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Corset

ca. 1895 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Corset made of white cotton aertex cellular cloth (Quality O). Made in two halves and joined by a white tape lacing at the centre back and four white metal loops and studs at the centre front. Its top and bottom are convex to accommodate breast and hip with the apex of the points at the centre front and back where it is most strongly boned. Twelve sets of double bones are inserted through tapes to stiffen the remainder of the garment. The waist band is of white tape and stamped inside the right side with two semi-circular blue medallions which are inscribed. The top is trimmed with a narrow scalloped white open-work band of broderie anglaise.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cotton aertex, boned, broderie anglaise, metal
Brief description
Corset made of cotton aertex cellular cloth, made by Cellular Clothing Co., England, ca. 1895
Physical description
Corset made of white cotton aertex cellular cloth (Quality O). Made in two halves and joined by a white tape lacing at the centre back and four white metal loops and studs at the centre front. Its top and bottom are convex to accommodate breast and hip with the apex of the points at the centre front and back where it is most strongly boned. Twelve sets of double bones are inserted through tapes to stiffen the remainder of the garment. The waist band is of white tape and stamped inside the right side with two semi-circular blue medallions which are inscribed. The top is trimmed with a narrow scalloped white open-work band of broderie anglaise.
Dimensions
  • Waist measured inside garment circumference: 62cm (approx) (Note: Measured by Conservation)
  • Underbust measured inside garment circumference: 66cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
  • Hip measured inside garment circumference: 72cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'AERTEX' [in the centre] and 'THE CELLULAR CLOTHING COMPANY' [round the edge] and 'Quality O' [between the previous two] (Stamped inside the right side of the waist band, in two semi-circular blue medallions)
  • '23' (On a paper label stuck inside the centre front of the waistband)
  • '23 / 3' (Written in pencil on the left inside of waistband)
Gallery label
(16/04/2016-12/03/2017)
'Clothed with Air'

Aertex is a cellular cotton fabric which traps air within its structure to help insulate the body. It was launched in 1888 by Lewis Haslam, a Lancashire mill owner and politician, who developed the fabric together with two doctors.

Using the tagline 'clothed with air', the Cellular Clothing Company sold underwear, nightwear and sportswear around the world.

Corset
Cellular Clothing Company
Britain, London and Bolton, about 1895
Cotton Aertex, whalebone (baleen) and metal busk, trimmed with broderie anglaise
V&A: T.235-1968
Bequeathed by Miss E. J. Bowden
Credit line
Bequeathed by Miss E. J. Bowden
Collection
Accession number
T.234-1968

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Record createdSeptember 3, 2007
Record URL
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