Wow. Condoms are older than I thought!
Were primarily used for disease prevention, not contraception. 18th century, were made from lamb or goat gut, which would be soaked to rehydrate before use, and tied with a pink ribbon. (Heh, this is when pink was the Manly Colour). Afterwards they would be washed, dried and reused! efficient…
Lmao, an artist called Zoffany did a self portrait of himself as a monk with his condoms hanging in the backrgound.
In Georgian London, two main manufacturers: Mrs Phillips and Mrs Mary Perkins. They were rivals.
There was also probably someone called Mary Bates, who traded condoms surreptitiously, after inheriting her husbands trade of bladderman, which is a very silly job title haha.
Mrs Philips seems to have worked on Half-Moon Street which seems like it had a bunch of doctors’/surgeons/barbers’ shops, some specialising in venereal disease! Thats funky.
Half-Moon Street is modern day Bedford Street (maybe, “modern”, so possible pre-one-of-the-fires)
Mrs Philips was known nationally, and throughout Europe, as the maker of the best handmade condoms money could buy, which is a very cool thing to be famous for. Durex watch out :P.
She was at this for over 30 years!! Very cool! And constantly putting out adverts sniping at pretenders. She died some point in early 1780, beeing buried on the 3rd of Februrary.
Mrs Perkins’ record goes cold :/