Sporting Life

Sporting Life

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Description
These white paper envelopes have a gold foil end and are meant to resemble a cigarette. Each envelope has a blue logo of a man and woman in a canoe. Each envelope originally held a condom. On the back of the envelope, text reads "Sold for prevention of disease only."
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 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.
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.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
contraceptive, condom, wrapper
condom, wrapper
date made
ca 1930s-1950s
Measurements
overall: 1.4 cm x 6.8 cm; x 9/16 in x 2 11/16 in
overall: 2 5/8 in x 5/8 in; 6.6675 cm x 1.5875 cm
ID Number
1983.0871.89
accession number
1983.0871
catalog number
1983.0871.89
subject
Birth Control/Contraception
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sex
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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