
Synthetic sponge, in original carton, "Racial" brand, London, 1940-1960
Sponges were widely used as contraception in the early 1900s. They were one of a range of contraceptives promoted by the Society for Constructive Birth Control. The society was founded by Dr Marie Stopes (1880-1958). This brand of ‘Racial’ sponge is seen here with its original carton. It was supplied by the Mother’s Clinic, which Stopes founded in 1921. Sponges were often used in conjunction with liquids thought to have spermicidal properties. These included quinine and olive oil. The trademark ‘Racial’ relates to Stopes’ belief in eugenics. This widely held theory in the early 1900s argued selective breeding could remove ‘undesirables’ from society.
Related people
Details
- Category:
- Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception
- Object Number:
- A626881
- Materials:
- carton, paper and sponge, plastic, foam
- type:
- contraceptive sponge
- credit:
- Marie Stopes Memorial Foundation
Cite this page
Rights
We encourage the use and reuse of our collection data.
Data in the title, made, maker and details fields are released under Creative Commons Zero
Descriptions and all other text content are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence
Download
Download catalogue entry as json
View manifest in IIIF viewer
Add to Animal Crossing Art Generator
Download manifest IIIF
Our records are constantly being enhanced and improved, but please note that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information shown on this website.