item details
NameDurex Black Shadow condom packaging
ProductionLRC Products Limited; manufacturer(s); 1986; England
Classificationcondoms
Materialscardboard
DimensionsOverall: 55mm (width), 70mm (height), 9mm (depth)
Registration NumberGH022093
Credit lineGift of Dame Margaret Sparrow, 2011
Overview
Until the 1980s, most condoms were made in flesh colours designed for European men. Maori and Pacific men preferred darker colours, so these black British condoms were imported to appeal to them. The incongruous image on the pack – a white gentleman in top hat and tails – might be one reason the plan failed.