VINTAGE CONDOMS
Erin O’Quinn
Historians
of such esoteric subjects agree that condoms were first used for prevention of
pregnancy, and by wealthy men only. That makes sense, since women were naturally
held to the task of avoiding impregnation, and only wealthy men might wish to
keep their seed from being spread outside the marriage bed.
Early
condoms, perhaps worn first in ancient China, were apparently small devices
that covered the glans only, made from oiled silk paper or lamb intestines.
Later, in Japan, they were made of tortoise shell or animal horn. Ouch . . .
not for the wearer, but for the receiver!
When
a particularly deadly strain of syphilis broke out in Europe in the late 15th
century, condoms began to be developed to stop the spread of this disease. One
treatise describes linen sheaths soaked in chemicals and allowed to dry. These
devices, which covered the glans only, were tied on with a ribbon, giving a
whole new meaning to the words baby’s bonnet.
After
1500, penis protection became much more widespread throughout Europe. They were
called “condoms” gradually,
starting in the mid-1600s; and they might be made of animal intestines and
bladders, or of linen. Here’s an interesting
note from Wikipedia:
“In the late 15th
century, Dutch traders introduced condoms made from ‘fine leather’ to Japan. Unlike the horn condoms used
previously, these leather condoms covered the entire penis.”
The
notorious philanderer Cassanova was proud of his “assurance caps,” and was reported to
have given demonstrations by blowing into them, proudly showing their lack of
holes (see photo).
In
spite of opposition—mainly from the
clergy—condoms, once
developed, multiplied quickly. According to Wiki, they “were sold at pubs,
barbershops, chemist shops, open-air markets, and at the theater throughout
Europe and Russia.” Once they spread to
America, land of invention and individuality, condoms became more and more
sophisticated.
Skipping
ahead a bit, I want to discuss the use of condoms in my Gaslight Mysteries
novels. In the first novel HEART TO HART, Michael slips a clumsy latex condom
out of his dresser drawer. It seems that, since the mid 1800’s
and Charles Goodyear’s discovery of processing natural
rubber, condoms could be made of stretched rubber, wrapped around the penis and
held in place with a rubber ring. These early condoms were thick as a bicycle
inner tube. One imagines that while one partner might enjoy the enlargement,
the other might suffer the indignity of feeling nothing at all.
Anyway,
by the time Michael was seducing Simon, condoms began to be made from latex,
rubber suspended in water rather than in gasoline or benzene. These protective
devices were stronger, thinner, and had a shelf life up to five years.
In
the next Gaslight Mystery SPARRING WITH SHADOWS, Michael slyly leaves a package
for his flatmate. It’s a condom made of thin animal
bladder, the latest in American-made protection, thin enough and pliable enough
to ensure the man’s
pleasure as well as the other obvious benefits.
Many
of the photos that follow are taken from the following website:
http://www.ep.tc/condom-envelopes/ a gallery of images assembled by Ethan
Persoff, http://www.ep.tc
Thanks, Ethan. I borrow them with gratitude
Just
a note: The U.S.-manufactured Sheik and Ramses brands were well established by
1882. Trojans, also
developed in America, were popular then as now.
Paper
packaging was, and remains, a popular dispensary for condoms.
In
the source listed above, Ethan Persoff notes:
“The very
interesting book Remember your rubbers! (Collectible Condom Containers)
by Elliott, Goehring and O’Brien published by
Schiffer Publishing Co., strangely does not show any of the examples offered
here on eBay by us. Does this mean these are rarer than their tin counterparts?”
The
book also states the following on paper packaging:
“Interestingly
enough, both the oldest and newest rubber packages are envelopes. India
rubbers, latex rubbers and animal membrane prophylactics are found in
envelopes. Most hold one dozen rubbers lying flat, though a few can be found
with one quarter dozen. ‘Genuine Liquid Latex’ rubbers came packaged with four
(rolled) to an envelope and wrapped in cellophane. Rarer are envelopes with a
single rubber in the package…”
Thanks
for your interest in vintage condoms. And speaking of that, here is an excerpt
from my novel SPARRING WITH SHADOWS, when sly Michael has left an morning gift
for his first-time lover Simon.
Excerpt
from Chapter 9 of SPARRING WITH
SHADOWS
Simon
Hart, a life-long virgin, has just been maneuvered into an anal penetration by
his accomplished flat-mate Michael. First he seeks a bath. And then he stands
looking down at the bed where the act occurred.
Simon stood in the small
claw-footed bathtub, watching the water fill, realizing this room was the only
one where he could truly be alone. Even his own bedchamber was now the stalking
ground of his new roomer, a circumstance he himself had allowed to exist.
He settled into the water,
letting his sticky groin become immersed in the cleansing warmth. He could
lavish only about ten minutes here before the next roomer would no doubt beat
on the door, demanding his turn on the toilet or in the cast iron tub.
He let his head fall back and
his shoulders relax. His mouth, too, moved in an inchoate smile, remembering
his astonishing climax. Michael. His
conniving, experienced, constantly aroused flat-mate had maneuvered him into an
act of anal intercourse.
From that moment, there could
be no question as to whether Simon was a practicing omi-palone. Michael had caused him to enter a realm that set him
forever after in a special niche. He had just entered the world of homosexual
men. Until a while ago, Simon could still fool himself into thinking Michael
had taken him by force. From now on, the conniving bastard seemed to be saying,
Simon was the sodomite.
He wondered how he’d explain that to the melancholy-eyed God he sometimes
prayed to. …
~
~ ~
Following
are the Amazon links to the Gaslight Mysteries by Erin O’Quinn. (Nineteen 5*
reviews, gay romcom mystery-action/adventure.) By the time book number three
came out, the men had abandoned the condoms in favor of more spontaneous
methods …
When
two men join forces to solve a murder in 1923 Ireland, they begin to
investigate private affairs—and none more private than their own.
HEART TO HART … The best-seller which started it all,
a murder mystery wherein the larger-than-life Michael McCree lets his heart
decide his fate; and the surly, angry Simon Hart tries to rid himself of a
would-be lover. http://amzn.to/12gBwlL
SPARRING
WITH SHADOWS … The second of the
Gaslight Mysteries, wherein a man confronts his own sexuality, a determined
admirer, and an arch-criminal. http://amzn.to/14QXtqW
TO THE BONE … The capstone of the trilogy, wherein a
pesky new agent burrows close as a tick, keeping the men from exploring a
series of crimes, and from their own always-edgy relationship. http://amzn.to/1bEXep2
