By the late 19th century electrical vibration devices were manufactured both for professional and domestic use. These were essentially vibrators that massaged the surface of the skin using a variety of interchangeable heads. By the late twentieth century the use of induction coil vibrators that passed a current directly into the skin had waned. But massaging vibrators are still made and manufactured and there are literally hundreds of vibrating machines available, from vibrating pillows to vibrating plastic novelty ladybugs.

This instruction booklet entitled "Curative Vibration. The Law of Vibration is the Law of Life" was published for use with the 'Veedee' massaging vibrator. 'Veedee' was an English company based in London which produced massaging devices from the beginning of the twentieth century.

The booklet with the by-line "Death is Stagnation Life is Vibration." is an early account of the benefits and operation of a mechanical therapeutic device by a company that made machines for home use. It also contains an interesting account of the beginnings of vibratory therapy. Like other mechanical vibrators marketed from the 1890s to the middle of the twentieth century it purported to rid the user of a wide range of ailments

References
Gray, Ira, A Few words on Medical Electricity, Austral Publishing Co, Melbourne, about 1885
Instruction booklet, Shelton Electric Vibrator, Skelton Elecrtic Company, New York, (1910) http://www.iee.org/TheIEE/Research/Archives/Exhibitons/MedicalElectricity/index.cfm Ian Blomeley, 'Good Vibrations: The Macaura Bloood Circulator, Social History Curators Group News, number 27, 1991, p. 9-10

Geoff Barker, March, 2007

Instruction booklet, 'Veedee' vibrator, paper, publisher unknown, Australia, 1906-1940

An instruction booklet for the 'Veedee' vibrator. The booklet has a faded green cover and is 20 pages in length. It is held together with two staples in the spine of the booklet.

Made: The Veedee Co; London, England; 1906 - 1940

Text across the front cover of the booklet reads 'CURATIVE / VIBRATION / "The Law of Vibration / is the Law of Life" / THE VEEDEE / 96 SOUTHWARK STREET LONDON SE'. Handwritten in pencil on the first page of the booklet is 'Mary Montgomery / 1904'. There is also a stamp on the first page that reads 'Davidson & Harvy / Belfast'.

85/676-3

1906 - 1940

220 mm

100 mm