Corset

Department Store Bon Marché French

1904–6

Not on view

A well-documented example, this corset perfectly illustrates the understructure required to accomplish the dominant S-curve silhouette of the time. It was purchased at the well-known Parisian department store Au Bon Marché in 1904. The front-lacing, as opposed to the usual back lacing, is highly unusual for this period. It became a more popular feature for corsets later in the 20th century, as it allowed a woman to put on and adjust the corset by herself.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Corset
Department Store: Bon Marché (French, founded ca. 1852)
Date: 1904–6
Culture: French
Medium: cotton, metal, elastic, bone, silk
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of E.A. Meister, 1950
Object Number: 2009.300.3123a–e
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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