Waist Collection

Miners working at the coalface, South Wales
Two miners, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a coal seam in South Wales

Flapper on Bonnet 1927
A girl on a bonnet: wears a skimpy sleeveless white drop waist dress hitched up to expose her thighs, T-bar shoes, a cloche hat & a scarf a la Isadora Duncan

Christian Dior sketching a fashion design, 1948
In 1947 Christian Dior (1905-1957) created a sensational collection labelled the New Look. His designs centred around gowns with an 18 inch waist, which focused attention on the bust and hips

Advertisement for Thomsons glove-fitting corset
An advertisement for Thomsons glove-fitting corset, promising the wearer comfort and elegance

Two types of dresses, 1954
On the left, an 1890-inspired party frock in striped taffeta with the stand-up collar, tight bodice, near-crinoline skirt, and steel-buttoned

Golfing Woman 1907
A modern sporty girl wears a gored skirt, blouse with detachable all-round collar worn with a tie, a large flat cap & a broad belt to accentuate her tiny waist

Miner working in a coal seam, South Wales
A miner, stripped to the waist, with a pick resting across his shoulder and a lamp in his hand, in a coal seam in South Wales

Cartoon, The Dropped Pilot, WW1
Cartoon, The Dropped Pilot, twenty-four years after Tenniel

Welsh miner in coal mine pushing truck
A Welsh miner, stripped to the waist, pushing a truck in a coal mine

Pierre Balmain with one of his designs, 1948
Photograph showing Pierre Balmain presenting a pink and white petticoat, with gueppieres that helped to achieve a 48 centimetre waist, 1948

The Princess of Wales, later Queen Mary
Queen Mary (Princess Mary of Teck) (1867-1953), wife of the future King George V, when she was Princess of Wales. Date: early 20th century

David Wright woman in black evening dress
Elegant woman with red hair, wearing a black evening dress with a red flower on the bodice, and matching red material below the waist

Britannia and Eve front cover, April 1954
An elegant woman in a full-skirted dress with a nipped in waist typical of 1950s fashion, poses with hat and gloves finishing off her ensemble

Victor Stiebel / Twenties
Design by Victor Stiebel (1907-1976) for an elegant evening or cocktail dress in royal blue with embellished assymetric hem and drop-waist. Shoes & jewellery match dress

Surtout Greatcoat 1907
An American surtout greatcoat: double-breasted with waist seam, full skirts, long lapels & a velvet collar. Worn with a bowler (Derby) hat & half- boots or town boots

Miner working at the coalface, South Wales
A miner, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a mine in South Wales

Flooded Market 1931
Marketing waist-deep in water, life at Hankow during the flood from the Yangtze river

Comic postcard, Fat man after his army medical. A Derby Scheme armband tied round his waist shows that he is signed up and ready for active service, as and when required, despite his excess weight

Page from Britannia and Eve with a Nina Ricci dress in white with Grecian style embroidery, and a dramatic dinner dress of black faille high lit with pink by Balenciaga. Date: 1939

Promotional art for Un Air Embaume, Perfume of Rigaud, 1913. A floral-spicy perfume by Henri Rigaud launched in 1912 and later discontinued

Woman of the Kingdom of Candia, Ottoman Empire, dancing with a kerchief. In pearl-trimmed turban, tunic dress with buttons to the waist, long Chinese sleeves, harem pants

Youthful style robe in taffetas, 1935
Youthful style robe in taffetas. Flounced sleevelets with inset net sections. Ample skirt joined in a point to the waist, pleated net balayeuse

Lady Arnold, third wife of Sir Edwin Arnold
Lady Arnold, the only Japanese Lady in Debrett. Tama Kurokawa, Lady Arnold (1869-1962) was the third wife of Sir Edwin Arnold, English poet and journalist. They married in 1897. circa 1900

Machine for Tight Lacing
Satire on the fashion for tight corsets - A correct view of the new machine for winding up the ladies Date: circa 1830

Tight-Lacing - Corsets Date: 1888

Annotated illustration warning about the dangers of tight laced corsets on the female body. Date: 1906

Ava Lowle Willing, Lady Ribblesdale (1868-1958), American socialite, wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. late 19th century

Straight front corset in smart French white coutil or rich countil brocade. Date: 1901

Comic postcard, Woman in the sea with an octopus Date: 20th century

National Waists in Austria, England and France
Women's National Waists, the Corset in Austria, England and France, with a statue showing the more natural Classic Waist. Date: 1888

Music cover, Patches & Powder Entracte by Cecil Wynne Date: 1915

The Waist of Fashion - Corsets Date: 1888

Poster Design
A poster design in vibrant colour, portraying a woman, riding from bed, with a patterned blanked around her waist, over a green covering. Date: circa 1916

Illustration of the Helene blouse, with frilled collar
Illustration of the Helene blouse or bodice, with high, frilled collar, and front, puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'. Date: 1895

Illustration of the Adele blouse, with high collar
Illustration of the Adele blouse or bodice, with high collar, and elaborate, ribboned puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'

Illustration of the Carmencita blouse or bodice, striped, with puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'. Date: 1895

Advert, Royal Worcester Kidfitting Corsets sold by Frederick Gorringe Ltd, Buckingham Palace Road, London Date: circa 1910

Advertisement for William Whiteley elegant straight fronted corset. Date: 1906

Advert for London Corset Company 1910
Very long below the waist and low in the bust dainty corsets. 1910

Pinafore dress with loose fitting bodice, low waist line, gathered skirt, Medici style collar & cord & tassel lacing at the sides worn over a light-weight blouse. Date: 1915

B-17G - PB-1W Texas Raiders interior view rearwards
B-17G / PB-1W N7227C Texas Raiders, view rearward past the waist gunner positions. Date: 1992

Maude Millet, a Reminiscence of Liberty Hall Date: 1890s

Music cover, Tenderly, Joan Crawford
Music cover, Tenderly (from the MGM film Torch Song), Joan Crawford. Lyrics by Jack Lawrence, music by Walter Gross. 1947

Woman in a green dress. 1926

Woman in a park with her bicycle. circa 1900

Marian Hood, Victorian actress. late 19th century

Advert, Whites Patent Corset Attachment
Advert for Whites Patent Corset Attachment, Mrs A White, Victoria Street, London SW. 1897

Advert, Trellis Corset Shield
Advert for The Trellis Corset Shield, available from Kirby, Beard & Co Ltd. 1897

Advert,s L Prima Donna Corsets
Advert fors L Prima Donna Corsets, available at a range of department stores. 1897

Advert, Joseph Marcus, Ladies Tailor
Advert for Joseph Marcus, New Bond Street, London, Ladies Tailor and Habit Maker. 1897

Advert, Janet Walker, Womens Fashions
Advert for Janet Walker, Regent Street, London, Womens Fashions, Spring Costume, Walker Knickerbockers. 1897

1911 Census - John Bull being measured
Front cover of The Sphere, of John Bull being measured to see if his waist has grown from the decade before. Date: April 1911

Music cover, Ariel Waltz, melodies by W Meyer Lutz
Music cover, Ariel Waltz, on melodies by W Meyer Lutz, arranged by Charles Coote. late 19th century

Advert, The Specialite Corset
Advert for The Specialite Corset - a dream of comfort. 1901

Paris fashion, visiting toilette, black plush with silk band
Paris fashion, visiting toilette, black plush with bands of silk, waist buckle and buttons of old silver. 1901

Georgian lady playing a keyboard instrument with Windsor Castle in the distance. 1821

Costume - German Lady. 19th century

Four women in French and German costume. Date: 1808-1809

A Devotee of The Doctrine
A Devotee of " The Doctrine." - A satirical cartoon from Punch Magazine

Postcard, young woman with vase of tulips
Postcard, young woman sitting in a window with a vase of tulips. early 20th century

Woman with a large red nose on a comic greetings card with verse. Date: circa 1880s

Woman in an oversized hat on a comic greetings card with verse. Date: circa 1870s

Cover design, The Art Journal magazine. 1897

Victorian Scrap, woman in a large hat. circa 1890s

Catherine Gray, Lady Manners, Anglo-Irish poet
Catherine Gray, Lady Manners (1766?-1852), Anglo-Irish aristocrat and poet, wife of Sir William Manners, later Lady Huntingtower. early 19th century

Miss Carew as Clarissa in Lionel and Clarissa
Miss Carew as Clarissa in The School for Fathers, or Lionel and Clarissa, by Isaac Bickerstaffe. 1825

Fashionable dresses for women 1911
Selection of attractive womens dresses with embroidered lace. Date: 1911

Music cover, She Wore a Wreath of Roses. circa 1850

Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (1770-1840), seventh child and third daughter of King George III. 1806

Advert for Peter Robinson gowns 1924
Two women wearing gowns of georgette. Date: 1924

Motoring attire for women 1905
Edwardian womens clothing for motoring excursions, left; model wearing leather jacket, right; motoring toque hat with veil over face. 1905

Women wearing black evening frock 1905
Women wearing a black evening frock of ninon, inset with arched motift of lace which at the hem resolve into large wheel effects, worked up with chenille and silk

Womens evening corsage 1905
Woman wearing a chic evening dress with pompadour hairstyle. Date: 1905

Rambler wrap and tailor-made at Burberrys 1905
Model on the left wearing a checked tweed rambler wrap for railway, travelling, driving to meet and motoring. Model on the right taior-made single breasted suit, with white inserted motifs. Date: 1905

Advert for John Noble womens clothing 1898
Advertising half-guine costumes, available to be parcel posted free to all parts of the World. Date: 1898

Advert for Kendal, Milne and Co. tailor-mades 1897
Ladies tailor-made garments and girls knockabout frock Date: 1897

Gentlemens fashions for November 1844
Latest fashion for French men. Date: 1844

Fashionable blouse 1895
Over exaggerated leg-of-mutton sleeves, with cotton and the costliness of exquisite lace, the foundation of this combination being shimmering and rustling silk. Date: 1895

Fashions for men and women France 1827
Monstrosities of 1827. Over exaggerated hats with lots of plumes and floral arrangements, leg-of-mutton sleeves, narrow waist and over sized coats were all the fashion. Date: 1827

French tailored-made gown 1895
Tailored dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves and narrow waist. Date: 1895

Christmas gift from Dickins & Jones catalogue, showing three ladies wearing slim-lined satin evening gowns. Date: 1911

Womens corset 1911
Latest fashionable corset to provide the best shape for the womans dress

Young Edwardian lady wearing a fashionable frock, with white cloth adorned with hairpin work and trimmed with raw edged flounces. Date: 1904

A women wearing a seasonable jacket for winter, with moleskin trimmed with braid and ball tassels. January 1904

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