Fun fact: vibrators were the fifth electrical appliance to be made available for retail sale.

Exactly right. I think they were developed from the "medical devices", which were floor-mounted steam-powered monstrosities. I'm not sure if I'd be eager to try something that hardcore, but it really wasn't until the motion picture was developed and the first porn was made (Edwardian era, as mentioned) that showed the items being used for non-medical purposes.

And (if I recall correctly) it was right after those pornos were made and people put two and two together that you could no longer find vibrators for sale in catalogs. LAME.

I've always kind of wanted to go back in time with a bunch of modern toys and show them to the people of the old days. Probably horrify the masses and end up getting myself lynched.

Yeah. Women had a quiet little "Housewife's Helper" going on, and then some porn director had to ruin it.

I keep thinking of dragging "Lord of the Rings" back to the 1950's and watching the geeks wet themselves. But modern toys back in the Victorian/Edwardian Eras? ... That would be awesome!

Most medical textbooks at the time didn't even have the clitoris as part of the women's genital diagrams ... now, if the female orgasm didn't exist, why did they have to edit out that bit of anatomy ... ?

When people say "they" it usually means "only some very vocal people." Women knew they had orgasms, and their partners, if they were worth their salt, knew they were having them, too.

Freud talked about the female orgasm, but divided them up into "clitoral" orgasms (meaning anything that directly stimulated the clit) and "vaginal orgasms" (meaning only orgasms from Penis in Vagina sex.) He said "clitoral orgasms were childlike, and neurotic" and psychoanalytically mature women had only "vaginal orgasms." What he was really saying was, "I shouldn't have to give oral sex, bitch. Get off when I do or you're on your own."

Freud was an asshole.

Do you remember what it is called?? Would love to see it!!

It's called Hysteria.

Thanks, will check it out!

If you like that you might also want to check out the Vibrator play if you ever get a chance to see a production of it: link

you also might want to read The Technology of Orgasm which inspired both: link

Yes, It always surprizes me, too. Have you ever hired an attorney....this is a group that really misses the obvious.

some gadets were sold by Sears and Robucks.