National Masturbation Month: The history of the vibrator

A popular British model, Macaura's Pulsocon (later renamed Macaura's Blood Circulator) was introduced in the mid-1880s and continued to be sold well into the late 1920s. This model was hand-cranked,weird sex toy which seems a little distracting to us, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

The first battery-powered and electric vibrators weren't introduced until around the turn of the 20th century. Unsurprisingly, it was among the first personal devices electrified, only falling behind the sewing machine, fan, tea kettle and toaster.The first vibrators were marketed for use by doctors and spas, but in the 1900s,unusual sex toys ads began appearing as cure-alls in magazines geared toward women. American Vibrator Company was even so bold as to state their product "can be used by yourself in the privacy of dressing room or boudoir..." They even claimed it would keep a woman young. The glow of satisfaction will do that to a girl.

Unfortunately, in the '20s, vibes showed up in pornography, effectively ending their appearance in "respectable" publications. Leave it to a man to blab and spoil our fun!Fast-forward to the 1950s, when one company began marketing the Vibra Finger "Gum Massager" (uh-huh). Featuring a "full-size" finger attached to an electric base, the massager was dentist approved. For only $7,sexy lingerie this little gadget was also said to be a great gift. The money-back guarantee is nice, but we have a feeling no one ever took advantage of it. Others were marketed as plain-old massagers, beauty aids and weight-loss devices.

The sexual revolution ended that nonsense, and in the '70s, vibrators reappeared as devices used solely for sex. (So next time you meet a certified '60s bra-burner, give her a hug!) But despite how far we've come,love dolls they're still called novelties in the fine print.