 2021 at 07:07

I just metal detected one of these lids at a camping ground in Kaikoura NZ.

Comment by: Bertie white on 28th January 2021 at 16:53

I am 10 and I found one open with remands of toothpaste still inside it and I can open it up

Comment by: sylvia ann jenkins on 21st August 2017 at 16:17

I hated the gibb's dentifrice, I used to pray for a tube of sky toothpaste, or some pepsodent, toothpaste in a tube seemed the height of luxury

Comment by: Ron on 20th August 2017 at 07:33

I remeber hating toothpaste as a small boy - felt just like putting a squashy worm in my mouth - so I insisted on using Dentifrice, which was great. When did they stop making it?

Comment by: Ron on 19th August 2017 at 15:34

I remeber hating toothpaste as a small boy - felt just like putting a squashy worm in my mouth - so I insisted on using Dentifrice, which was great. When did they stop making it?

Comment by: Brian Goodson on 7th March 2016 at 11:54

Does anyone remember the Ivory Castles and Giant Decay programme on Radio Normandy every Sunday morning at 8.30 during the 1930's advertising Gibbs Dentifrice?

Comment by: jake veazey on 28th May 2015 at 10:25

Ive found five of these lids while metaldetecting in middlesbrough north east uk

Comment by: Brenda Haynes on 4th June 2014 at 11:04

As part of their advertising campaign or as a reward for buying the product, the Gibbs company at some stage produced a series of cardboard jigsaw puzzles, featuring the ivory castle and the Gibbs archer plus lots of tiny fairies and small goblins. It would be good to have a rough date for these items as we have three still which came from my husband's family. If the person who sent the original letter about the Gibbs family would like me to do so, I could photograph the puzzles, made up and make arrangements to mail them somehow.

Comment by: Robyn on 22nd May 2014 at 13:39

I have recently found out that the soap manufacturer D & W Gibbs was owned by my great great great grandfathers family. It is wonderful to see these pieces of history.

Comment by: Merv on 19th May 2014 at 19:26

Found one these tops at Lepe Beach, Langley, Southampton, Hants 30/04/2014 Near D-Day embarkation remains.

Comment by: kevin bleasdale on 11th May 2014 at 20:13

I just found a top of one of these, metal detecting in Bideford, Devon, UK

Comment by: F. J. Nitely on 22nd February 2014 at 05:08

I just found a badly battered top of one of these while metal detecting in Adelaide, South Australia!

Comment by: sue on 16th April 2012 at 22:45

I have two unopened tins of this.

Comment by: Reg Sheard on 3rd February 2011 at 17:50

I worked as an apprentice in Lever brothers Port Sunlight in 1949. Gibbs was made in a little room with restricted access in No3 soapery i can smell it now it was lovely we used to Borrow? some for personal use.My sister used to save the Pink wrapping paper I never found out why

Comment by: Pauline B (nee Johnson) on 25th January 2011 at 12:36

In 1952, when I was just five years old and my sister was nine, we were sent to a convalescent home in Devon for six weeks, as our Mum was poorly and she needed a break. It was the first time I remember seeing pink Gibbs Dentifrice in the little round tin. The nurses used to brush my teeth for me using this and it's sometihng I will never forget!

Comment by: Alan Humphris on 4th December 2010 at 17:51

My mother regularly bought Gibbs Dentifrice in the 1940's and 1950's. It was horrible, my brother and I hated it, as a consequence we often went days on end without cleaning our teeth, and of course suffered tooth decay as a result. Back in the early 50's our mother took us to a school clinic when we needed dental treatment, rather than a regular dental surgeon, the problem was that there was only one treatment available there, and that was a general anasthetic using gas, and then extraction of the offending tooth. Fillings were not an option. We both needed to have dentures in our mid teens. Bad days.

Comment by: roger g hill on 27th September 2010 at 20:01

I had the privilege of selling Gibbs Dentifrice as Area sales representative with D and W gibbs in England.I worked for Unilever for 29 years and retired in 1989.with Elida Gibbs.

Comment by: kirstie lewis on 10th May 2010 at 17:25

I am the same as above, just purchased a metal detector and found a small silver tin with gills dentrfrice written on it. Didn't have a clue untill i looked on here. Love it, it even has a space on the back to write your name on it. It very mis-shaped but interesting.

Comment by: Mark p on 9th October 2008 at 22:41

Gibbs dentifrice
I've been Metal detecting in hampshire today,
and found the tin a bit crushed but readable.
not opened it yet!!

Comment by: David Maia on 18th June 2008 at 02:30

I am too young to know this kind of toothpast, but i found one of this cans on the wrecks of an english truck convoy in Libya, 70 years later. Not with this drawing, but a simple Gibbs dentifrice. I couldnt understand if it was gibbs or gills, but a quick check in the net popped up this!

Comment by: Derek Lepper on 7th October 2006 at 20:16

I remember this, so well that I could 'taste' it when just saw the ad. How strange. I remember too unwrapping the beautiful multi-fold paper containing the tablet. We need it again now since toothpaste is not permitted in airline carry-on bags.