Well, hello, and welcome to this week's instalment of 'Blog Post Monday'.
This week on my travels I saw something in an antiques store that made me chuckle. Described as a 19th century glass dump, this piece took on a phallic shape and within the body of it was something that I can only describe as resembling a wave of white tadpoles... I think you get the gist...! Anyway, me being me, I got home and started doing some research and I happened to stumble across the fascinating world of antique sex toys. They range from the unusual to the damn right uncomfortable and I thought (for some reason) it would make for an interesting blog post. I mean, after all, sex sells, right...?
So, have a stiff one to hand... a DRINK that is... I meant a stiff DRINK... and maybe have a cold shower, as we take a look at the fascinating world of antique sex toys...
Image: the phallic shaped Victorian glass dump
In the past, vibrators were sold to women in order to "cure hysteria." They were almost never sold as outright sex toys, either, and the packaging only hinted at what the purpose of the vibrator was. But, before we get that far, we're going to start as far back as Ancient Greece.
Image: the Ancient Greek's bread dildo
We can always rely on the Ancient Greeks for their open mindedness and experimental techniques when it comes to sex. Back then, people didn't identify as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual — they just indulged in whatever pleasure they fancied, and bloody well good on 'em! In fact, whilst indulging in their chosen sexual practice, bread dildos were used by both men and women as sexual aids. Yes, pieces of bread would be manipulated and turned into a biodegradable sexual aid... Open minds, people... open minds...! Don't knock it until you've tried it!
Image: the 19th century steam powered manipulator
Fast forward to the 19th century and some spectacular advances were made. And, while most designs during the 19th and 20th centuries were never sold explicitly as sex toys, the 'Steam-Powered Manipulator' is kind of an exception. Known as the first hand-crank vibrator ever created, it consists of a dildo attached to a steam engine and it was honest about its intentions to produce bodily stimulation. However, its job was not to give females one of those rare things called an "orgasm", but instead, it was made to help alleviate hysteria in women...!
Image: the Victorian Macaura Pulsocon hand vibrator
The 'Macaura Pulsocon' hand vibrator was one of the more advanced hand-crank vibrators created in the 1880s and sold throughout the early 1900s, and was capable of delivering 5,000 vibrations per minute! You'd hold one end, place the other on your body, and then manually turn the crank handle. I imagine, you'd really have to give it some welly to get those 5,000 vibrations though...! This little beauty was marketed as a DIY cure for illnesses, oh, and of course, to combat female hysteria...!
Image: Dr Macaura's Blood Circulator
Following the 'Pulsocon' came Dr Macaura's 'Blood Circulator'. Basically, the 'Pulsocon', but a tweaked and improved version. This little beauty featured applicators that would screw into the centre of the device so that you could manually increase the vibrations and have more control over how powerful a vibration you wanted.
Image: the Polar Club Electric Vibrator
Moving swiftly on to the 1920's and giving some light relief from those hand cramps, we have the 'Polar Club Electric Vibrator'. Goodbye to hand-cranking (and that's not cockney rhyming slang) and hello to electricity. Not only that, but it came with a textured knob to provide different pleasurable sensations. The packaging shows an image of a lady using it on her neck...of course...!
Image: the 'Oster Stim-U-Lax'
The 1940's brought us the 'Oster Stim-U-Lax for Barbers', a vibrating device you strapped onto the back of your hand to deliver powerful sensations wherever it was placed. Marketed for barbers to use on their customers' scalps, but people soon caught on to its other benefits and it took off!
Well, that's it for this week folks! I hope you've enjoyed (but not too much...!) this little insight into the whacky world of antique sex toys... As always, let me know what you think in the comments section below. Meanwhile, I'm off to find something to alleviate my hysteria...!
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So, until next week, stay safe, keep buying those antiques and keep spreading that Source Vintage love!
Cheerio!
Stephen
Owner Source Vintage
Shop from Source Vintage HERE
What a fun and fascinating read! The history of antique sex toys is both hilarious and eye-opening. I love how you explore the quirky designs and cultural context behind them. It really shows how far we’ve come in terms of both design and attitudes toward sexuality. Thanks for sharing this entertaining piece!
A great article about the strange origins of vintage sex toys.