Southall's ads from the United Kingdom, 1888-1913
Lister's [Sanitary] Towels (U.S.A., 1890s-1920s?) 4 ads for the first American disposable pad, by Johnson & Johnson
Read the main Hartmann page and see similar early U.K. towels (menstrual pads) by Mosana.
Washable pads - Menstrual sponge - Swedish advertisement for a belt and pad and adhesive pad
Suspenders for holding pads (U.S.A., 19th century)
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MUSEUM OF MENSTRUATION AND WOMEN'S HEALTH

Early disposable menstrual napkin (towel) for traveling women: Southalls' (U.K.)
Small box with single pad (1930s?)

Women who traveled when menstruating ran into problems before disposable pads widely appeared in the 1920s. This single towel - the English name for menstrual pad or napkin - saved women the trouble of washing a washable pad, which were sometimes burned, for example in a hotel fireplace or with a special burner.

Southall's - the company early used an apostrophe in two different positions but today uses none - was one of the earliest makers of menstrual goods in Great Britain and is still in the business.

It's hard to date this box but this note from Andrew Smith, the donor (2008) gives a clue:

My aunty was in her 80's when she died. She lived in Manchester (England) all her life. Why she had these items (from the 1930's??) in her drawer, I do not know!!

The typography is mixed and inconsistent with the ads on this site, probably indicating the box dates after 1913.

There was nothing in this previously unopened box but the pad and pins shown here.

I can understand why women hated - today, too - these things as evidenced in the Gilbreth report.

See Southall's ads from the United Kingdom, 1888-1913. Lister's [Sanitary] Towels (U.S.A., 1890s-1920s?) 4 ads for the first American disposable pad, by Johnson & Johnson
Read the main Hartmann page and see similar early U.K. towels (menstrual pads) by Mosana.

I thank Andrew Smith, Wales, United Kingdom, for this generous gift as well as two others!


Below: Unlike the larger box, the opposing large sides are different. The box measures 2 1/2 x 1 3/8 x 5/8" (about 6.2 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm). American travel(l)ing ladies bought these pads and sanitary aprons.
Below: The sides and ends.
Below: Pads in the 1930s and before usually came in three sizes, at most, so science marched forward with these.

 
Left: The ends are identical.

Below: Open one end and you see the folded pad.
 
Below: The block of folded pad right from the box seeing daylight for the first time in decades - just as with the larger one. It wasn't easy to get out!
 

NEXT: The unfurled pad | large box of Southall's | Lilia pad in a tube Southalls' ads from the United Kingdom, 1888-1913 - Lister's [Sanitary] Towels (U.S.A., 1890s-1920s?) 4 ads for the first American disposable pad, by Johnson & Johnson - Read the main Hartmann page and see similar early U.K. towels (menstrual pads) by Mosana. Washable pads - Menstrual sponge - Swedish advertisement for a belt and pad and adhesive pad
Suspenders for holding pads (U.S.A., 19th century)

© 2008 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on
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