Were middle eastern Sheiks thought of as particularly romantic figures at the time? What prompted that, if so?
The name stems from the 1921 film The Sheik, starting ultra-heartthrob Rudolph Valentino, the original "Latin Lover."
Bonus: Julius Schmid, condom entrepreneur, named one of his primary brands Sheik to capitalize on the popularity of the film and its sexy star.
Collier, Aine. The Humble Little Condom: A History. Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 2007. 198. (N.B. While this book is a delightful read for anyone interested in the history of sex, sexuality, and gender, please note that it does not have the type of footnotes and endnotes many historians expect. I have found it useful pedagogically both for its content and for its organizational wants.)
Can you provide an example? I'm thinking you might mean chic?