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Site directory for the history of commercial
disposable menstrual pads
(sanitary napkins, towels)
(see also washable
menstrual pads)
(Site directories for ads for teens,
tampons & company booklets for girls.
)
Women have used menstrual pads in various
forms since - well, the beginning of the
species maybe? The modern commercial
disposable pads seem to have started in the
late nineteenth century with the Hartmann
company (ads below) in Germany and Johnson
& Johnson in the U.S.A. Both companies
still operate. Kotex and Curads, in the
early 1920s, took the torch from J&J. In
Germany, Camelia began selling disposables
in the mid-1920s. Belts,
suspenders and
special underpants
held these early pads in place. In the early
1970s two revolutions - adhesive strips
holding the pad in the crotch of panties and
smaller pads (see New
Freedom and Stayfree)-
changed the industry, essentially killing
the belt-and-pad market, to the relief of
most women.
See how women wore
a belt (and in a Swedish ad).
Washable pads,
which are not included on this page
See what might be the
earliest
preserved pad and belt in
America (1850s) in the collection of the Valentine
Richmond History Center in Richmond,
Virginia, U.S.A.
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List of large
contributors of items at bottom of page.
Pads, at right (actual pads,
advertising, boxes)
(See also Ads for
Teens)
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Always ad
text writing contest
result, Sassy magazine, May 1994, with
the published cartoon ad. The 15-year-old
winner's text was drastically altered. - 1997, Dutch ad, (geen
uitweg, no exit) woman on desert
island.
Birdseye (Bird eye, bird'seye,
bird's eye) cloth used for diapers
and menstrual pads: ad in the Washington
Post, September 11, 1904
(97 years before the infamous "9/11"). You
can buy the cloth today.
Blue liquid
used in pad advertising:
Camelia
(early German disposable still widely sold)
The camellia (English spelling of the
flower) of the brand has a exceptionally naughty
history and would have never been
tolerated in the U.S.A. I can imagine the
torchlight processions of enraged citizens.
Dutch booklet (excerpts)
describing the pad and its origin (probably
1928). Ads: 1920s
(Germany), 1930s
(Germany), 1930s
box, etc., terrific
1930s ad!, 1940/41
(Germany), late 1940s-1950s?
(France), 1952
(Australia), 1973
Germany (shows the new adhesive pad through
panties), 1970s
(France), 1990,
also 1990 (white
pants) (Germany), 1992
(Germany) using white pants, 2003 (Austria)
Carefree (U.K.)
panty liner ads, 1993, 1994
Carefree Teens (U.S.A.) Personal Products,
colored pantyliners,
about 1990 - more
of them
Carefree
(Germany) (ads) 1990
, pantiliners. 1981, also 1981, 1983, 1991 (facing pages with seemingly not connected densely texted page). See also Ads for Teens
Cellucotton (Early newspaper reports
and later ads) & Kotex
menstrual pads (scroll down this page)
(U.S.A.)
Chinese pad and
belt (2000)
Chinese pad, Anerle
Chinese panty pad, Huitlao
Comforts
(U.S.A., 1907) "Sanitary Comforts of Old
Blankets," tip in magazine for possibly
making washable pads (?)
Compad (U.S.A.,
1940s-1960s?) single compressed pad with
belt in tiny package
Confetti very
long ad for Brevia Confetti
menstrual tampons & panty pads
(pantiliners) (13 June 1988, Kimberly-Clark
Corp., in Elle magazine, France)
See the second
Confetti page
Confidets
(U.S.A., 1961-1980s), a shaped pad (the
first?) and with disposal bags (the first?
See other disposal
bags), pads &
box (1967), ad
(1961)
Delicate
(U.S.A., mid 1940s-50s?) pads to carry, in a
tube - ad, 1953
Diapers
compared to pads in Italian
magazine - in Tampax ad. And
see diaper
cloth as menstrual pads.
Dr White's
(United Kingdom), ad, 1987 - 3-D ad, with glasses
attached, 1989, for Shapes pads - ad contest for Dr
White's
Early newspaper ads
for pads (U.S.A.). Includes paper
(disposable) pads before Kotex, the first
really successful brand; washable; and
related things like sanitary aprons and
belts. See also Generic
menstrual pads, below. Early Kotex ads
featuring Kotex
spokeswomen (Nurse Ellen Buckland,
Nurse Jean Maxfield
etc.)
Evax (Chile) ad,
1972.
Fems ad,
U.S.A., 1921. A different Fems
(Kimberly-Clark), ad,
May, 1959. See an Australian tampon
with the same name,
1967.
Freedom
(Germany), plastic
bag with ad, France ad 1990, U.K. ad
1990
Generic
menstrual pads (U.S.A.) Pads not identified
with a specific name. Ads: 1915 (paper and
cloth), 1916
(compressed for traveling, probably
disposable), 1914
(normal and compressed, probably for
traveling). See also Early
newspaper ads for pads, above.
Hartmann's Mulpa
1890s, first German disposable pad
Hartmann's WWs
(U.S.A.) Disposable pad, 19th century
inSync Miniform
(U.S.A.) contemporary small pad fitting
between the small lips of the vulva to
absorb small amounts of urine and vaginal
secretions. Now in a different form. Promotional package,
1997. See also Padette.
Japanese pads
and belts, early 20th century: instructions for
making the so-called uma
(pony or horse, because it resembled in
function the device on horses to catch
feces).
Junoform Serviettes
Periodiques Items in Butler
Brothers catalogs starting here (early 20th
century)
Junoform Sani-naps Items in Butler
Brothers catalogs starting here (early 20th
century)
Ladysan
(Chile) magazine ad,
1994, for Ladysan Ultra con Alas Protectoras
(menstrual pad "ultra" with wings). Procter
& Gamble owns the company. I thank a
Chilean university student for the scan!
Lernpaks an
"ad" for a fake
menstrual products company that MUM
director Harry Finley invented. It's meant
to be funny.
Libra (Australia)
ads 1996, 1997 (gifts from
C.W., in London, U.K.)
Libresse (see also
SCA) ad,
Poland, ca. 1998 (translated) - 1997 ad for
invisible, Dutch,
woman in white pants - ad, Dutch, 1998, showing
red on a pad - pad for thong,
1999 - Dutch bus-stop
ad in the town of Zwijndrecht, the
Netherlands, where the contributor lives,
2006 - telephone-booth
ad in London, U.K. - ad praising the
men who helped Mølnlycke reach second place
in the Netherlands (1978) - booklet describing
pads, 2007, the Netherlands
Lightdays
Pantiliners (Kotex): ads featuring
named women, 1982,
1985, 1986
Lilia (U.K., pad
in a tube, 1930s?) Generous gift from Andrew Smith, Wales,
United Kingdom.
Lines ad
(Italy)
Lister's [Sanitary]
Towels (U.S.A., 1890s-1920s?) 4 ads
for the first American disposable pad, by
Johnson & Johnson
Mene ad
(United Kingdon) Ad 1931
Merco (U.S.A.,
1919) Ad. Disposable?
Mimosept mini
(Denmark) ad, 1970s?
- Germany, Mimosept
Komfort, 1970s - Denmark, Mimosept
Mini, 1972
Modess (Johnson
& Johnson, Personal Products Co.,
U.S.A.)
Company history
(excerpts): A
Company That Cares (1927)
Gilbreth report to Johnson &
Johnson about Modess - newspaper ads 1927-28 - "Silent Purchase"
ad, June 1928 - ad, 1928
- woman
in fur coat, Nov. 28 - "Modernizing
Mother" ads: #1, February 1929 ("Mother . . . don't be
quaint"); #3 April 1929 ("Don't weaken, Mother");
#5, June 1929 ("Never
mind, Mother, you'll learn"); November
1929 ("They're
cute, Mother - a cotton nightie is
primitive") - ad
about concealing pad, 1930 - ad compared with
Kotex ad, 1931 - ad, 1931
- wrapped Modess pad
for dispenser, 1930s? - Ad, U.K., 1936 - True or False? ad
in The American Girl magazine, January 1947
- actress Carol
Lynley in "How shall I tell my
daughter?" booklet ad (1955) - Australian ad,
1957 - ad (1956)
with "Modess . . . . because" ad
incorporated into it - ad for "Growing Up
and Liking It" booklet (1963, Modess) - - Modess . . . . because
ads (many dates) - ad with baby, 1969: "She knows as much
about sanitary napkins as you do." and
others in the same
series, 1970-71 - French ad, 1970s?
- ad, French,
1972, photo by David Hamilton - Personal Digest
leaflets (7), 1966-67: describe Modess
products - How Modess
Sanitary Napkins Began: excerpts
from"A Company That Cares: One Hundred Year
Illustrated History of Johnson and Johnson"
Mosana Early
disposable menstrual napkin (towel):
Ad from the United Kingdom, 1913
Moss in
pads: see Sphagnum
moss, below
Mölnlycke (a
company) see Libresse
Mulpa, Hartmann's
1890s, first German disposable pad?
Nana (France)
one-page ad featuring just a man (1980s?) - two-page spread
featuring a different man (1989)
Nefa (the
Netherlands) - ad in Panorama magazine, 28 July 1938 - ad, 1954 - ad, 1967 (all gifts from
a frequent and generous Dutch contributor)
New Freedom
(U.S.A.), an early beltless pad (by Kotex);
box bears a copyright of 1970 - ad November 21,
1971, The Milwaukee Journal - ad, U.K, 1973 - ad using named
person, 1978 - promotion leaflet (date
unknown) - ad, 1985, showing disposal bag
Nikini pads and
briefs , ad (U.K., 1970s?)
Nupak
(U.S.A., Johnson & Johnson) probably the
first disposable J&J pad after the late
19th century and early 20th failures or
seldom-bought pads. Ads, 1926, 1927.
Padette (U.S.A.)
small menstrual/urine/vaginal secretions pad
that fit between the small lips of the
vulva; obsolete but there's a market for it
as evidenced from the e-mail I've received.
See also InSync
Miniform.
Pad-n-all
(1930s-1940s?, U.S.A.) a combination of pad
and attached belt, probably made of cotton
(Procter & Gamble donation, 2001)
Paper
sanitary napkins (U.S.A., pre-Kotex) Ad in
regional newspaper: 1917.
Disposable menstrual pads are almost always
made of a paper-like substance from trees,
but these are identified as "paper."
Peat moss
in pads: see Sphagnum
moss, below
Pen-Co-Nap
(U.S.A., 1929) Ad
for the J.C. Penney Co. pad.
Polivia
(France) ad, 1989
Prudex
Disposable pad from Lydia Pinkham, 1929,
U.S.A. The -ex
form might come from a competitor, Kotex.
Ria (Germany)
panty pads ad with real pad on page
SABA (later SCA)
Ad, 1970s
(Denmark) - Short history of the
Norwegian company (SCA Mølnlycke) - Early
ads (1956 & another & another, Norway) - Swedish ad, 1981 -
Ad (date?) Swedish, showing
hand holding pad in underpants - ad
showing a woman exercising while not
shifting the pad (1970s, bottom of the page)
SAN-NAP-PAK
(U.S.A.) ad, in The American Girl magazine,
July 1945 - ad, 1932, in Love Mirror (with a
great magazine cover)
Sanisep
(Sweden) ad, 1970s, photo of woman in
underpants wearing the pad, showing also
photo of older belted pad on woman in
underpants - Swedish
ad (date?) showing wearer's hands
holding pad in underpants - Finnish ad (date?)
showing hands holding pad in underpants
SCA (see
also Libresse) (formerly SABA, Sweden) Libresse panty pad
for thongs (1999)
(and here).
In 1999 the company wrote about astronaut
Sally Ride and me in its company magazine.
Serena
(Germany, ad Sept.
1982, and ad/editorial July 1982,
showing same
model). The company Dr.
Hahn GmbH marketed it, the same company
that owned o.b.
tampons until Johnson & Johnson
acquired the brand in the 1970s.
Silhouettes (German
ad, 1988). Pads from Johnson &
Johnson.
Slipvast (Dutch
ads from the Mønlycke company for Libresse,
1977)
Society (U.S.A.),
pad and box, probably 1920s or 1930s
Southalls (spelled also with an
apostrophe in different positions) Early
disposable menstrual napkin, U.K.: large box with
single pad, small
box with single pad, (1930s?). Both
gifts from Andrew
Smith, Wales, United Kingdom.
Southall ads
from the United Kingdom, 1888-1913. American ads for
Southalls including "A
lady you must be or do not read this
advertisement." Southall's pad disposal bag
Sphagnum moss
(peat moss) in pads: SFAG-NA-KINS,
U.S.A., ads (1919) and box (date?)
(neither are in the MUM physical
collection) - in Vania
Ultra (France), ad,
Oct. 1994
Stayfree
(U.S.A., the Netherlands) ad with Cathy Rigby (1982). More ads with Rigby
and others (U.S.A., Germany,
Hispanic America).
Listen to Cathy
Rigby speak a radio ad for Stayfree (1982).
Ads, U.S.A., 1973,
1974, showing new
beltless pad - Ad, 1980, cheerleaders - Ad,
1977, girl
skateboarding in white shorts - Ad,
1982, white shorts
- Ad, U.S.A., 1984: white
sheets as main design element - Ad,
1996, cartwheel in
white pants - Dutch ads showing women
wearing pad & belt: 1972 (photo), 1973 (drawing) -
German, 1976, 1977, diagrams
showing blood flow & panties - series of
different Stayfree ads, U.S.A. and other
countries - 1983
Cathy Rigy ad - 1980 American folder with
great visual pun on cover: Your Teenage Menstrual
Cycle - Historic
Stayfree writes MUM (no, I didn't get paid
for this), "STAYFREE® Maxi Pads and
Information for Spotting, Bleeding, and
Discharge during Pregnancy URL: www.STAYFREE.com
Description: Pads can come in handy to
protect you throughout many of the bodily
changes experienced during pregnancy and the
childbirth recovery period. STAYFREE® offers
the broadest range of feminine hygiene
products available as well as helpful
resources and products for your
pregnancy. From light menstruation to
active bladder control, there's a STAYFREE®
solution that fits your needs before,
during, and after pregnancy."
Thailand ad, date?
Thong, panty
pad for (SCA, a Swedish company)
Valentine: See what
might be the earliest
preserved pad and belt in
America (1850s) in the collection of the
Valentine Richmond History Center
in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
Vania Ultra, 2-page ad,
October 1994, in 20 Ans magazine.
Promotes its "unique"use of sphagnum (peat) moss,
whose use in commercial pads dates at least
as far back as the American SFAG-NA-KINS,
1919. Vania Girl ad,
2-page, panty pad and tampon,
Washable: General subject
- India (in
Almora, Uttar Pradesh state) - 19th century
Italian - 19th
century Norwegian
- German pattern
for home sewing (probably late 19th century)
- Snap-on
- with underpants
- with belt
Whenever
(U.S.A.) 1987
White (the color)
in a series of menstrual advertising from
around the world
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| Bags for disposing
of used pads |
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| Belts for menstrual
pads |
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| Dispensers for
menstrual pads |
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| Disposal unit
for used pads |
Cannon "Concept Unit" |
| Panties
(underpants) for holding menstrual pads |
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| Powder for
menstrual pads |
Amolin (U.S.A.,
from Kotex) produced from the 1920s to
probably the 1970s.
Mum
deodorant (U.S.A.) produced from at least
the 1920s and still sold today (2000)
Quest
(U.S.A., 1930s - ?)) two cans and an ad -
ad,
probable insert in a box of Kotex, early
1940s?
Early 1940s
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Reports, critiques
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Consumer Report
(U.S.A., selections), 1949,
rated contemporary American tampons &
pads - Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Kotex and
others. Photos and narrative about what pads
& tampons consisted of and a photo of a
pad-testing machine
(see Syngyna, a
tampon-testing machine). See also the
important "Dickinson
Report" favoring tampons over pads in
the 1945 CR.
"The Dickinson
Report" (U.S.A. article comparing pads
unfavorably to tampons, 1945, based on a
Journal of the American Medical Association
article)
Facts and Frauds in
Woman's Hygiene: A Fearless Exposé
of Misleading Claims and Dangers of
Widely Advertised Products Used by Women,
1936 [excerpts
about menstrual pads
and tampons, their cost, advertising, and
defects] by Rachel Lynn Palmer and
Sarah K. Greenberg, M.D., The Sun Dial
Press, New York.
Report of [Dr.
Lillian] Gilbreth, Inc., (excerpts and
discussion), 1 January 1927, to the Johnson
& Johnson company. It gathered and
studied the wishes of women for menstrual
pads and gave recommendations about pads and
additional products. It
was probably the first such study and led
to the development of better pads
(the new Modess), which conformed to the
wishes of its users.
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Selling
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Ad-design contest
in the United Kingdom
How to sell Kotex
page for trade publications, probably early
1920s, U.S.A.
"Your Image is Your
Fortune!," Modess sales-hints booklet
for stores, 1967 (U.S.A.)
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| Shields to
protect clothing |
Sanitary apron,
U.S.A., 1914 Sears, Roebuck catalog. MUM
director Harry Finley commissioned Dr. Ann
Wass to reconstruct it for the physical museum.
Sanshe['?]s shields
for sanitary napkins, U.S.A.,
1940-50s?
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| Suspenders for pads |
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Teachers'
guides
(See also educational
booklets for girls)
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"A
Teaching Guide for Menstrual Hygiene" (cover, 1962,
Personal Products Corp., U.S.A.)
"A Teacher's Guide to
Feminine Hygiene" (cover, 1973,
Personal Products Corp., U.S.A.)
"Educational Material
on Menstruation furnished by the makers of
Tampax" (1966) U.S.A.
Folder with huge
number of information sheets, etc.
"Educational Portfolio
on Menstrual Hygiene" (1968)
U.S.A. Teacher's kit for Modess sanitary
napkins, menstrual tampons and
panties (mostly complete)
"From Fiction to Fact:
a teaching guide about puberty,
menstruation and the human reproductive
system" (cover,
1986, Tambrands, U.S.A.)
"Teacher's kit"
(complete, early
1950s, Personal Products Corp., U.S.A.)
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| Testing pads |
Consumer
Reports (U.S.A., selections), 1949, rated
contemporary American tampons & pads -
Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Kotex and others.
Photos and narrative about what pads &
tampons consisted of and a photo of a pad-testing machine
(see Syngyna, a
tampon-testing machine). See also
the important "Dickinson
Report" favoring tampons over pads
in the 1945 CR.
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| Underpants for
holding menstrual pads |
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| Large gifts of
historic pads, tampons, ads, documents,
panties, etc., to this museum (many people
from around the world have generously made
smaller donations of boxes, ads, etc.) |
In 1995, a woman who read an article
about this museum in the Chicago Tribune
newspaper kindly donated boxes of fax, Fibs,
and other tampons and advertising material
from the 1930s left by her father, who had
worked for Kotex.
In 1997, Tambrands,
former maker of Tampax tampons, generously
donated over 450 boxes of tampons from as
early as 1936, plus hundreds of other
items.
In 2001, Procter
& Gamble, owner of Tampax and
Always pads, generously donated scores of
boxes of tampons and other menstrual
products from the early 1930s to the
1960s.
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See how women wore
a belted pad (and in a Swedish ad and a Dutch
ad).
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Why the tabs, belt or suspenders holding a
menstrual pad or cloth must be longer in the back.
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this
page copyright 2012 Harry Finley
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