According to the Wilsons, Dr Huson Swayne started his practice in 1838. He started showing up in Directories starting in 1845, at N.W. 8th & Race Streets, Philadelphia. He was in the Patent Medicines business at that time and apparently, his products did not yet include any hair preparations. By 1862, the business was being listed as H. Swayne & Son (William P.) at 144 N. 8th. They continued in business together until around 1870, when Huson apparently died.
William had started to list himself as a "Physician" in 1867, and he took over his father's business following in his footsteps. Around 1863 their primary business address had changed to 330 N. 6th. Although William was running the business himself, it continued to be called Dr Swayne & Son. This made for a smooth transition around 1887, when he brought his own son (William A.) into the business. They continued together for a few years, then, sometime prior to 1905, the business was taken over by Walter Micram and Howard Sowden. It is not known whether they bought it out, or just started managing it.
In 1857 and 1858 Swayne was selling a hair product called "Persian Hair Lustral." Judging from the bottles I've seen, and the ads, I'd say Swayne started selling his London Hair Restorer in the 1860s. By 1872, the name of the product had been changed to "London Hair Color Restorer." It was still for sale in the 1901 Morrison & Plummer catalog, and, according to Fike, it was sellling as late as 1929 by James F Ballard, Inc., St Louis, Mo.
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