Birth Control in Victorian England,or Foucault was Right

Emma Graner

Artifact:Advertisement

Text:

THE GENUINE FRENCH LETTER.

The Publisher respectfully declines selling the FRENCH LETTER over the counter. It will be sent to any address on the receipt of 13 Postage Stamps.

STRICTLY PRIVATE.

Printed and Published by H. Cook, Bookseller,5, Sims’ Alley, Broadmead,Bristol.

Pre-19th Century• Evidence of long historical

use of withdrawal as a method of birth control

• Pepys’ Diary mentions use of the “sheath” or condom (but primarily as a safeguard against STDs, not against pregnancy)

• Church’s consistent condemnations of birth control evidences its practice

Early 19th Century• Industrialization and wars

bring depression, unemployment, poverty, and social crisis

• Large increase in population after 1760

• Rev. Thomas Malthus publishes Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)– Suggests “moral restraint” to

relieve overpopulation

Early 19th Century (cont.)

• Francis Place advocates contraception as a means to reduce poverty in Illustrations and Proofs of Population (1822)

• 1823: Handbills with instructions for contraceptive techniques widely distributed

Early 19th Century (cont.)• Richard Carlile, journalist

of The Republican, encourages use of birth control to increase sexual freedom

• Carlile publishes pamphlet Every Woman’s Book, or What is Love? (1826)– Sex and contraception

manual– Immensely popular: sells

5,000 copies in first 6 months, and sales increase after that

Early 19th Century (cont.)

• Charles Knowlton, American MD, publishes The Fruits of Philosophy, or the Private Companion of Young Married People (1832), the first scientific treatise on contraception since ancient times

• Reprinted and pirated in England 1833-34; sells well

Beginning of Victorian Era

• By the beginning of the Victorian era, had been wide publication of Place’s instructional handbills and Carlile and Knowlton’s pamphlets

• Ideas widely circulated and discussed in workingmen’s press and radical publications

Victorian Era• 1854: George R. Dysdale,

Malthusian physician, publishes The Elements of Social Science, or Physical, Sexual and Natural Religion– 600 pages– Review of Malthusian

doctrine, physiology of sex, STDs, methods of contraception

– Sold 77,000 copies by 1892• Numerous other guides

published, directed towards women and married couples

Victorian Era (cont.)

• Paradoxically, “Malthusianism” becomes a synonym for birth control

• Evidence of wide practice of birth control among middle and upper classes– By 1878, British birthrate begins to decline– Little evidence of use among working class

• Marie Stopes, writing in 1920s, indicates major newspapers like the Daily Telegraph included near-daily articles on birth control in 1867-68

Victorian Era (cont.)

• Methods of birth control widely practiced:– Withdrawal– Vaginal syringe (douche)

• With or without chemical additive (quinine)– Vaginal sponge– Condom (“French letter,” “envelope,” “baudruche”)

• Originally made of animal skin or intestine; later of vulcanized rubber

• By the early 20th century, available in latex; short (“the tip”) or long size; “plain” or “teat” end; a variety of colors (“drab,” “ivory,” “flesh (pink)”, and “transparent”); some reusable

• Advised for use with surgical lubricant, which was also available for sale

Victorian Era (cont.)• Condoms marketed towards men for prevention of STDs in encounters

with prostitutes, as well as “family men” concerned about household economy

• Text of one ad for condom carrying cases:– "...As many of our encounters with the opposite sex are unexpected, it becomes

any man, in consideration for his own health and happiness, never to be without these matchless Protections, for how often has years of misery, nay the bitterness of a whole life, ensued from the promiscuous intercourse with a Courtesan.

– “It then becomes a matter of the greatest importance to be always prepared, to have them in our possession; but hither to this has been found attended with considerable inconvenience, being liable to be pulled from the pocket with gloves, paper, etc; in fact, a thousand circumstances may occur to bring the articles in question unexpectedly to light.

– “In order to prevent these painful and unpleasant occurrences, W. Edwards has been induced to publish a small appropriate case, called ‘The Man of Pleasure's Pocket Book,’ containing a secret receptacle for ‘French Letters’ with instruction for their use, etc, and every valuable information that the votary of Venus may require.”

Victorian Era (cont.)• Bradlaugh-Besant trial

(1877)– Charles Bradlaugh (MP) and

Annie Besant, both outspoken advocates of birth control, publish Knowlton’s Fruits of Philosophy

– Tried for intent “to incite and encourage [the public] to indecent, obscene, unnatural, and immoral practices”

– Convicted, but later released

Victorian Era (cont.)• It seems that the only reason Bradlaugh and Besant were

prosecuted was because of pornographic illustrations added by rogue bookseller

• Consequences of Bradlaugh-Besant trial– No decrease in publication or sale of information on birth control– Incites demand for more information– Gives Knowlton’s book publicity

• 1876-1881: 200,000 copies sold in England– Annie Besant publishes The Law of Population: Its Consequences

and its Bearing upon Human Conduct and Morals (1877)• Describes birth control methods• 175,000 copies sold by 1891

– Malthusian League founded in 1877; starts publishing The Malthusian in 1879

Victorian Era (cont.)

Back to French Envelopes

• The Victorian era saw a revolution in birth control information, practices, discourse, and availability

• Public discourse about birth control would continue to increase rapidly into the 20th century

Bibliography• Holmes, James Robins. “A Short List of the more important articles which are

used in the practice of Neo-Malthusianism commonly called Birth Control.” 1936. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. Available at: 19th Century Collections Online; Women: Transnational Networks.

• Langer, William L. “The Origins of the Birth Control Movement in England in the Early Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 5.4 (1975): 669-86. JSTOR. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.

• Off the Pedestal: Images of Women in Victorian Broadsides, Ephemera & “Fast” Literature. Lilly Library Digital Collection (Indiana University). Web. 15 Sept. 2013. Available at: http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/offthepedestal/otpintro.html– Includes items from London Low Life: An Uncatalogued Collection, Indiana University

Lilly Library• “The Genuine French Letter” Advertisement (Box 3, No. 67)• “When Bradlaugh Triumphs” (OS 1 No. 6)

• Stopes, Marie. Early Days of Birth Control. 2nd ed. London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1922. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. Available at: 19th Century Collections Online; Women: Transnational Networks.