Researched by Morgan Ploch | July 08, 2024
When Kimberly-Clark had a surplus of its trademarked cellucotton following WWI, the brand was encouraged to begin making sanitary napkins by Red Cross nurses that had already been using the product in makeshift pads. These pads were initially hand-made and were 60 cents a dozen, the equivalent of $9 today. With production becoming more efficient, a box of a dozen were 49 cents in the 50s, more than $5 today. During this era young girls and nulliparous women were encouraged to use pads rather than tampons although both products were being produced by Kotex. Unfortunately, adhesive would not be introduced to pads until the 1970s, meaning using these pads would require wearing a belt to secure the long ends of the napkin in place.
Sample sanitary napkin – sold by Kotex
- Measurements:
- Materials: Cellucotton, paper box
- Timeframe:1959
- Inventor(s): Winifred C Heitmeyer holds the patent (recd 1929/appd 1932 US1863333A – Absorbent pad – Google Patents) with Intl. Cellucotton Products Co. for absorbent pads and tampons of cellucotton.
- Item location: Period Nirvana Asheville, NC
- Credit: Kim Rosas
- Category: Pad, Kotex, Kimberly-Clark, 1950s
- Other: This box is sealed
Item description:
An original box of a single sample sanitary napkin from 1959. The box is white with teal print and a teal rose. On the side with the rose the box reads, “Kotex,” and, “one regular feminine napkin.” The other side of the box states that Kotex is a registered trademark, is copyrighted 1959, and reads, “Kimberly-Clark Corp, Neenah, WI, 54956, U.S.A.”
Describing the use of belts in the era of this product: “The Miracle of You” at MUM
Also in the Collection by Kotex:
Kotex Stick Tampons, Fibs by Kotex
Kotex Products in other collections:
