On this day in 1932, Lester J. Goddard filed a patent application for a "vaginal receptacle" - what these days we would call a menstrual cup. 
Goddard's "vaginal receptacle" wasn't the first menstrual cup in history, although it was the first design in this shape. According to his application, it was designed to solve the problem of existing cups being made of "hard, unyielding material" or prone to "distortion".
The receptacle was designed to be comfortable for the wearer: "that all exposed surfaces of the receptacle be very smooth,soft, pliant and free from stiff edges, shoulders, or undue bulges of any character tending to cause concentration of the pressure on the vaginal walls"
However, Goddard's vaginal receptacle never hit the market. In the 1930s, five patents for menstrual cups (with charming names like "sanitary cup" or "catamenial receptacle") were filed.
Only one patented menstrual cup from the 1930s became commercially available: a "catamenial appliance" invented by Leona Chalmers, which was sold as the Tass-ette.
The Tass-ette was on the market until 1973, when they ceased production due to a lack of interest. The company had a brief pause during the Second World War, when rubber was scarce.
Since the 2000s, menstrual cups have experienced a resurgence and have never been more popular! We've come a long way from the "vaginal receptacles" of the 1930s.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
