October 6th, 2007 -- by Aphrodite
Fascinating History Of Vibrators
Slate recently published a slide show titled Your Grandmother’s Vibrator. It’s short, at only ten slides, and some are not really relevant….but it’s still fascinating. Who knew Hamilton Beach used to make vibrators? Here’s one of their models, picture from Good Vibrations:
That looks a little scary to me, but not as scary as some of the other pictures at Slate. Some amazing statistics given there too.
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When I first looked at the picture, I thought it was a hair dryer! HA! But I love the idea of “teledildonics”, that’s hilarious… can’t wait to see it in everyday use through members-only paysites! LOL :)
What is even more scary is how sexual feelings were regarded as an illness by some people in that time. And it is not that they could not have known better because the praises of sex and orgasm have been sung for thousands of years in so many cultures.
Great post! I love that women were encouraged to use vibrators to aid their health and beauty. Some of the old machines are kinda scary looking. I’m so glad to be a women in the 21st century!
Looks more like the genuine antique teardrop-shaped “Flash Gordon” “Ray Gun” to me. Imagine all the little kids who discovered these running around with them playing space man…
Wonderful Post. I checked out the main article and found it really interesting. This is just like the vintage erotica that Bacchus posts. All those in power want us to believe sex hasn’t been around forever when it obviously has.
This looks amazingly like my (brand new) Wahl plug-in vibe.
:)
I’ve had a strange run of finding used sex toys at Goodwill lately. I actually bought this old-school one (click on my hotlinked name to see it). It has a plastic case, but the guts are solid steel; it works on an electromagnet, not an electric motor and therefore weighs about five pounds.
at first glance this appears to be a torture device of some kind. i must say, putting that anywhere near my juicy places is just not something i want to do….
Hey Afrodite, great post!
Fans of erotic technology will love a new DVD called “Passion and Power”. It’s a documentary based on a book The Technology of Orgasm: Hysteria, the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction by Rachel P. Maine.
Good Vibrations is thrilled to throw a release party with them at the SF Polk store this Friday, Oct. 19th 2007. You can find out more, and view a clip of their film at the links below.
Thanks for the post with a picture from GV’s ancient vibe collection. That model is sitting in a glass case that I pass each day at the office. The history of vibes, and dildos, is amazing. To think that some of the new vibes have the same basic design as the old.
Anyhow more about Passion and Power!:
The film chronicles the invention of the vibrator and its impact on sexual politics by tracing it from a labor saving device invented by doctors to cure women of “hysteria� to a household product manufactured and sold by mainstream companies such as Sears Roebuck, General Electric and Hamilton Beach.
Told by interviews with historians Rachel Maines and Katharine Young; feminist pioneers, Betty Dodson and Dell Williams; Texas housewife Joanne Webb, her lawyer, BeAnn Sisemore and witty commentary by New York performance artist, Reno. Illustrations are by Ellen Blonder; music by Mark Adler.
What: Passion and Power – DVD release party!
When: Friday, October 19th, 2007
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: Good Vibrations Polk Street Store
1620 Polk Street (at Sacramento Street)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 345-0400
Info: http://www.technologyoforgasm.com/index.asp
http://www.goodvibes.com/Content–Community-Events–id-43