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Tampax Junior menstrual tampon, 1939-40,
U.S.A., (page 1) with the contemporary Regular
(1938) and Super (1939) tampons
Tampax, the first tampon with an applicator (early 1930s; read a short history), and the first really successful
tampon, expanded its offering by introducing the less absorbent Junior tampon
and more absorbent Super 'pon in 1939, according to Small Wonder: How
Tambrands began, prospered and grew, the company's commissioned history
published in the mid-1980s.
On this page you'll find the Super and Junior from 1939 and a Regular
from 1938. The following pages show the Junior from one year later; that
box was already open and I avoided opening the 1939 container, which has
the same box features.
In 1997 Tambrands, the then-maker of Tampax, gave these boxes to
this museum as part of an amazing gift of 450
boxes of tampons dating to the founding of the second Tampax company, 1936,
plus hundreds of other items.
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Below: This might be the first Junior Tampax,
which debuted in 1939. All box pencil markings come
from Tampax people, probably in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The
box measures 5" x 2 1/2" x 1" (12.8 x 6.5 x 2.5 cm).
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Below: For the Regular we get a measurement
of, um, lessee, 5" x 3 1/8" 5/8" (13 x 7.9 x 1.7 cm).
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Below: Finally, the Super measures 5 1/8"
x 3 3/8" x 1 3/8" (13 x 8.5 x 3.3 cm). You
can barely see them but the pencil markings read "1-9-40"
at top right and "12-4-39-Lot 15" above the words Super Tampax.
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© 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 hfinley@mum.org
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