SEE many washable pads: Contemporary Snap-on style washable pad, Washable pad with belt. a menstrual sponge, a modern, beautiful bowl to soak used menstrual pads in. Washable pads from Almora, Uttar Pradesh state, India and Rajasthan state, India - Nineteenth-century Norwegian washable pads - Italian washable pad, probably from the 1890s - instructions for making Japanese pads, early 20th century? - German, about 1900 - 1902 & 1908, U.S.A. - German washable pads and belt, with case (about 1935-40)
Kotex ad emphasizing shame, 1992
See ads for Pursettes: September 1972 (letter testimonial) - August 1973 (letter testimonial) - February 1974 (cartoon story) - August 1974 (cartoon story) - October 1974 (cartoon story) See a 1965 ad for a Pursettes school educational kit - Pursettes Getting to Know Yourself booklet for girls - other teaching booklets: Growing Up and Liking It and How Shall I Tell My Daughter?
See Kotex items: First ad (1921) - ad 1928 (Sears and Roebuck catalog) - Lee Miller ads (first real person in a menstrual hygiene ad, 1928) - Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (booklet for girls, 1928, Australian edition; there are many links here to Kotex items) - Preparing for Womanhood (1920s, booklet for girls; Australian edition) - 1920s booklet in Spanish showing disposal method - box from about 1969 - "Are you in the know?" ads (Kotex) (1949)(1953)(1964)(booklet, 1956) - See more ads on the Ads for Teenagers main page
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.

Early interesting letters to the Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health when it was in my house

Someone sent this letter to MUM from Cheyenne, Wyoming; I reduced the margins to save space. There are also some quotes from other letters elsewhere.
 


Megan Rosenfeld, who wrote a story about MUM for the Washington Post (15 April 1995), received the unsigned letter below at her office soon afterward and forwarded it to the MUM director. (See also how the Post investigated the director of MUM, as well as a letter the writer received.

What she suggests is actually a good idea, but it's been done before! See the last item on this page.
 

Is "sexism" the actual point of her letter (I assume the writer is a woman)? Compare "put women down" in the first letter.




Giles S. Rich, retired judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, here in Washington, D. C., left a message on my (MUM director Finley's) answering machine soon after the Post article (above), saying he wanted to tell me something I might be interested in. I was terrified! Now I KNEW the Museum of Menstruation was illegal, and he was kindly warning me that the police would soon be breaking down my door!

Here's part of his letter to me a couple of weeks later:

Relax. You are not breaking any law that I know of.

The Post article intrigued me because I have written on the subject matter dealt with by your MUM museum as you will see from the enclosed opinion of October 9, 1984 [concerning Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Kotex, and another company]. Judges have to be prepared to deal with any subject, no matter how many people may feel squeamish about it. After all, sentiments change. Consider how Surg. Gen. Koop changed the country!

. . .

Museums come in all types. I recall that in Paisley, England, I ran into a museum on the history of the flush toilet or "water closet." Perhaps you should exchange privileges. Carry on!


The vast majority of letters and e-mail to MUM are positive, by the way. See some TV & online and other media that have mentioned or discussed this museum. See ads for menarche-education booklets: Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (Kotex, 1933), 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), Growing up and liking it (Modess, various dates), and Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday (Kotex, 1928).
And read Lynn Peril's series about these and similar booklets!
See another ad for As One Girl to Another (1942), and the booklet itself.

© 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 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