From Old Medical Vibrators to Modern Sex Machines

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the VeeDee, the Chattanooga and How Much Has Changed

If you’ve watched Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, you may have noticed two unusual old medical devices shown in the series: the VeeDee vibrator and the Chattanooga-style machine.

They don't look like the sex machines, dildos and attachments we know today, which is exactly what makes them so interesting.

One looks like an old hand-cranked medical tool. The other looks more like something from a workshop than a modern sex machine.

The programme has got people talking about old vibrators, early medical massagers and how different these machines used to look. Monster is a drama, so not everything in the show should be treated as fact. But old vibration machines and medical massagers were definitely real.

About Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

This is an eight-episode Netflix drama and part of the Monster anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. The series follows Lizzie Borden, one of America’s most famous true crime names, and the brutal 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. It is dark, dramatic and very stylised, so it is better watched as a drama rather than a straight documentary.

Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden, with Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan, Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden and Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden. The cast also includes Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari, Billie Lourd and Sarah Paulson.

The Timeline

The Lizzie Borden murders happened in 1892, but real VeeDee vibrators are dated around 1900-1915, and early Chattanooga style machines also appeared in records from the early 1900s.

So while the machines were real, the timing isn't consistent with the story. It’s possible they were included in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story for dramatic effect, but they were still based on real old medical devices from that wider period.

The VeeDee Vibrator

In the show, the VeeDee is shown as an old medical vibrator with a wooden-looking attachment. It's shown as something used to help with severe period pains.

The VeeDee was a real vibratory massager. One example is held by the Science Museum Group, which dates it to around 1900–1915, and another example has been linked to around 1903.

It came in a box with different attachments and was sold as a therapeutic device, not as a sex toy. The instructions described it as being used for vibration, massage, nerve stimulation and blood circulation. At the time, vibration and massage were talked about as treatments for all sorts of complaints, including colds, headaches, digestion problems and period pains. They weren’t marketed like modern adult toys. They were sold as health devices.

The Chattanooga

The Chattanooga is shown in the show as a mechanical device with a moving attachment. It’s not sleek or discreet, and it’s definitely not something you’d mistake for a modern bedroom product.

Chattanooga-style therapeutic vibrators were around in the early 1900s. Historical research describes the Chattanooga as one of the more expensive medical vibrators available to doctors at the time. In 1904, it reportedly cost around $200 plus freight and weighed about 125lb, with a wheeled stand so it could be moved around a doctor’s office. This wasn't a small modern toy or compact sex machine. It was big, heavy medical equipment.

The Wellcome Collection also has advertising material from the Vibrator Instrument Company, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, dating to the early 1900s. These machines were promoted as therapeutic devices and were advertised for all sorts of health complaints, including gastric problems, constipation and other issues.

The machine in Monster may be dramatised, although the idea of early medical vibration machines from that period is very real.

Old Attachments Were Very Different

The attachments shown in Monster look very different from anything you'd expect to see now.

The VeeDee came with different attachments, and the Chattanooga-style machine had a moving attachment that looks nothing like a modern sex machine attachment. Back then, the materials and designs were much more basic. Modern machines are very different, with smoother materials, secure fittings, easier cleaning and more control over how they're used.

How Modern Sex Machines Work

Modern sex machines are much easier to understand. The machine holds the attachment, the motor creates the movement, and you control the speed, stroke length or angle depending on the model.

Instead of hand cranks and old medical-style contraptions, modern machines use electric motors, stable frames, remote controls, variable speeds and quick-change attachment systems.

A modern sex machine is made to be easier to position, easier to use and much easier to customise. That's the big difference between old devices like the Chattanooga and modern machines like Thumpr®.

The Thumpr® Range Today

The Thumpr® range of sex machines show how much things have changed.

The Thumpr® A3 PRO is a powerful full-size machine with a longer adjustable stroke length of 3–15cm.

The Thumpr® A5 COMPACT is smaller, lighter and easier to move or store, while still giving strong automatic movement.

The Thumpr® A6 COMPACT and Thumpr® A7 COMPACT give you compact power with 360° angle adjustment, making positioning much easier.

The Thumpr® A4 PRO offers adjustable height, adjustable angle and a double-ended design for more ways to use the machine.

The Thumpr® A8 PRO MAX is the heavy-duty option, with a powerful motor, multiple modes and a multi-rod system for more advanced setups.

Then there is the Thumpr Rocker, which is different again because it’s not motorised. You rock it yourself, giving a smooth back-and-forth motion rather than automatic thrusting. So instead of one old-style machine doing one job, modern machines give you much more choice.

The Clic Loc™ Difference

One of the biggest improvements is how attachments connect.

Old machines didn't have anything like the Clic Loc™ system.

Clic Loc™ is Thumpr’s quick-change attachment system. Instead of struggling with awkward fittings, you can remove one attachment and snap another one into place quickly. That means you can change the feel of the machine without changing the machine itself.

You can use different Clic Loc™ attachments and adaptors, including Vac-U-Lock™ compatible adaptors, suction cup dildo holders, extension rods, clamps and other accessories. This gives you more choice and makes the machine easier to use in different ways.

Modern Lubricant Makes a Difference Too

Another big difference is lubricant.

Today, lube is a normal part of using sex toys and sex machines. It helps everything feel smoother and more comfortable, especially when a machine is giving steady, repeated movement.

X-Lube is a good option because it comes as a powder that you mix with water. Once mixed, it becomes a clear, slippery gel. You can make it thinner or thicker depending on how much water or powder you use. That's useful if you use different attachments or want a different feel. A 100g bottle can also make over 20 litres of finished lubricant, so it is practical if you use lube regularly.

From Medical Claims to Modern Pleasure

What makes the VeeDee and Chattanooga so interesting is how differently these products were talked about.

In the early 1900s, vibration machines were often sold as medical devices. They were advertised for health, massage, circulation and all sorts of complaints.

Today, people are much more direct. Modern sex machines are sold for what they are: hands-free pleasure machines with adjustable movement and different attachments.

They're easier to use, more comfortable, more adjustable and much better suited to real-life use.

Final Thoughts

Some of the show is dramatised, and the dates don't appear to match the real product timelines perfectly. But old medical vibrators and massagers were real.

Looking at those old devices now, it’s easy to see how far things have come.

Back then, it was hand cranks, metal frames, medical claims and wooden-looking attachments.

Now, it's automatic motors, adjustable speeds, Clic Loc™ attachments, modern dildos and lubricant like X-Lube. People have clearly been inventive for a very long time.

Thankfully, the machines have got a lot better!