Best of CASE District II Award
 

Institution: Johns Hopkins University

Title of entry: A Museum for Menstruation

About this entry: One of Johns Hopkins Magazine’s defining words is “bold.” That’s an accurate descriptor for our decision to print a story on the unfortunately-still-taboo topic of menstruation. For a piece in the fall 2023 issue, writer Brennen Jensen caught up with alum Harry Finley, who has spent decades amassing a collection of menstrual products, advertisements, and other artifacts in the basement of his suburban Maryland home. Jensen’s story shows the importance of what may seem at first glance as a bizarre hobby; in spring 2023 the Smithsonian National Museum of American History acquired 475 objects from Finley’s collection, ensuring that the institution no longer reflect the “cultural invisibility of menstruation” and instead provide valuable historical context to researchers worldwide.