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The Museum of Menstruation and
Women's Health
Menstrual sanitary aprons,
underpants, etc. in mail-order
catalogs from 1918 - 1941 (U.S.A.)
The Charles
William Stores catalog, 1918,
New York City
Sanitary aprons, aprons made of
waterproof material worn under
women's dresses to protect them
from stains (as from menstrual
blood), seem to have been a hot
item in the first half of the
20th-century in America. My guess
is that menstrual pads, tampons
and other devices to absorb
menstrual discharge must not have
worked very well, a thought that
an early visitor to the museum in
my house supported.
The black woman from Washington,
D.C., said that blacks tend to
gush blood the first couple days
of their periods. She saw the
sanitary apron on a mannequin
hanging from the ceiling and
said, "THAT would sell BIG in the
African-American community here!"
I had thought sanitary aprons
disappeared in the early 20th
century but the contributor of
these scans found one in a 1941
Sears, Roebuck catalog. Women were
used to wearing cumbersome clothes
in these years; I doubt many women
today would tolerate them. Just try jogging
in this "Athletic Hip Confiner
and Girdle" (bottom of page).
See washable
pads and ads for them, early
Kotex, "sanitary underpants
& panties" and more belts.
I thank again the generous
contributor from Oregon for
these scans and his research!
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Below:
The pads in
tubes in the Tourist Set
remind me of a later American pad
in a tube, Delicate,
which had a belt attached.
Traveling women must have had a
difficult time while menstruating.
Before disposable
pads they undoubtedly burned
or otherwise tossed the washable
pads.
Try jogging
in the "Athletic Hip Confiner
and Girdle" (bottom of page).
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© 2007 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
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