Historic Hood River
Banana Oil?
9-8-2026
Notes
It’s always nice to start the week learning something new. Grace came through this week with a bottle of “Banana Oil” from the museum archives:
This glass bottle from Barclay Pharmacy once held “Banana Oil (Synthetic),” chemically known as isoamyl acetate. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact purpose this specific bottle served, isoamyl acetate was a surprisingly versatile household compound with many uses. It was used for everything from artificial banana flavoring in food and candy to serving as a potent solvent for dissolving shellac when refinishing furniture or thinning nail polish. Barclay’s Drugs operated on Oak Street from the 1930s through the 1960s.
Kalley
That’s funny. Let’s eat something that also dissolves shellac and thins nail polish! I love the 4 digit phone number and that Oregon was written out and not abbreviated just OR.
Roger Sheldrake
You have to wonder!! Who was the first woman to go out to the garage to find shellac remover for the banana bread? What other yummy treats might be lurking in the barn?
ArthurB
Wikipedia says this chemical is also used to test the seal on respirators.
L. E.
My grandma made really good banana pudding. Now I am wondering if she used banana oil..
interesting reading about it. I thought it interesting that in the 1920’s
American slang, banana oil could mean nonsense, insincere talk or flattery.