Wm. Radam’s Microbe Killer 1887 Vintage Men’s T-Shirt

In 1887 an Austin, Texas farmer William Radam was issued a U.S. patent for “a new and improved fumigating composition for preserving and purifying purposes.” The elixir was said to “kill all fungus, germs, parasites, and other matter producing fermentation or decay.” Despite the fact his patent did not mention human consumption, Radam was convinced he had invented the remedy to all the ills of mankind. Radam’s concoction of water laced with small amounts of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid was an international commercial success that saw him open up 17 factories across the U.S. He became a wealthy man, moving from Austin to a Fifth Avenue mansion in Manhattan. Despite numerous challenges to his claims, his salesmanship trumped even the most credentialed challengers, and the company continued on after his death in 1902 under his widow’s leadership.

Like all our designs, this one is treated with our signature ‘relic-ing’ process which includes our own secret recipe of hand-painted chipping, cracking, fading, and just the right touch of yellowing to ensure that it looks the part of a true vintage imprint.** We lay these works of art down on premium Bella+Canvas 3001 Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tees, one of the softest, best-wearing t-shirts available today, via state of the art direct to garment (DTG) printing which allows us to create a vintage effect that simply can’t be accomplished with other printing methods. In short, these shirts are everything you’ve dreamed of and more – it feels soft and lightweight with just the right amount of stretch making it comfortable and flattering for both men and women.

Not sure what size is your best fit? We recommend taking one of your current t-shirts, laying it flat and measuring it. The measurements in the chart below are taken with the shirt laying on a flat surface. To get the length, measure from the high shoulder point down to the bottom of the shirt. To get the width, measure approximately 1-inch below the armhole, across the chest, from seam to seam. While our tees are all made using premium, pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton, there can be some shrinkage depending on your personal wash and dry cycles. With that said, if you’re on the fence, we always suggest going up a size.

All sizes are provided in inches!

*Heather colors are 52% combed and ring-spun cotton/48% polyester. Athletic and Black Heather is 90% combed and ring-spun cotton/10% polyester. Ash color is 99% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton and 1% poly. **Due to the nature of the printing process and different sizes of shirts offered, imprint position and scale may vary slightly from the product images, but we do our best to be as accurate as possible.