The history of sex toys

Have you ever wondered about the history of sex toys - not while you are using them obviously, we’re sure you have something else on your mind at that point? The team at Secret Passion were a bit curious since selling sex toys and helping you to spice up your sex lives is what we do, so we did a little bit of research.

Have you ever heard an older relative say something along the lines of “this generation thinks that they invented sex”? Well it turns out that they didn’t either, sex toys go back a very long way!

The first dildo – The first dildo was discovered by paleontologists and dates back to the Paleolithic era. Just to give you an idea, that’s over 2 million years ago. The dildo discovered was made from siltstone and polished to a fine gloss, for easier use we would imagine! Maybe we need something similar in our next product range!

The first vibrator – There is a rumour that the first ever vibrator was invented by Cleopatra in 54BC. The legend goes that she used a hollow gourd full of angry bees – we’re not entirely sure that would have caught on, it seems a bit risky to us! This story is well known but has never been proven.

In 1891 women were given access to a steam powered vibrator called The Manipulator, we weren’t sure about the name either. There was no hiding this contraption in your bedside cabinet or knicker drawer, The Manipulator needed a cupboard. It was also extremely noisy so there was no way you could hide what you were up to. It’s a good job women had plenty of time during the day while their husbands were at work.

Luckily things are a little bit quieter these days so you can sneak off for some solo fun whenever you feel like it! We even have vibrators that you can keep in your handbag or pack in your suitcase and no one is any the wiser.

The first magic wand – In 1890 Dr. Macaura’s Pulsocon launched the Hand Crank, another not particularly alluring name! This is basically the magic wand powered by hand using a hand crank, hence the name. We’re not sure just what effect it would have had though, we suspect that you would need strong arms to make that one work for you. Today, the magic wand hasn’t changed much since the electric version first appeared on the scene in the 1970s, it’s still one of the most popular sex toys available today, and it even made a guest appearance in Sex and the City.

Some of the contraptions from decades gone by sound like they weren’t actually a lot of fun. However, they did pave the way for the numerous toys and play things we have today that give us oh so much pleasure, and for that we will always be grateful.