by William Petrick
by William Petrick
"We started collecting back in the 1960's," explains Walter Masanic, Director of
Public Affairs for Ortho-McNeil, Inc., the company that is responsible for the
museum. "People weren't collecting then so we had items taken from a few doctors'
offices. But then word spread and we started getting things from all over the
world, Asia, Europe, South America, it's an international museum now."
Long before condoms came in rainbow colors and exotic skins, legendary lover
Casanova was sewing together strips of fine linen. Centuries before nonoxynol 9,
young women in Constantinople shook the gritty sand from sea sponges and dipped
them in lemon juice before insertion. Contraception has a long and inventive
history. Now there is a museum dedicated to one of humankind's most persistent
quests.
Located just outside Toronto, Canada, The History of Contraception Museum is
billed as one of a kind. With over 600 different I.U.D.'s, sponges, condoms and
other contraceptive devices, the museum is certainly in a class by itself.
