"BY THE INTELLIGENT USE OF BIRTH CONTROL A WOMAN TAKES INTO HER OWN HANDS THE POWER TO CONTROL NOT ONLY THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SHE DESIRES TO HAVE, BUT THE TIMES AND SEASONS AT WHICH THEY ARE CONCEIVED"

STOPES, Marie Carmichael. Birth Control To-Day. London: John Bale, Sons & Danielsson, 1934. Small octavo, original gilt-stamped blue cloth, original dust jacket. $650.

First edition of trailblazer Marie Stopes' practical guide to birth control, in scarce original dust jacket.

"As a scientist, [Marie] Stopes is still a figure of some interest. Her major claim to fame, however, rests on her work as birth control advocate and sex educator. She played a unique and essential role in publicizing contraception and making it a topic for discussion. She created a new genre of marriage manual with Married Love, a book which literally changed lives" (DNB). Birth Control To-Day is essentially an extension of that book, explaining in practical terms how to use birth control and which devices and methods to trust. It also includes several controversial illustrations that frankly depict anatomy, including a folding diagram explaining diaphragm insertion. Although Birth Control To-Day attracted the notice of customs officers and censors worldwide, it remained highly popular during the decades before the pill.

Book near-fine with a few small spots to cloth, gilt bright, scarce dust jacket about-fine.