It’s Kris, back with another post about our KDM project for the 2020 exhibition, Deeds Not Words: Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage. We’ve already blogged about some of the technical issues in creating this piece and some biographical information (see below for links to these posts), but today we want to put the technical and the biographical together using diaphragms.
McCormick’s Diaphragms
Katharine McCormick was not only a committed suffragette, she was also a passionate advocate for women’s biological rights. For her, women would never achieve full emancipation, if they did not have sovereignty over their bodies. When she met Margaret Sanger in 1917, McCormick immediately began to support Sanger’s efforts in advancing birth control. At the time, diaphragms were illegal in the United States, so McCormick traveled to Europe and smuggled over 1,000 diaphragms back to the U.S. for Sanger to use in her clinics. And just how did she do this? She had the diaphragms sewn into her clothes! She had so many steamer trunks that she figured the customs officers wouldn’t bother to check all that clothing.
Procuring Our Diaphragms
As sewers, we just loved reading this part of McCormick’s biography. She wore boas and had the guts to become a smuggler to help ensure women’s reproductive rights. What better way to pay homage to this part of McCormick’s life than to sew a diaphragm into the quilt. “Let’s just buy a diaphragm online,” we said to each other. Well, diaphragms are basically dispensed by prescription. And, yeah, we’re pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to convince our doctors to prescribe one to either of us! Add to that the fact that the major US manufacturer of diaphragms, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., had discontinued its production in 2013. What to do? We had two ideas.
Maria Shell
Our first idea was to turn to the group of colleagues who have always supported us: Studio Art Quilt Associates. We posted our need for a diaphragm on our member Facebook page. After some people reminded us that they still needed their diaphragms to breathe (that gave us a giggle!), Maria Shell messaged us that she had one, brand new, still in the box. We received it a few days later. Please click on the link above to look at the amazing art she produces. Thanks, Maria, for your contribution.
Planned Parenthood
Our other idea was to appeal to our local chapter of Planned Parenthood. Maybe they would still have a diaphragm lyring around somewhere. I contacted Cheri Greven, Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. I explained our project. What a crazy request: Can we have a diaphragm so we can sew it into a quilt? Cheri was very polite and asked if she could get back to me. I just assumed I’d never hear from her again. Cheri called me back the very next day and said, “I found you a diaphragm.” Her office is located in Sacramento, so it was a quick drive for me. As I picked up the diaphragm, which Cheri had plucked from one of the teaching kits, she had one request for me, “You must show us the quilt when you’re done.” We’ll plan a trip to the Sacramento office this spring and post some photos. Thanks, Cheri, for finding us a diaphragm.
Sewing Our Diaphragms
A little easier said than done. We first had to decide where to place them. There is a spot on McCormick’s hat that could look like a buckle or button with the diaphragm sewn in place. The text also says “The Pill,” which highlights Mccormick’s commitment to reproductive rights. We decided we should just hide the second one, so sneak a peak under McCormick’s boa, if you get a chance to see the exhibit. We’re almost done! Stay tuned to our last few posts about this work that has become a fun and enlightening side trip on our artistic journey.
8 responses to “Katharine McCormick: Two Diaphragms Are Better Than One”
Hi guys. You could mix it up a bit and use finger cots too. They look the same but smaller. Varity like yoyo’s. Condoms too. Lol.
Ha ha! Sounds like fun, but we were trying to be historically accurate. Maybe we’ll start another project!
What a fabulous concept – and so ironic that even in 2019 you still can’t easily get hold of these items! I had a similar issue last year when I wanted to use a ‘copper 7’ (aka a copper ‘T’ IUD coil) on a quilt I made. In the end I had to make my own out of copper wire and plastic tubes! Makes me wonder how many other ‘homemade’ birth control devices have been made and uswd due to people who feel they have to exert their moral beliefs over others.
Well, we know women and men have used contraception since, well, probably ever since they figured out where babies came from (first records of condom use date back to king Minos of Crete!). We are so grateful to our friends for providing the actual diaphragms, and, boy, do they make a fund conversation starter!! We have finished the quilt and have two more blog posts to publish. Stay tuned!
You two crack me up! But, hey, aren’t the segways the best part of what we do?! Carry on ladies!
Haha! This is great! I made a quilt a couple of years ago using the QR code from a Planned Parenthood condom promotion and donated it to them. I did not, however, include real condoms! I think I see a future challenge!!!
Yes, please let us know when you’ve finished your condom quilt!
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