More menstrual and everyday underpants
Japanese, early 20th century - "Sanitary Bloomers," 1922 (ad from Sears, Roebuck catalog, U.S.A.) - various underpants, 1928 (page from Sears, Roebuck catalog) - step-in, Hickory, 1928 (ad from Vanity Fair magazine, U.S.A.) - first Sears everyday underpants (nonmenstrual), 1935 (ad from Sears, Roebuck catalog) - various underpants (and belts), 1946-47 (page from Sears, Roebuck catalog) - various underpants, 1960s (part of Personal Digest, Modess, U.S.A.) - SheShells underpants (1970s)
See a prototype of the first Kotex ad.
See more Kotex items: Ad 1928 (Sears and Roebuck catalog) - Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (booklet for girls, 1928, Australian edition; there are many links here to Kotex items) - 1920s booklet in Spanish showing disposal method - box from about 1969 - Preparing for Womanhood (1920s, booklet for girls) - "Are you in the know?" ads (Kotex) (1949)(1953)(1964)(booklet, 1956) - See more ads on the Ads for Teenagers main page
Ads for the Kotex stick tampon (U.S.A., 1970s) - a Japanese stick tampon from the 1970s.
Early commercial tampons - Rely tampon - Meds tampon (Modess)
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
homepage | 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.

Modess "Sanitary Shield" for menstrual pads (Personal Products Company, 1972)

Modess - the name has appeared on a line of pads and tampon since the mid 1920s (here's a "Silent Purchase" ad from 1928, and see an early attempt - 1927 - to improve the pad) - made this pad carrier in the transitional era between belted and stick-on pads (the photos below show it holding a Stayfree pad, the early beltless promoted by gymnast Cathy Rigby in many ads).

Read more about the shield on the back of the box at the bottom of the page.

 

A plastic mannequin wears the shield. 

 

The shield partly expanded. 

 

 

Two elastic bands in the crotch hold the pad. 
The bands holding a contemporary sticky-back Stayfree pad, which was much thicker than today's pads.

 

 

This box contained the shield (front). Note the hole, at top, for sliding onto a horizontal rod in a store. The words, below left on the box, are enlarged below.
 The back of the box, above, held the information enlarged below.
Yes, the box is really this shade of green and yellow, and the shield is pink.

 

 

Above: words enlarged from the front of the box. 
Above: words enlarged from the back of the box. 
Bulging, slipping, twisting and bothersome attachments had been constant complaints from women since the 1920s, and probably before. I'm sure at least some of these complaints remained with this attempt.

More menstrual and everyday underpants
Japanese, early 20th century - "Sanitary Bloomers," 1922 (ad from Sears, Roebuck catalog, U.S.A.), various underpants, 1960s (part of Personal Digest, Modess, U.S.A.) - SheShells underpants (1970s)

© 1999 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org