Packet of 10 Dr. White's looped sanitary towels, size 1, for light to medium menstruation, by Lilia White Ltd., 1985.

This pack of Dr. White’s looped towels contains a form of disposable sanitary pad that were commonly used between the 1890s and 1970s in menstrual care. Looped sanitary towels were designed to be worn with a sanitary belt, a waistband of elastic that would sit on a person’s waist with two clips attached, one at the front and one at the back. A looped towel would be attached via the clips in order to pass from front to back and would soak up the menstrual blood. These belts were a common way periods were managed into the 1970s, and were gradually replaced by alternative methods in the 1980s. These towels were designed to manage light to medium menstruation.

Dr. Whites and Lilia White were brands of sanitary product made by Smith & Nephew. The company founded in 1856 by the pharmacist Thomas Smith in Hull, who became involved in the wholesale trade of bandages and materials for wound care, alongside trade in cod liver oil. In 1912 Smith & Nephew bought sanitary towel manufacturer Sashena Limited (an acronym for “Sanitary Absorbent Safe Hygienic Every Nurse Advocates”). The line later became known as “Lilia” which referred to an industrial cellulose towel product.