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All Mexico Mérida Roberina Sidewalk Adverts

Roberina Sidewalk Adverts

These mosaic designs promise a cure for headaches, toothaches, and colds.

Mérida, Mexico

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linkogecko
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At the Cardenal (Cardinal) corner.   Winnie Lee/Atlas Obscura
Roberina used to cure from headaches to colds, all for 5 cents.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
One of the adverts is located on the Cardenal (Cardinal) Corner.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Another advert can be found at the El Mamey Corner.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Advert next to a door at the Cardenal (Cardinal) corner.   Winnie Lee/Atlas Obscura
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Living in the age of social media, it may often feel like there is no space free of advertising. But this is hardly a new phenomenon, as proven if you look down while walking the streets in the historic center of the city of Mérida.

On some sidewalks, you will be able to find old advertisements for Roberina, an early 20th-century medicine that claimed to cure headaches, toothaches, rheumatism, and colds; all for a mere 5 cents. It is believed that most of these plaques were located outside of drugstores and, with at least three remaining as of 2022, Mérida was likely the city in Mexico with the most of these mosaics.

Roberina was sold across most of the country, however, with archives showing adverts in central cities like Huauchinango and Mexico City. In fact, it seems to have even made its way into neighboring Guatemala. Mérida's Historic Center apparently has a soft spot for retro adverts such as Roberina's, since a couple of other contemporary mosaics for General Popo (a former tire manufacturer) can be found on modern storefronts of this area of the city.

Two of the adverts are easily located using the well-known Corners of Mérida. One can be found at El Mamey Corner (74th and 75th streets), and another at El Cardenal (63rd and 70th streets).

Related Tags

Mosaics Advertising Tiles
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Added By

linkogecko

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, winnielee

  • Collector of Experiences
  • winnielee

Published

October 21, 2022

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  • https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/repositorio/islandora/search/mods_titleInfo_title_mt:%28%22Arco%20publicitario%20sobre%20el%20medicamento%20%22Roberina%22%22%5E60%29%20OR%20dc.contributor:%28%22Casasola%22%29%5E70%20OR%20mods_subject_topic_mt:%28%22p%C3%BAblicidad%22%29%5E100%20OR%20mods_subject_topic_mt:%28%22ferias%22%20OR%20%22exposiciones%20comerciales%20e%20industriales%22%20OR%20%22gente%22%20OR%20%22autom%C3%B3viles%22%20OR%20%22calles%20y%20avenidas%22%20OR%20%22z%C3%B3calos%22%20OR%20%22alumbrado%20p%C3%BAblico%22%20OR%20%22fotoperiodismo%22%29%5E100%20OR%20mods_originInfo_place_placeTerm_ms:%22Ciudad%20de%20M%C3%A9xico,%20Distrito%20Federal,%20M%C3%A9xico%22%20OR%20mods_genre_mt:%22Fotograf%C3%ADa%22%5E8%20OR%20RELS_EXT_isFondoOf_uri_ms:*fondo%3Fsinafo_a%5E25%20OR%20RELS_EXT_isParteOf_uri_ms:*fototeca%3F62%5E1
  • https://retrografos.blogspot.com/2016/01/el-liberal-progresista-1940.html
  •  https://es-la.facebook.com/minutoaminutocom/posts/roberina-5-para-los-dolores-de-cabeza-y-resfriadoshuauchinango-en-el-recuerdo/826236514190239/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BXzRx3ZjG4
Roberina Sidewalk Adverts
557 C. 75
Mérida, 97000
Mexico
20.959512, -89.63296
Get Directions

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