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Author Topic: Corset Machinist?  (Read 831 times)

Offline DavidJP

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Corset Machinist?
« on: Thursday 11 April 13 23:58 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

Have come across a couple of female relatives both born in Old Ford, London, who are recorded in 1911 as being a 'Corset Machinist'. They were 18 & 25 years old respectively.

What was a Corset Machinist & what did their job entail exactly?

Have tried googling etc to find out, but with no success!

Hope someone can help with this.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
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Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 12 April 13 08:48 BST (UK) »
A Corset Machinist, aka Corset Maker; sews together by hand, treadle or power-driven machine (single needle or multiple needle) pieces of material which form corset. "Dictionary of Occupational Terms"
A corset  is closely-fitting inner bodice stiffened with whalebone or the like, and fastened by lacing; worn chiefly by women to give shape and support to the figure OED

Stan
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Offline DavidJP

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 15 April 13 21:03 BST (UK) »
Hi Stan,

Many thanks indeed for your reply, much appreciated.

Many thanks for the explanations & sources, very much appreciated.

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)

Offline LizzieW

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 16 April 13 12:03 BST (UK) »
David - You are too young to remember corsets - well at least the ones your ancestors were making which were still in fashion up to the late 1950s.  ::)

Offline Shirleyjjj

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 16 April 13 12:10 BST (UK) »
I did an essay on ladies corsets as part of my history degree it was very interesting about how they evolved and they used whale bone in them , they would be quite a specialist area , i got a very interesting book on it at the library which contained copies of patterens if you wanted to make your own it looked very complicated ,thought it might be of interest

Offline DavidJP

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 16 April 13 19:40 BST (UK) »
Hi LizzieW & andreajjj,

Many thanks indeed for your replies, very much appreciated.

LizzieW, yup, bit young to remember corsets as you say, but do know what they are. They seem more like implements of torture rather than fashion items! ;D Must have been terribly uncomfortable to wear & how did they breathe in them? I seem to remember either reading about or seeing on a documentary that ladies in corsets had to be careful not to over exert themselves or they could end up fainting etc! Makes you wonder why they put themselves through it in the first place!

Andreajjj, many thanks for that, certainly interesting. Finding a book about it is actually quite a good idea, i'll give that some thought! It certainly does sound a very complicated item to make!

Kind regards

David
Aitcheson, Aldred, Batty, Bauer, Bone, Brewer, Dean, Doyle, Durant, Fife, Finney, Gibson, Graham/Grayham, Hall, Harrison, Hersey, Hill, Holliss, Hudson, Hussey, Insley, Kelsey, King, Laver, Longmore, Luke, Mellor, Newman, North, Parker, Phillips, Porter, Read, Robinson, Rowel, Spink, Sproxton, Steer, Stevenson, Tanner, Witty/Whitty, Warburton, Wood.
(For more information on the above surnames please check the Surname Interest Table below.)

Offline Shirleyjjj

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Re: Corset Machinist?
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 16 April 13 20:33 BST (UK) »
David,

It was during the Edwardian era your right David , they were totally uncomfortable and like torture , ladies even  suffered internal damage trying to obtain the perfect 16  inch waist their injuries were often quite bad they couldnt breathe in them thats why they always fainted at doos ect it started off as a long garment and eventually rode up higher to what we today call the 'bra' due to womens emancipation - and changes in whalebone usage - and other facotrs - sorry to go on a bit but it was my 'baby' at uni
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