The Vibrator's Illustrious History

We can thank the Industrial Revolution for the means of producing mechanical vibrators: in 1869 and 1872, George Taylor patented the first steam powered "massage and vibratory apparatii." These were promptly introduced as a medical apparatus for the treatment of "hysteria": was the lady of the house feeling blue, or depressed, or a little light on equal cultural privileges? What could make her feel better than a bit of "uterine manipulation" by a medical doctor, until her stress dissipated in a series of muscle spasms?

The obvious popularity of this treatment drove the vibrator to become a household appliance by 1905, advertised in women's magazines and catalogs in extremely vague terms that refered to women's health and increased vitality. Unfortunately, vibrators' brief moment in the sun of legitimacy clouded over when they started showing up in the early stag films of the twenties. They lingered in the twilight world of novelty devices, or disguised as massagers, until the seventies when the first vibrator was actually marketed as a sexual accessory.

This boomed into a huge, albeit aesthetically-questionable business of unattractive sex toys, that was partly remedied by the entry into the fray of women-owned sex stores, and more informed and demanding customers. You wanted your toys to be better made and more attractive, and you got it. Vibrators now come in every color and design imaginable, so you can get off with a rubber Ducky, a tube of lipstick, or a brightly-colored sea creature if you so choose. It's easier than ever to buy a vibrator and take it for a spin. Even if you're not feeling blue, those resultant "muscle spasms" will, at the very least, relieve tension and put a smile on your face!