See the early New Freedom pad -an early ad for New Freedom (1971) - more underpants - similar Modess leaflets
See other flushable pads: Society (American?, 1920s - 1930s?), Modess (American, 1972) and Sani-Flite (American, 1971)
Early commercial tampons
And, of course, the first Tampax AND - special for you! - the American fax tampon, from the early 1930s, which also came in bags.
See a Modess True or False? ad in The American Girl magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad (1955) - Modess . . . . because ads (many dates).
DIRECTORY of all topics (See also the SEARCH ENGINE, bottom of page.)
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
homepage | LIST OF ALL TOPICS | MUM address & What does MUM mean? | e-mail the museum | privacy on this site | who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! | the art of menstruation | artists (non-menstrual) | asbestos | belts | bidets | founder bio | Bly, Nellie | MUM board | books: menstruation and menopause (and reviews) | cats | company booklets for girls (mostly) directory | contraception and religion | costumes | menstrual cups | cup usage | dispensers | douches, pain, sprays | essay directory | extraction | facts-of-life booklets for girls | famous women in menstrual hygiene ads | FAQ | founder/director biography | gynecological topics by Dr. Soucasaux | humor | huts | links | masturbation | media coverage of MUM | menarche booklets for girls and parents | miscellaneous | museum future | Norwegian menstruation exhibit | odor | olor | pad directory | patent medicine | poetry directory | products, current | puberty booklets for girls and parents | religion | Religión y menstruación | your remedies for menstrual discomfort | menstrual products safety | science | Seguridad de productos para la menstruación | shame | slapping, menstrual | sponges | synchrony | tampon directory | early tampons | teen ads directory | tour of the former museum (video) | underpants & panties directory | videos, films directory | Words and expressions about menstruation | Would you stop menstruating if you could? | What did women do about menstruation in the past? | washable pads
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Promotional leaflet for the new New Freedom adhesive menstrual pad, ca. 1971 (Kotex, U.S.A.)

Women had complained for decades about pads (for example, in the famous Lillian Gilbreth report to Johnson & Johnson, 1928): they shifted position, roped (twisted like a rope) and the attachment devices sometimes irritated or injured the wearer.

In the early 1970s Kotex introduced New Freedom pads, which used adhesive to stick to the crotch of close-fitting underpants, a much better method. Modess (Personal Products Company) introduced Stayfree adhesive pads soon afterward; Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby famously promoted them.

Tambrands, former maker of the Tampax tampon, generously gave this leaflet to this museum.

 

 
 
Above: Front of leaflet 
Left: Back page
Unlike a lot of recent developments in menstrual hygiene, the "totally new concept" WAS new: the pad stuck onto the crotch of regular underpants rather than attaching with pins, clasps, a belt, etc. (For example, see a loop attachment in a Modess "Sanitary Shield.")

 

 
The two interior pages. Most of the leaflet promotes the revolutionary stick-in-panties feature rather than the pad itself.
 

See the early New Freedom pad -an early ad for New Freedom (1971) - more underpants - similar Modess leaflets

© 2000 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org