Learn about corset industry on Oct. 4
Mendon Historical Society to present ‘A Proper Fit’
A fun, informative program about the corset industry is being planned by the Mendon Historical Society on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. in the Mendon Senior Center, 62 Providence Street, Mendon.
The program is entitled “A Proper Fit” highlights women’s work in the corset industry. It will be presented by Anne Marie Murphy, author of “A Proper Fit: Women at Work in a City of Corsets” (2026). Her exhaustive research feels rollicking and joyful.
Books will be available as well as a book signing.
From the online book description…
“For Anne Marie Murphy, what began as curiosity about one female business owner from 1904, became an exploration of a huge industry in Worcester, Massachusetts: corset making. From the Civil War to the 1980s, the city was home to an astounding 126 corset-related businesses. Women were at the helm of half of them. The industry created a wealth of female self-employment opportunities long before American women had the right to vote. One woman, in particular, operated at the highest level—factory owner Mary Heintzelman Gifford Bowne. How did she learn the trade? How did she become a world-famous corset designer? And, how did she fare as a female factory owner in the U.S. in that era?”
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