Spares
date: label: date made
content: ca 1940s-1950s
name: label: maker
content: National Sanitary Sales, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: This pack of Spares condoms were manufactured by National Sanitary Sales, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois, during the middle of the 20th century. The cardboard container has an image of a bowling ball knocking down three pins. A flap flips up to reveal the three condoms inside.
label: Description
content: The bottom of the box reads “Sold, Intended and to be used for prevention of disease only.” The side of the box reads “individually electronic tested for maximum protection.” When the box is opened, the interior reads “ DON’T JUST ASK FOR ‘RUBBERS’ INSIST ON GENUINE ‘SPARES’ DO NOT ACCEPT SUBSTITUTES.”
label: Description
content: In 1872, the Comstock Act had prohibited interstate commerce in obscene literature and immoral material. Condoms and other forms of birth control fell under the category of “immoral material.” As forbidden material, condoms were rarely advertised openly.
label: Description
content: However, during the early twentieth century, rising concerns about gonorrhea and syphilis led a growing number of public health advocates to call for condoms to be sold to prevent disease. In 1918, a court case in New York, (The People of the State of New York v Margaret H. Sanger) clarified that physicians could prescribe condoms to prevent disease. Named after Judge Frederick Crane who wrote the opinion in the case, the Crane decision opened the door for condom manufacturers to openly advertise and sell condoms, provided they were sold as a disease preventative.
label: Description
content: By selling their condoms only in drug stores, the manufacturers of these condoms were able to underscore the legitimacy of their product and to charge higher prices.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
topic: label: associated subject; web subject
content: Bowling
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Birth Control/Contraception
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Sex
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0871.88
label: accession number
content: 1983.0871
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0871.88
objectType: label: Object Name
content: condom
label: Object Name
content: Condoms
label: Object Name
content: contraceptive, condom, novelty
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: .6 cm x 5.5 cm x 3.8 cm; 1/4 in x 2 3/16 in x 1 1/2 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/8 in x 1 1/2 in x 1/4 in; 5.3975 cm x 3.81 cm x .635 cm