Already, Condom sells plastic copies of its real town signs, which disappear periodically. A tourist looks at an exhibit in the condom museum in Condom, France. The event included Condom's first condom exhibit, with posters, archive footage of TV commercials and World War II films on how troops can avoid syphilis. The exhibit was coupled with a condom colloquium in nearby Toulouse, the kind of event Dubrac hopes his center will host. Medical experts discussed the condom's history, manufacture and use.
French officials see the museum as a way to boost condom use.
But funding has been an uphill battle. Durex provided materials but has yet to commit funds to build the museum as it waits to see which other partners join in. The book says a professor Le Baudroyeur made condoms during the early 1700s. Protestants in Armagnac circulated a rumor that one of the professor's customers was Bishop Bossuet in the town of Condom. Many of the 7,700 residents of Condom are skeptical that the museum will come to fruition, but they like the idea.