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Stories

  • Article

Dial ‘S’ for sex

In pre-internet days, phone boxes became a patchwork of ‘tart cards’ offering sexual services. Find out about the clandestine world they hint at.

  • Article

The poor child’s nurse

Charming family scenes in Victorian ads for children’s medicines were at odds with some of the dangerous ingredients they contained.

  • In pictures

The post-war adverts that tried to cure lonely women

Isolated housewives, lonely female office workers: while the 1950s saw the birth of a general concern about them, manufacturers also spotted an opportunity. Find out how advertising promised that products could salve solitude.

  • Article

Busting myths about turkey-baster babies

The popular idea of sex-free, turkey-baster-led conception has been around since the 1970s. Christine Ro goes beyond the utensils drawer to find out if it’s ever really happened.

All stories (13)

Images

  • A woman with long hair representing an advertisement for safe sex; created by Alberta Advertising Agencies Association as part of an advertisement AIDS/HIV Prevention campaign Lithograph by Greg Gerla/West 11th Photography.
  • A message from the Agence française de lutte contre le SIDA about how they want to oppose the ignorance, fear, discrimination, prejudice and hatred of people with or associated with AIDS; advertisement for World AIDS Day, 1st December 1992. Colour lithograph by I.M. Communiquer.
  • A red telephone cord twisted in the shape of the AIDS red ribbon with a message that friends, lovers and those who support gays affected by AIDS also need to be heard; an advertisement for the SIDA Info Service in association with World AIDS Day, 1 December. Colour lithograph by L'Agence Verte.
  • A bungee cord is compared to the rubber of a condom, both representing life-savers; part of the Alberta HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns for young adults. Lithograph by Clint Adam Smyth and Ad Design.
  • Nine posters promoting the benefits of sexual abstinence and warnings about the importance of condoms and safe sex by the National AIDS Stategy, Health Canada. Lithograph.
  • Tesco : Beechams you'll feel better with Beechams around.
  • Tesco : Beechams you'll feel better with Beechams around.
  • Pexicon : an all-the-year-round product : makes jam set like magic / The Pexicon Company.
  • Pexicon : an all-the-year-round product : makes jam set like magic / The Pexicon Company.
  • Pexicon : an all-the-year-round product : makes jam set like magic / The Pexicon Company.
All images (27)

Catalogue

All works (14)