Credits
Photo credits
The historic photographs, patent drawings, advertisements and fashion plates on this site are in the public domain or used under open licences. Thank you to the museums, archives and photographers who share them.
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The so-called ‘bikini girls’ mosaic, Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily (early 4th century AD)
Photo: Clemensfranz, CC BY 2.5
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British stays, late 18th century — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (13.49.1)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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British stays, late 18th century — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (13.49.2)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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Corset, American, third quarter of the 18th century — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1983.213.4)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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Mary P. Jacob’s ‘Brassière’, US patent 1,115,674, filed 12 February 1914, granted 3 November 1914
Photo: Mary P. Jacob, US Patent Office, Public domain
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Bra of beige tulle with a low back, c. 1926–1932 — Rijksmuseum (BK-1986-65)
Photo: Rijksmuseum, CC0
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Underwired bra of black nylon trimmed with satin and velvet, c. 1939–1940 — Rijksmuseum (BK-1997-85)
Photo: Rijksmuseum, CC0
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Bra of salmon-pink satin with lace, labelled Charmis, c. 1932–1940 — Rijksmuseum (BK-1997-86)
Photo: Rijksmuseum, CC0
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Cotton ‘brassiere’ (bust bodice), American or European, c. 1820 — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1999.216.7)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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Corset, 1870–89 — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CI50.65.1)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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Petticoats, corsets and skirt-lifter from Les Modes Parisiennes Illustrées, 1862 — The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photo: Imprimerie Moine, via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0
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‘Measure for bra size: underbust measure plus 5 inches’ — advice from the 1958 booklet Posture & Foundation Garments
Photo: Posture & Foundation Garments (1958), anonymous, Public domain
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‘Put the brassiere on correctly for a better fit’ — from the 1958 booklet Posture & Foundation Garments
Photo: Posture & Foundation Garments (1958), anonymous, Public domain
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Advertisement for the ‘Grecian Bust Girdle’ bust support, The Delineator, August 1901
Photo: Classic Corset Co. advertisement, The Delineator, Public domain
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Trade card for Dr Warner’s Coraline Corset, 1890s
Photo: Unknown artist, Public domain
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An elastic bust band offered as an alternative to the corset, Rainal Frères catalogue, 1907
Photo: Rainal Frères catalogue, Public domain
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CC41 Utility Clothing label on a coat at Bury Art Museum
Photo: Chemical Engineer, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A racerback sports bra by Shock Absorber
Photo: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A vintage 1950s ‘bullet’ bra with circular-stitched cups (as described by the photographer)
Photo: Emma Benitez, CC BY 2.0
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A former lingerie and corsetry shop in Paray-le-Monial, France
Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0
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Air-drying on a rack is gentler than a tumble dryer
Photo: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A soft fibre-filled breast form, often worn in the first weeks after surgery
Photo: KME GmbH, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Lengberg Castle in East Tyrol, Austria, where 15th-century linen bras were found in excavations that began in 2008
Photo: Johann Jaritz, CC BY-SA 3.0 at
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Christian Dior's 1947 Bar suit, the signature look of the New Look (Denver Art Museum)
Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY-SA 4.0
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A 1953 advert from Maidenform's long-running "I dreamed…" campaign
Photo: Maidenform, Public domain
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Spandex (elastane) yarn: the stretch fibre sold as Lycra
Photo: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY 3.0
Product and bra-type illustrations are drawn for Bra Foundation. Fonts: Bodoni Moda and Jost, used under the SIL Open Font License.