Vagina Museum

Postie's delivered the zine I'd ordered from @vaginamuseum.bsky.social & it looks fantastic. Sender address label - I suppose I hadn't thought about it before but let's just say it's not as discreet as Ann Summers - & why should it be? Now wondering why it's easier for me to say cunt than vagina 🤔

Like many of these patents invented by men who got overexcited by new technology and created something nobody asked for, there's no record that anyone spent the Victorian era with an inflatable banana strapped to their crotch. It likely never went into production.

We also have questions about the noises that wearing a small inflatable banana under your skirts might make. Does it squeak when you walk? If you sit down too hard will it make a hilarious whoopee cushion noise?

This is a substance which a lot of people are allergic to, and even if you're not, you're walking around all day with a little rubber inflatable banana up against your vulva and between your thighs. That doesn't sound especially comfortable.

It is important to note that this inflatable device is made with the best quality materials available in the 19th century: natural rubber.

We would argue that the demographic of those who would appreciate an inflatable banana up against the vulva is, in fact, men who invent weird shit like this.

According to Clark, the inflatable nature of the gadget is designed for cushioning comfort, which can "only be appreciated by the sex for whom it is intended."

The way this gizmo works is that when your period arrives, you unfurl your inflatable banana from storage, and blow it up. You then stick a sponge in the curve of the banana, and hitch it up to a belt around your waist.

We've had a couple of close guesses, like menstrual pad, or tampon, and a few of you correctly clocked that it's inflatable. However, nobody managed to guess completely correctly, and we don't blame you. The answer is... inflatable menstrual pad.

VERY close.

Technical drawing. At the top are two banana-shaped items, upright, with hooks at the top and bottom. Beneath this are two long ovals, approximately the same length as the bananas, with many folds inside.

We haven't shown you a weird old-timey patent for a while. So here's something patented by Charles E. Clark in 1859. Can you guess what it's supposed to do?

we unfortunately do not have a wedding license but are fuckin amazing for reception parties

Tours and external events — Vagina Museum

And if you can't make it to London, fear not... We can come to you! Here's some things we can do for you if you'd like a little bit of Vagina Museum in your school, workplace or event www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/visit/toursa...

Venue Hire — Vagina Museum

Throwing a party? Launching a book? Got a performance that the world needs to see? Do it in style. The Vagina Museum can be yours for your special occasion www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/visit/venueh...

...and this sort of confusion is *exactly* why, whatever your ideology, you can probably agree it's a bad idea to name body parts after men.

However, the G-spot isn't named after de Graaf. That's named after a different man, Ernst Gräfenberg.

De Graaf himself didn't actually discover ovarian follicles, a fact even he himself pointed out. However, he *was* one of the first anatomists to write about an erogenous zone on the front wall of the vagina, i.e. the G-spot.

On this day in 1641, Regnier de Graaf was born. This Dutch anatomist is the namesake of Graafian follicles, aggregates of cells in the ovaries which include an egg cell. De Graaf is one of the nine men after whom a part of the gynaecological anatomy is named (none are named after women).

Lip Service Issue #2 - Menstruation Lip Service is a quarterly publication by the Vagina Museum in the style of old school community magazines. In this 40-page A5 zine, the content ranges from expanded exhibition content and other longf...

So Lip Service is truly a labia of love from our community. We hope you enjoy Lip Service: Menstruation vaginamuseumshop.co.uk/products/lip...

Volunteer — Vagina Museum

And if you're in London and dream of chatting to the public about vaginas and vulvas all afternoon, why not become a vulvateer with us? We're looking for Front (bottom) of House volunteers... www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/volunteer

Become A Member — Vagina Museum

As well as getting the opportunity to contribute to Lip Service, members of the Cliterati get a free digital download of the zine... along with heaps of other benefits including discounts and exclusive events. You can join from just £6 a month www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/member

Lip Service Issue #2 - Menstruation Lip Service is a quarterly publication by the Vagina Museum in the style of old school community magazines. In this 40-page A5 zine, the content ranges from expanded exhibition content and other longf...

This gives you the finest analysis and creative works, all for just £3 digital, or £8 print. Our print run is strictly limited, so order now so you don't miss out! vaginamuseumshop.co.uk/products/lip...

Lip Service is created by the Vagina Museum community. All contributions are created from our team, members and volunteers, a fanny-tastic bunch of people with expertise and lived experience.

Lip Service Issue #2 - Menstruation Lip Service is a quarterly publication by the Vagina Museum in the style of old school community magazines. In this 40-page A5 zine, the content ranges from expanded exhibition content and other longf...

It's here... issue 2 of Lip Service is quite the *period*ical. The theme of our quarterly zine is menstruation! Treat yourself to 40 pages of art, poetry, commentary and cultural critique about all things bloody from our community, in print or digital vaginamuseumshop.co.uk/products/lip...

Get Involved — Vagina Museum

Education is essential, and a vital tool for undoing millennia of shame, stigma and censorship. If you're reading this, chances are you agree. So please stand with the Vagina Museum, and keep on sharing and supporting our work. www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/support

Get Involved — Vagina Museum

Maintaining a physical museum is expensive, but as the online world grows more hostile to educational content, a place like the Vagina Museum is essential. You can support our work by donating, becoming a member or volunteering - find out more here www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/support

If you're in the UK and decided not to submit your ID documents to a social media website, our doors are open to you, and admission is free for everyone! www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/visit

At the Vagina Museum, you can see what real bodies look like, learn about anatomy, and celebrate the world's most misunderstood body parts.

Basic educational information is becoming more and more challenging to post online. But do you know what a social media algorithm can't censor? A little building in London which is dedicated to vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy.

Or even when posts containing the word "vagina" are flagged as adult content, as if half the world doesn't have one, and most of us didn't come out of one.