See the Wix tampon, instructions, The Fascinating Story of Wix (and another version) and store instruction sheet. See a Wix tampon store display ad.
Early commercial tampons
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)
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).
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.

 

The Oakland [Cal.] Tribune advertised Wix on Sunday, June 10, 1934
and
The Sears, Roebuck catalog (U.S.A.) advertised Wix menstrual tampons in its 1934 Fall-Winter catalog

Embarrassment was an issue Sears exploited for years - but it was also a convenience for women. Embarrassment had forced Kotex to sell its napkins from the tops of sales counters in the 1920s (see here), where a woman also deposited her money into a box. Self-service stores today use the same technique, although even shy women must face a cashier.

This museum also possesses a 1934 ad for Tampax.

The price listed on the side of the box in the MUM illustration is $0.50, which might mean this particular box was made later than the above ad - or just that Sears sold it cheaper.

 
Above: Newspaper ad from the Oakland [Cal.] Tribune, Sunday, June 10, 1934, bottom right of page 28[?] next to an ad entitled "That Old Neck," below. Hope never fades but maybe wrinkles do. The ad above mentions a woman advising about feminine hygiene; she might have used this card to instruct potential customers. Tampax also had customer advisors, and a booth at the 1939 World's Fair. Other tampons also featured women in bathing suits, like fax, pads not being suited to them. Read who this "woman thoroughly versed in feminine hygiene" might be.
Below: the ad in the Sears, Roebuck catalog for fall-winter, 1934.
See more Wix ads - See the Wix tampon, instructions, patent, The Fascinating Story of Wix (and another version) and store instruction sheet. See a Wix tampon store display ad.

© 1998 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