Packaging and sales

How was the condom packaged? The condom has three clear folds. Obviously, it can be folded and placed in a small envelope, which is convenient to store and carry around. Upon closer inspection, the paper material of the package vaguely shows vertical lines under the light, like ribbing, and this special pattern comes from its unique manufacturing mode. It is assumed that the package of this condom is made of the typical "laid paper" which prevailed between 1800 and 1810 and is characterized by neatly arranged horizontal or vertical stripes. The laid paper is likely to be handmade. Workers dip the wire screen mold into a vat containing diluted linen pulp, then lift it out, tilt it, spread the pulp evenly over a sieve, and drain off the excess water. When the paper is thoroughly dried, the grain of the wire screen is imprinted on the paper, creating a unique pattern. Because of privacy, condom sales in the 18th century often occurred underground and clandestinely. The vast majority of conservative society was critical of condom use because it promoted sexual promiscuity and birth control that conflicted with religious doctrine.

However, gentlemen who frequented brothels stimulated the demand for condoms, which led to a flourishing condom industry in the late 18th century. Manufacturers even advertised and promoted their products through handbills and pamphlets, albeit with implied euphemisms rather than straightforward descriptions. Consumers in the 18th and 19th centuries may have needed to become proficient in the relevant ’code words’ when purchasing condoms. The Latin instructions in the picture do not give a specific term for the item, but rather refer to it as "membrana," or membrane. In fact, nicknames for condoms are diverse and fascinating, such as sheath, armor, skin, night cap, machine, English raincoat, and French letter, etc. Young men touring the continent often enclosed their condom purchases in letters sent to England, and they soon became known in Britain as "French letters."

Illustrations are also used to show the real target of the promotion and the reliability of the product. Some competent manufacturers, such as Mrs. Perkins and Mrs. Phillips of London, competed fiercely for the sale of condoms, and mail-order businesses were launched. There was a brief period of prosperity in the condom industry before the government banned the sale of condoms by law.