See the German booklet [Die] Menstruation (excerpts, 1977, o.b. tampons, Germany) Photographer
David Hamilton contributed many photographs to this explicit and beautiful
booklet. By the way, "Die" in the title means "the,"
not to lose life.
Booklets from about this time, 1956:
now you are 10 (complete
booklet, 1958, Kotex, U.S.A.)
Essence of Womanhood (complete
booklet, 1959, Personal Products Corp., Modess tampons, U.S.A.)
Growing Up and Liking It (1957,
The Personal Products Company, U.S.A.)
How shall I tell my daughter? (1954,
Personal Products Co., U.S.A.)
Sally and Mary and Kate Wondered . . . (complete booklet, cover,
1956, Personal Products Corp., U.S.A.)
"You're a young lady now" (complete
booklet, 1952, Kotex, U.S.A.) The first owner
might have printed her named on the back of the booklet. Complete booklet,
1959, apparently with the owner's name cut out.
"From Fiction to Fact: a teaching guide about
puberty, menstruation and the human reproductive system" (complete 1966, 1986, Tambrands, U.S.A. The 1966 version is part of the
huge "Educational Material on Menstruation furnished
by the makers of Tampax," 1966)
Tell it like it is: Straight talk about tampons
(complete booklet, 1968, Kotex stick tampons,
U.S.A., revised 1974; complete booklet, 1981,
although the title lacks the subtitle "Straight talk about tampons").
I wonder if "straight" alludes to
the shape of tampons.
Tampax Junior tampons, late 1930s-1940s
Tampax Satin Learner's Kit (for menstruation),
2001, in 3 languages
Instructions from Tampax about what to tell customers, 1936
Tampax "Educational Material on Menstruation,"
1966
Booklets menstrual hygiene companies made
for girls, women and teachers - patent medicine
- a list of books and articles about menstruation
- videos
See early tampons and a list of tampons on this site - at least the ones I've cataloged.
 
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German Tampax menstrual tampons educational booklet,
Es geht um die besten Jahre Ihres Lebens!
[It's a Matter of the Best Years of Your Life!]
1956[?], Germany
(deutsches Heft, Büchlein, Menstruation,
Aufklärung, problems, PMS, puberty, menstrual cycle, tampons, girls,
Mädchen, Frau, kritische Tage, Geschlechtsreife, Hormone, Wechseljahre,
Beschwerden)
Whole booklet
In 1956, which is about when this booklet appeared based on internal
evidence (see below), probably women who used tampons in Germany mostly
used o.b., the home-grown brand without an applicator:
the woman had to insert it all the way into the vagina with
her finger rather than use the plunger applicator
that Tampax invented and patented.
But women in Europe had already used Tampax for years, as ads
and boxes testify.
This German booklet aggressively emphasizes the cleanliness
and effectiveness of using the Tampax applicator instead of a finger.
And it does so in a logical, step-wise manner.
As expected from this era, a woman's place here is to be supportive,
pretty and uncomplaining.
"Well groomed" - gepflegt - pops
up more than once, hinting that using an applicator
is much more lady-like than using one's finger.
Unfortunately, the text is mostly jammed together
- few breaks relieve the eye-and-brain strain. At one point the text advises
the reader to study it in a quiet place, good
advice in order to tease the ideas apart!
And it assures women they won't lose the five years of the title if
they use Tampax!
The pages face one another; you can determine
which side by noting which side the center appears, the darkened edge.
See the German booklet [Die] Menstruation (excerpts, 1977, o.b. tampons)
Similar booklets in the column at left.
I thank the Dutch contributor of many items
to the museum and this site for these scans!
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Below: Front cover (same as back cover).
My - Harry Finley's - translations sit beneath
each scan on these pages.
The contributor of the scans writes:
The booklet is 198 mm wide x 100 mm high (oblong)
[7.8 x 3.9"],
it has a front with title, the inside front is blank and then 32 pages
(not numbered) and then the
back inside and the back. The back is exactly the
same, with the same title
(Es geht um die besten Jahre Ihres Lebens!), very
strange.
There is no date in the booklet, but on page 12 when introducing tampons
it said that Tampax
already existed for 20 years. So I think the date is about 1956.
[The company that owned Tampax until 1997, Tambrands, started in 1936 although
it was not the first Tampax company.]
I find using the zodiac odd.
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Harry Finley's translation:
It's a Matter of the Best Years of Your Life!
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© 2009 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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