Collection

‘Tassaway’ menstrual cup

Made by Tassaway Inc in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles county, California, United States, North and Central America, 1970-1972.

The Tassaway disposable cup was a menstrual product introduced to the USA market in 1970, but despite the claims of its manufacturer that it was ‘the first menstrual product that doesn’t absorb anything’, it was based on an idea that was not new. Different kinds of menstrual cup have been manufactured since at least the 1930s, but generally have not been a marketing success.

An alternative to pads and tampons, menstrual cups collect menstrual fluids rather than absorb them. They are inserted i...

Summary

Object No.

2005/219/1

Physical Description

The 'Tassaway' cup is a device for collecting menstrual fluid, used as an alternative to products that absorb, such as sanitary napkins or tampons. It is made of soft flesh-coloured plastic in the shape of a cup that is worn inside the vagina and fits over the cervix. The base of the cup is extended into a little loop by which the device can be grasped and withdrawn.

Tassaway was marketed in a box of individually wrapped cups. The example in the Powerhouse collection is in its individual yellow plastic sachet, but there is no box.

Marks

No marks

Short URL

https://ma.as/354459

Dimensions

Height

117 mm

Width

60 mm

Depth

40 mm

Production

Notes

Tassaway advertisements reproduced on the Museum of Menstruation website (www.mum.org) indicate that the manufacturer was Tassaway Inc, 155 South Robertson Bvd, Beverly Hills, California, USA 90211. According to the Museum of Menstruation, Tassaway cups were first marketed in 1970 but the company ceased production in 1972.

Made

Tassaway Inc 1970-1972

History

Notes

This example of the individually wrapped Tassaway cup was donated to the Powerhouse Museum when curator of health and medicine, Megan Hicks, visited the private Museum of Menstruation in Washington DC and met with the museum's owner/curator, Mr Finley in 2000.

Source

Credit Line

Gift of Mr Harry Finley, Museum of Menstruation, USA, 2005

Acquisition Date

25 October 2005

Cite this Object

Harvard

'Tassaway' menstrual cup 2018, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 19 November 2018, <https://ma.as/354459>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/354459 |title='Tassaway' menstrual cup |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=19 November 2018 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}
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Incomplete

This object record is currently incomplete. Other information may exist in a non-digital form. The Museum continues to update and add new research to collection records.

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