In 2015, Dr. Robert Shikes, Professor Emeritus in the Pathology Department at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and his wife Patricia generously donated an extensive collection of medical artifacts to the Strauss Health Sciences Library. This remarkable collection, amassed over many years, includes over 1,000 items and offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of medicine. 

The Shikes Colorado Medicine Bottle exhibit features antique medicine bottles that are unique to Colorado. It includes bottles from over 25 different towns throughout the state, including Julesburg, Pueblo, Durango, Telluride, Cripple Creek, Canyon City, Ft. Collins, and Denver. Many of these bottles are embossed with the city and name of the originating pharmacy or druggist, a practice that gained popularity in the mid-19th Century and continued into the early 20th Century. The diversity of bottle shapes, colors, and sizes in this collection provide a beautiful representation of Colorado's rich pharmacological past.