Historic Northampton


Virtual Exhibits

"Handy book for girls."

This is the cover of a booklet that appeared in 1923 as a promotional plan. On the inside front cover is the headline "Everybody Likes a Jolly Girl," followed by this text: "In the class room, on the basket ball court, at parties, or when you have the crowd in at your own home, there are always two or three girls who are the most popular. Sometimes they aren't exactly pretty, but they are so nice and jolly that everybody likes them. Have you ever noticed that a popular, jolly girl always has white, pretty teeth? Keep your teeth pretty - get a Pro-phy-lac-tic Tooth Brush, the tufted kind that really cleans between the teeth. You will know it by the yellow box it comes in. Brush your teeth twice a day. Remember, 'A Clean Tooth Never Decays.'" This admits as much about the marketing strategy as it does about gender treatment in the 1920's. Young girls are instructed to be decorative, with a heavy emphasis on popularity and prettiness. This is an ad emphasizing fear and vanity that Pro-Brush was using to win the female market.