Menstrual Museum – 100 Years of Menstrual Technology Timeline

An early method used to absorb menstrual blood, this natural sea sponge was wrapped in netting with a cotton cord to prevent it from breaking apart during removal. It came packaged in a foiled cardboard container — other versions used metal tins.

Made by the Sealtex Company of Chicago, this short-lived tampon brand was sold in a handful of states and never gained traction against the dominant brand Tampax. Remarkably, the instructions suggested leaving the tampon in for up to 48 hours — decades before Toxic Shock Syndrome was discovered.

Before adhesive pads existed, sanitary belts were essential — the long tabs of a napkin attached to either side of the belt using pins or plastic clasps. Nearly every pad brand sold its own version, and they remained standard equipment until the 1970s.

One of the earliest disposable pads, Venus Sanitary Napkins were designed using gauze and cotton for better absorption and convenience as homemade cloth solutions gave way to commercial products. Venus pads were sold exclusively in high-end department stores in the New York area.

Among the first commercial tampons, Kotex Fibs were marketed for their discretion and convenience but were quickly overshadowed by Tampax. Stigma around internal menstrual products made tampon adoption slower than the use of pads in the 1940s.

One of the earliest reusable rubber menstrual cups, the Daintette was sold MLM-style through home parties — much like Tupperware or Mary Kay — by women earning extra income. Dainty Maid also sold douches and feminine powders alongside the cup.

Designed primarily for contraception, diaphragms like these Ramses models were sometimes repurposed for menstrual use before modern discs existed. The inclusion of this item reflects the ingenuity of women interested in belt-free, comfortable period management.

This unusual bone-like contraption was designed to assist with diaphragm insertion and removal. The latex diaphragm stretched over one end for insertion, while a hook on the opposite end was used to retrieve it. Period Nirvana has three examples in the collection.

Modess “Flexible Tampons” had cardboard applicators with an open tip and were individually wrapped in paper sleeves — remarkably similar to modern tampons. Their advertising leaned elegant, featuring ballerinas and women in ballgowns.

Modess was one of Kotex’s biggest competitors, known for quality and the memorable tagline “Modess… Because.” This single-use vending machine package contained one pad and a set of pins for on-the-go use.

This small sample box may have been a promotional sample or for vending machines. This single pad had long tabs and would require a sanitary belt for use.

One of the first commercial tampon brands, Tampax helped normalize internal menstrual products with a cardboard applicator design that was practical and discreet. Later versions introduced plastic applicators for smoother insertion, despite ads stating they’d never use plastic!

An early version of modern period underwear, this lined package offered loops to hold a pad in place without a belt. It was a quiet step toward the waterproof, absorbent period underwear sold today. Period Nirvana has two packages in our collection.

After the reusable Tassette Cup failed commercially, new owners pivoted to a single-use version — though consumers reused them anyway. The product sold an estimated 5 million boxes and was publicly listed on NASDAQ before financial mismanagement shut the brand down, leaving devoted fans with nowhere to turn. Period Nirvana has 4 boxes of Tassaway Cups in the collection along with 3 magazine ads.

Stayfree helped lead the shift to adhesive-backed pads, eliminating the need for pins and belts entirely. A single adhesive strip on the back allowed the pad to be worn belt-free, easier (though reportedly less secure) and more discreet than anything that came before.

Pursettes were lubricated, applicator-free tampons sold with a compact, stylish carrying case. The Pursette advertising targeted a younger and more hip crowd compared to Tampax or Modess.

Packaged in a floral box, these slim, lollipop-like tampons marked Kotex’s entry into the “applicator” tampon category. The unusual design set them apart visually from every other tampon on the market at the time.

Developed by Procter & Gamble, Rely tampons were highly absorbent but became linked to a wave of deadly Toxic Shock Syndrome cases, leading to a full recall. Their tagline — “even absorbs the worry” — reads with grim irony today.

The Keeper Cup, founded by Lou Crawford, revived the menstrual cup in the late 1980s using the same natural rubber as the earliest cups. It found its customers through mail-order catalogues and early websites – this example was distributed by UK retailer Menses – and dates to 2000. The Keeper Cup design looks identical to the Tassette Cup, and Lou Crawford was an original Tassette user.

One of the first modern reusable cloth pad brands, LunaPads out of Canada helped normalize sustainable period products for the eco-conscious market. They also created the first modern period underwear design, combining absorbency with a waterproof layer.

This redesigned cardboard applicator featured a more natural rounded tip and leaned into the growing environmentalism of the 1990s. Cardboard was positioned as the eco-responsible alternative to plastic.

The first menstrual disc, Instead Softcups sat at the vaginal fornix rather than the vaginal canal, offering a different fit than cups or tampons. The design took the contraceptive diaphragm, extended the basin for capacity, and made it one-time-use. It became a near instant cult-favorite for people in the know. The concept was later popularized by the Flex brand, which borrowed the design.

This small “padette” was designed for light flow days or incontinence, worn between the labia majora rather than inside underwear. Despite a modern look and strong branding, it was discontinued after a few years and a 2008 relaunch also failed.

First released in 2002, the DivaCup became the brand most responsible for bringing menstrual cups into the mainstream. This box is from their 2010 packaging era, when the brand began achieving widespread commercial success.

Thinx did not invent period underwear, but their 2013 launch — backed by bold advertising and striking visuals — made the product category a household name. They successfully repositioned period underwear from niche to mainstream.

Originally marketed for mess-free period sex, Flex Disc later broadened its appeal as an everyday menstrual disc. The brand brought renewed mainstream attention to the disc format pioneered by Ultrafem for Instead Softcups two decades earlier.

When Tampax — one of the oldest and largest tampon brands — released their own menstrual cup, it signaled a significant shift in the industry. Mainstream brands were finally acknowledging reusable period products as a legitimate market. The cup has since been discontinued in the US as of 2025.

A tampon and liner fused into one product, the Tampliner was named a Time Magazine Innovation of the Year in 2020. Despite strong reviews, Covid-related production costs made it unsustainable and it is no longer sold.

Harvested from the ocean and sold primarily in Europe, natural sponges like Facelle are trimmed, moistened, and worn internally to absorb menstrual blood. The FDA prohibits internal sponge products in the US due to TSS risk, though sponges are likely one of the oldest forms of menstrual protection in existence.

The first reusable menstrual disc, Ziggy was designed in Sweden and made from silicone in an oval shape. It launched as one size fits most before later adding a smaller option.

Made from synthetic materials, this sponge gained a following as a discreet option for mess-free period sex. It cannot be legally sold in the US and most OB/GYNs caution against internal sponge use due to an elevated risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.