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For a later, American celebration that was a tad more graphic (see Tamara Wyndham's celebration.
Booklets menstrual hygiene companies made for girls, women and teachers - patent medicine - a list of books and articles about menstruation - videos
What did American and European women use in the past for menstruation?
See also How shall I tell my daughter? and Personal Digest and read the whole booklet As One Girl to Another (Kotex, 1940).
See a Kotex ad advertising a Marjorie May booklet.
See many more similar booklets.
See ads for menarche-education booklets: Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (Kotex, 1932), Tampax tampons (1970, with Susan Dey), Personal Products (1955, with Carol Lynley), and German o.b. tampons (lower ad, 1981)
See also the booklets How shall I tell my daughter? (Modess, various dates), and Growing up and liking it (Modess, various dates)
And read Lynn Peril's series about these and similar booklets!
Read the full text of the 1935 Canadian edition of Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday, probably identical to the American edition.
Is this the first Tampax tampon? Go to Early Commercial Tampons
Other early commercial tampons - Main Tampax patent - Ad from 1936 - World War II Tampax sign
More ads for teens (see also introductory page for teenage advertising): Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and Quest napkin powder, 1948, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and belts, 1949, U.S.A.)Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins, 1953, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and belts, 1964, U.S.A.), Freedom (1990, Germany), Kotex (1992, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Saba (1975, Denmark)
See early tampons and a list of tampon on this site - at least the ones I've cataloged.
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.


Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health homepage
Former museum - future - visit to the museum comic strip

"Ein Fest für unsere Töchter," ("A Festival for Our Daughters,"), one-page announcement for a celebration of menstruation, Frankfurt, Germany, 1988

In America I believe public celebrations of menstruation and especially of menarche started in the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of feminism. I suspect Europe has an earlier history of this, not having been bound by a society that usually suppressed sexuality.

This announcement seems suspiciously commercial, almost an ad for a dance teacher. But read it for yourself.

For a later, American celebration that was a tad more graphic (I think, anyway) see Tamara Wyndham's celebration.

This comes from the catalog "Menstruation: Monatshygiene im Wandel von 1900 bis heute," Text und Katalog: Sabine Zinn-Thomas und Walter Stolle. Eine Ausstellung des Hessischen Landesmuseums Darmstadt in der Außenstelle Lorsch, 26.11.1998 bis 31.7.1999. My translation: "Menstruation: Changing menstrual hygiene [in Germany, mostly] from 1900 to today [1998]." Text and catalog: Sabine Zinn-Thomas and Walter Stolle. An exhibition of the Hessian State Museum, Darmstadt, in the branch at Lorsch, from November 26, 1998 to July 31, 1999.

My translation lies under the Flugblatt - a flyer, handbill

My translation:

A Festival for Our Daughters

Women celebrate their menstruation

Suggestions and exchange of experiences in connection with meditative-folk dancing

A weekend seminar in spring, 1988, in Frankfurt
for mothers of 10 - 15 year old girls
with the movement teacher DAGMAR VON GARNIER

In order to participate you must be experienced with simple, "gebundenem" circle dancing in order to enter best prepared into the movement experience that leads to the theme Daughter - Menstruation - Possibilities of Celebration ["versärkt" seems to be a typo for "verstärkt"]

The longer and harder interested women "tune in" during this weekend the richer the exchange for everyone will be.

Until then get the tips for preparation and available dance appointment times as well as exact information about this special weekend in spring, 1988, from Dagmar von Garnier, 6000 Frankfurt 70, 33 Schneckenhof Street, (please enclose 1 German Mark, not an envelope)

It's planned to put the collected experiences in written form for women who weren't able at attend. Interested women please put 1 German Mark with their request and write Text for "A Festival for Our Daughters." As soon as it's ready (after summer 1988) you'll be notified when it'll be ready and for how much.

Please give this notice to as many women with young daughters as possible.


For a later, American celebration that was a tad more graphic see Tamara Wyndham's celebration.

© 2006 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 [email protected]