What you'll do

Join us for this talk and live experiment, where author and historian Jessica Borge will recreate some of the 1960s consumer tests of condoms. Watch her fill an original 1967 Durex Gossamer condom first with air, then with water, from her kitchen.  

In this talk Jessica will also take you through the history of the London Rubber Company, the original maker of Durex condoms. A pre-recorded interview with John Harvey, a former sales manager at the London Rubber Company, will be shown, telling you more about the Durex Gossamer condom. At the end of the event there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion. 

About your speaker

Dr Jessica Borge is an interdisciplinary researcher in the field of 20th century British History, specialising in the intersection of business, society and media. Her book ‘Protective Practices: A History of the London Rubber Company and the Condom Business’, is the first full length study on the London Rubber Company.