More 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
More Modess
(Johnson & Johnson, U.S.A.) 1927 Gilbreth
report to Johnson & Johnson about Modess - newspaper ads 1927-28
- "Silent Purchase" ad, June 1928 -
ad, 1928 - ad, April 1929 ("Don't
weaken, Mother") - ad, June 1929 ("Never
mind, Mother, you'll learn") - 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 - Australian ad, 1957
- ad (1956) with "Modess . . . . because"
ad incorporated into it - ad for "Growing
Up and Liking It" booklet (1963, Modess) - actress Carol
Lynley in "How shall I tell my daughter?" booklet ad (1955)
- Modess . . . . because ads (many dates) - French ad, 1970s? - ad,
French, 1972, photo by David Hamilton - Personal Digest
leaflets (6), 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"
Read the complete Growing Up and Liking
It for girls booklets: 1944, 1964,
1970, 1972, and many
covers 1944-1978
 
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Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health
Personal Products Company (Stayfree, Carefree panty shields, Sure &
Natural & Modess sanitary pads & tampons), menarche, menstruation
& puberty folder for teenage girls
(To answer your questions about) Your Teenage Menstrual
Cycle, 1980, U.S.A., complete
This folder is a short version of the typical booklet
for girls that companies produced to explain menstruation and pitch
their products. The company made similar ones
for its Modess pads, underpants, etc.
But untypical is the joke
- I think it's a visual pun - on the cover, below: The girl rides a [bi]cycle - har de har har, get it? - with a basket
of flowers, a common association with
menstruation and an old name for it. Well, lessee,
could the basket be a - vagina? (See
an ancient bowl as a bleeding vagina.)
Wow, those Personal Products Company people were a riot! Very clever, actually,
and admirable.
But get this: The girl is on top of her menstrual
cycle, meaning she understands and controls it (through this folder)!
The controlling part is a stretch, still. This is the wittiest outburst
I've ever seen in a publication from a major American menstrual products
company, which tend to be corporate uptight (like America). Even the Are you in the know? (a great booklet with priceless
language) ads from Kotex are cute and amusing rather than clever, and
Betty Kay from a menstrual belt company is PMS
ravaged, even scary. But then there are the British
. . . .
More 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
|
Below: Small pictures
of the two sides of the folder (enlarged on the next two pages). The open folder measures
18 7/8 x 7 7/8" (c. 48 x 20 cm) and folds into four sections, the fourth
being about half the size of the others.
|
  |
Below is the cover
but we'll start with the other side of the folder (next page), which is
where the narrative begins. I added the black lines around the pages.
The girl rides a [bi]cycle - har de har
har, get it? - with a basket of flowers,
a common association with menstruation and an old name
for it. Well, lessee, could the basket be a - vagina?
(See an ancient bowl as a bleeding vagina.)
Wow, those Personal Products Company people were a riot! Very clever, actually,
and admirable.But get this: The girl is on top of
her [menstrual] cycle, meaning she understands it (through this folder)!
|
 |
NEXT || beginning
of text (explanation of the menstrual cycle) - reverse
side || Are you in the know? (a great booklet
with priceless language) || Teen ads directory
|| See a slightly earlier booklet for girls in Germany from o.b. tampons. (See all MUM booklets for girls on this site.) More 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.
More Modess (Johnson
& Johnson, U.S.A.) 1927 Gilbreth report to
Johnson & Johnson about Modess - newspaper ads 1927-28
- "Silent Purchase" ad, June 1928 -
ad, 1928 - ad, April 1929 ("Don't
weaken, Mother") - ad, June 1929 ("Never
mind, Mother, you'll learn") - 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 - Australian ad, 1957
- ad (1956) with "Modess . . . . because"
ad incorporated into it - ad for "Growing
Up and Liking It" booklet (1963, Modess) - actress Carol
Lynley in "How shall I tell my daughter?" booklet ad (1955)
- Modess . . . . because ads (many dates) - French ad, 1970s? - ad,
French, 1972, photo by David Hamilton - Personal Digest
leaflets (6), 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"
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© 2008 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute 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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