"waterproof cover for diapers...REVOLUTIONARY! NEW!"

This early ad for the Boater is inventive in itself ~ besides features demos and washing instructions, it also is designed to be exactly the dimensions of a properly folded diaper insert, so moms can hone their technique.

The Marion O'Brien Donovan Papers | Archives Center, National Museum of American History |

After her success with the Boater, Marion went on to invent the first disposable diaper, a convenience that would not be mass-produced for another decade at the dawn of the Pampers empire.

David Goehring |