Object Details
- Description
- This mahogany-stained cabinet was designed to be extremely discreet. When the cabinet doors are closed, there is no indication of the products which the cabinet holds.
- During the 1930s, cabinets like these would have been used in drugstores which sold condoms. This cabinet held condoms specifically manufactured by Julius Schmid, Inc. of New York, New York. The cabinet dates to around 1931.
- Behind the cabinet's double doors are five dispensing trays and a shelf at the top. The top shelf would have held tins of Sheik brand condoms, one of the most common brands Schmid manufactured. Small side shelves would have held condom tins for Fourex and Ramses, two other brands Schmid manufactured. Condom tins like these typically held three condoms. The center shelf would have contained larger boxes which held a dozen condoms.
- In 1872, the Comstock Act had prohibited interstate commerce in obscene literature and immoral material. Condoms and other forms of birth control fell under the category of “immoral material.” As forbidden material, condoms were rarely advertised openly. However, during the early twentieth century, rising concerns about gonorrhea and syphilis led a growing number of public health advocates to call for condoms to be sold to prevent disease. In 1918, a court case in New York, (The People of the State of New York v Margaret H. Sanger) clarified that existing penal codes allowed physicians to prescribe condoms to prevent disease. Named after Judge Frederick Crane who wrote the opinion in the case, the Crane decision opened the door for condom manufacturers to openly advertise and sell condoms, provided they were sold as a disease preventative.
- Throughout most of the twentieth century, Julius Schmid, Inc. dominated the condom market. An immigrant from Germany, Schmid was one of the first American manufacturers to use “cold-cure cement” technique to make condoms. Workers at his factory dipped a glass mold into liquified rubber to create a sheath. The sheath was then vulcanized or hardened at a high temperature, enabling it to retain its shape.
- Schmid’s condoms were not only standardized, they were also tested to ensure that they had no tears or holes. While cheap untested condoms were often sold on the street, Schmid made a point to sell his more expensive condoms in drug stores, a tactic which underscored his claim that his condoms were sold “only for protection against disease.” Aggressive marketing, combined with Schmid’s ability to move quickly when laws regulating condom manufacturing and distribution changed, were central to the company’s success.
- Schmid was well known for the reliability of its products, and the company exclusively supplied pharmacists with tested and dependable condoms. This allowed pharmacists to sell higher-quality condoms at a significant markup.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- advertiser
- Julius Schmid, Inc.
- maker
- Julius Schmid, Inc.
- date made
- after 1931
- ca 1930s
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- metal (hinges and pulls material)
- Object Name
- Display Cabinet, Condom
- Other Terms
- Display Cabinet, Condom; Manufacturing And Dispensing Equipment
