Dean's Redi-Wet Peacock Rubbers
date: label: date made
content: ca 1930s - 1950s
notes: label: Description
content: This square cardboard condom box has green, yellow, and red diagnol stripes on with red and white text. There is a small peacock symbol on the upper left side on the front; box. The box contains three condoms, each of which is housed in a yellow sealed foil package that has red and blue text and the peacock symbol. Each condom package reads "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL READY FOR USE INDIVIDUALLY TESTED AND ROLLED BY....Dean Rubber Co., North Kansas City, MO." The back of the box reads "THE ORIGINAL--ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES. If you prefer a Dry Prophylactic ask your druggist for Dean's Peacocks Reservoir End Health Product."
label: Description
content: Dean Rubber Company was one of the leading manufacturers of condoms during this period.
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. 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 existing penal codes allowed physicians to 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: Peacock's Reservoir Ends were sold as a prophylactic or preventive against disease. Among the more expensive condoms sold during the early to mid-twentieth century, Peacock condoms were sold primarily in drug stores. As was true with most more expensive condoms, Peacocks were tested to ensure that they had no tears or rips.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Missouri, North Kansas City
label: associated place
content: United States: Louisiana, Saint Martinville
topic: label: Subject
content: Sex
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
label: associated subject; web subject
content: Birth Control/Contraception
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Fournet Drugstore Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0475.133
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0475.133
label: accession number
content: 1985.0475
objectType: label: Object Name
content: condoms
label: Object Name
content: contraceptive, condom
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (box material)
label: Physical Description
content: foil (condom package material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 cm x 6 cm x 1.4 cm; 3 1/8 in x 2 3/8 in x 9/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 2 1/2 in x 5/8 in; 6.35 cm x 6.35 cm x 1.5875 cm