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dustry, for instance, use the contraction "bra" that is not in current dictionnaries. It also uses such advertised expressions as "new softer silhouette; dreamy, more rounded look; perfect separation and natural uplift; exclusive inner hug band; bare look fashion; high, round look; diaphragm discipline; and shape mates that give individual curvings." And in current "dream" advertising, Maidenform shows pretty girls with brassieres exposed, of course, and headline like "I dreamed I lived in a house of mirrors with my Maidenform bra.:  Women understand and like these appears, all of which have a bearing on figure improvement, according to the Maiden Form company.

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[[caption]] Above, an 1884 corset-brassiere combination. [[/caption]]


[[caption]] Below, a style of Maidenform Pre-Lude, a strapless, so called long-line brassiere with detachable garters. It is made of cotton broadcloth, or embroidered nylon, or satin with lace, and other fabrics and trimming combinations. [[/caption]]
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Women, since the beginning of civilization, it seems, have spent more time on face and figure improvements than on many other duties.  Legend has it that Juno, the Roman goddess who consorted with Jupiter, borrowed a "girdle" from Venus, the shapely goddess of beauty.  Hefty ancient Roman women wrapped purple-dyed bands (strophiums)around their waists in their "battle" to reduce the bulge.  Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, with all her hypnotizing influence and, teen-age members of there court are said to have used reeds to reduce bulges here and there.  Many "full-figure" women in ancient Egypt had the "uplift" idea.  They wore tight, naoor cotton bands as supporting devices for their busts.  Women have tried for more than 4,000 years to "push, pull or pinch themselves," as stated by the Corset and Brassiere Association of America, to make their bodies assume shapes appealing to men.  Ancient Grecian women wrapped swollen cloth (apodesms) around their bosoms and woolen bands (zones) around their waists to improve their appeal to men.

According to printed records, women on Crete, circa 2500 B.C., used heavy metal rings around their waists in an effort to arrest attention of male admirers.  In every age, in every country, whether there is documentary evidence or not, it is safe to say that women used devices to improve their figures.  It wasn't always women, however, who were figure conscious.  The word "corset," first written on May 24, 1265 in the diary of the Countess of Leicester, referred to a girth improver for Richard, King of Normancy, and his son, Edward.  It is difficult to believe, but records state, that corsets worn by Catherine de'Medici, wife of Henry II of France and also by Queen Elizabeth of England, attempted to contract the waist so it would measure 13 inches.  To do this seemingly impossible job, steel plates were worn over a tightly laced corset.  Also in the 16th Century, a near "revolution: occurred when Emperor Joseph of Austria passed a law forbidding the use of such corsets by nuns and young ladies in general.  The law could not be enforced.

In and effort to attract females, Englishmen of the late 1700's were first house "falsies."  These paddings improved the shape of the calf.  They did this in 




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[[caption]] Left, high-speed Merrow sewing machine. Known as an overlock type, it uses one needle, 2 loopers and a knife to cut edges of parts, then sews them together at the rate of 4,500 stitches per minute [[/caption]]

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[[caption]] Right, Singer hemstitcher that forms open work between 2 parts that form the pocket. [[/caption]]

the belief that women like to see men with shapely legs.  Even today male TV performers who have "spindly" legs are required by some directors to use shaped pads on calves and thighs.

Records show that though the centuries in most countries women's ideas on figure improvement alternated between desires for full busts and flat "chests.:  The sweater girl type figure is in vogue now as it was in the 1800's/  The desire for a narrow waist, however, has never been abandoned.

The modern brassiere business started in the 1800's when Charles Debevoise invested and manufactured a relatively lightweight breast support.  His brassieres were known as debases  They employed 2 straps which were crossed at the back and tied in front.  In 1913 hooks and eyes started to be used as brassiere fasteners.

In the 1920's brassieres were very popular in achieving a flattest look, or boyish form.  The so-called uplift brassiere, which gave breast support as well as attractive contours, were introduced in the United States in 1923, it is claimed, by Mrs. Ida Rosenthal, who with her husband, William, organized the Maiden Form Brassier Co., Inc.  About 2 years earlier Mrs. Rosenthal met Englishwoman Enid Bissett.  Mrs. Bissett felt there was a future in dressmaking for middle and upper class New Yorkers.  In 1922 she persuaded Mrs. Rosenthal to join her in opening a dress shop to cater to this trade. Mrs. Rosenthal made the brassieres in the dress shop of which she was part owner.  She gave the brassieres free with the dresses.  It was soon discovered that instead of giving brassieres with dress purchases, the foundation business could be profitable divorced from that of outer garments.  As a result Mrs. Rosenthal leased factory space at Bayonne, N.J. to manufacture bras on a large scale.

The Maidenform brand became more popular with each succeding year.  Manufacturing facilities were expanded rapidly.  Other New Jersey plants were opened,enabling production to be increased to the point where Maidenform was the largest selling brassiere in the world, it was claimed.  During World War II, however, Baryoone and other New Jersey facilities accepted defense work.  Brassiere manufacturing had to be reduced considerably.  In 1943 Mr. Rosenthal decided to find brassiere manufacturing facilities in areas where defense work would not required all available labor.  He bought a plant a Princeton, W. Va.  In 1952 still larger manufacturing space was needed and this resulted in the purchase of the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant at Princeton.  Other West Virginia plants also were opened in those years.  Bayonne is now the design and manufacturing control center.  Parrs are shipped by truck to all other plants, which assemble them into finished products.  Finished brassieres are shipped to Bayonne where they are inspected, pressed and packaged for shipment.

Princeton employs 525 workers, most of them girls trained by the company to operate sewing machines.  With this staff and equipment Princeton can assemble up to 12,000 brassieres per dy.  The plant does not make all styles and sizes, nor does any other Maiden Form plant.  Furthermore, production of given styles and sizes may be changed during the year.  Thus, during the visit of the ESSO OILWAYS reporter

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[[caption]] In 1796 corsets with bust supports made their appearance in England. Wig-wearing women also wore other "falsies" to attract admirers. [[/caption]]

Transcription Notes:
Did not transcribe caption on images. Done.