More early Kotex items: First ad, January 1921 - the first Kotex ad campaign (1921) - a prototype ("To Save Men's Lives Science Discovered Kotex,") for the first ad, about 1920 - putting Kotex on the counter to sell it (drawing) - ads, 1921: January, May, July, November - 1920s: skating and small ad - ad, 15 November 1922 - ad, January 1923 - ad on side of train, 1920s - ad, July 1923, with proof - ad, March 1926 - "Woman's Greatest Hygienic Handicap" ad, 1927 - disposing of early pads: booklet - ad for Kotex dispensers, 1920s - first American menstrual ad with real person: Lee Miller, 1928
DIRECTORY of all topics (See also the SEARCH ENGINE, bottom of page.)
Comic strip: "A Visit to the Museum of Menstruation"
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
homepage | LIST OF ALL TOPICS | 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.

Kotex menstrual pad ad, August 1921, Theatre Magazine, U.S.A.

Early Kotex ads - Kotex started advertising in 1921 - reflect the other mostly attractive ads of the time, when non-photographic illustration was king - er, queen. That era ended around the 1940s-50s.

The text never mentions menstruation or period or cycle, just "sanitary pads," code enough to the buyer.

Before disposable pads - Kotex was not the first but close to it - women used mostly washable cloth pads, which was a problem when traveling, thus the theme of the text. But some women probably used nothing (read about that). Commercial tampons didn't appear until the early 1930s (example).

Large Kotex ads, 1921: January, May, July, November

copyright 2006 Harry Finley