Mary Phelps Jacob (Caresse Crosby) in 1929

The first modern brassiere to receive a patent and gain wide acceptance was a bra invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1910. Born on 20 April 1891 in New Rochelle, New York, "Polly" was the daughter of a prominent New England family. Her ancestry included William Bradford, the Plymouth Colony's first governor and Robert Fulton, developer of the steamboat. Image File history File links Mary Phelps Jacob, later Polly Peabody, and finally Caresse Crosby in 1929. ... Image File history File links Mary Phelps Jacob, later Polly Peabody, and finally Caresse Crosby in 1929. ... Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki (R) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Signing of the Mayflower Compact William Bradford (1590 – May 9, 1657) was a leader of the Pilgrim settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and became Governor of the Plymouth Colony. ... The Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 until 1691. ... Robert Fulton Fultons monster, the Clermont or North River Steamer Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an US engineer and inventor widely credited with developing the first steam-powered ship. ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ...

Polly's family was not fabulously rich, but her father had been raised, as she put it, "to ride to hounds, sail boats, and lead cotillions," and he lived high. She grew up, she later said, "in a world where only good smells existed." "What I wanted," she said of her privileged childhood, "usually came to pass." A childhood of privilege included private school, dancing school, and horse riding school. She was a rather uninterested student. One commentator writes that for the most part Polly "lived her life in dreams." (Wolff).

Marries into Boston Society

In 1915, Polly Jacob married Richard Rogers Peabody, son of one of the three great New England families. By the early 20th century a case could be made that the Peabodies had supplanted the Cabots and the Lodges as the most distinguished name in the area. 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... George Cabot (December 3, 1752-April 18, 1823), a Delegate and a Senator from Massachusetts, and the Presiding Officer of the Hartford Convention, was born in Salem, Massachusetts. ... Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924), was a Republican statesman and noted historian. ...

Up to this time, an unhealthy and painful device called a corset narrowed an adult women's waist to 17, 15 or even fewer inches. The corset is attributed to Catherine de' Medici, wife of King Henry II of France. She enforced a ban on thick waists at court attendance during the 1550s. For nearly 350 years, women's primary means of support was the corset, with laces and stays made of whalebone or metal. Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Corset Hourglass corset from around 1880. ... Catherine de Medici Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589), born in Italy as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici, and later queen of France under the French name Catherine de Médicis, was the wife of King Henry II of France, of the Valois branch of the... Henry II (French: Henri II) (March 31, 1519 – July 10, 1559), a member of the Valois Dynasty, was King of France from July 31, 1547 until his death. ...

In 1910, at age 19, Mary Phelps Jacob had just purchased a sheer evening gown for one of her social events. At that time, the only acceptable undergarment was a corset stiffened with whalebone. Polly found that the whalebones visibly poked out around the plunging neckline and under the sheer fabric. Dissatisfied with this arrangement, she worked with her maid to fashion two silk handkerchiefs together with some pink ribbon and cord. The corset's reign was beginning to topple. 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Polly's new undergarment complimented the new fashions introduced at the time. Family and friends almost immediately asked Polly to create brassieres for them, too. One day, she received a request for one of her contraptions from a stranger, who offered a dollar for her efforts. She knew then that this could become a viable business. Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ...

First Patent for a Brassiere

Polly was the first to patent an undergarment named Brassiere derived from the old French word for 'upper arm'. Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or substance (known as an invention) which is new, inventive and useful. ... A pair of mens briefs Undergarments, also called underwear, lingerie (undergarments for women), or sometimes intimate clothing, are clothes worn next to the skin, usually under other clothes. ... Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ...

On November 3, 1914, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent for the 'Backless Brassiere'. Her patent was for a device that was lightweight, soft and separated the breasts naturally. Polly christened her business with the name Caresse Crosby. While a definite improvement, her brassiere did not offer breasts a lot of support, and were more flattening than flattering. In fact, the breast flattening style was popularized by the Flapper look during the Roaring Twenties, but abruptly changed to the present breast enhancing form during the thirties and forties. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ... Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ... Mary Phelps Jacob (Caresse Crosby) in 1929 The first modern brassiere to receive a patent and gain wide acceptance was a bra invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1910. ... Brassiere A brassiere or bra is a foundation garment for women consisting of shoulder straps, two cups, a center panel, an underbust band, sides, and a back. ... The term breast can refer to the upper ventral region of the human torso. ... The term flapper, which became common slang in the 1920s, referred to a new breed of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered decent behavior. ... The Roaring Twenties refers to the North American historical period of the 1920s, which has been described as one of the most colorful decades in American history. ...

Running a business either was not enjoyable to Polly or she failed to properly market the product, for she soon sold the brassiere patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 (or over $25,600 in today's money). Shortly afterwards, in 1917, the U.S. War Industries Board asked women to stop buying corsets to free up metal for war production. This step liberated some 28,000 tons of metal, enough to build two battleships. The name Warner has multiple meanings: Places in the United States: Warner, New Hampshire Warner, Oklahoma Shorthand for Warner Brothers Studios (and some related companies), founded in 1923 by four brothers: Albert Warner, Harold Warner, Jack Warner, and Sam Warner. ... Bridgeport (41n10, 73w12 EST) is the largest city by population in Connecticut, and is located in southeastern Fairfield County, Connecticut. ... State nickname: The Constitution State Other U.S. States Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Governor M. Jodi Rell Official languages English Area 14,371 km² (48th)  - Land 12,559 km²  - Water 1,809 km² (12. ... The War Industries Board (WIB) was an organization established by the United States on July 28, 1917 and reorganized in 1918 under the leadership of Bernard M. Baruch. ...

It has been said that the bra took off the way it did in large part because of World War I. The Great War shook up gender roles, putting many women to work in factories and uniforms for the first time. Women needed practical, comfortable undergarments. Warner went on to earn more than fifteen million dollars from the bra patent over the next thirty years. WWI redirects here. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The name Warner has multiple meanings: Places in the United States: Warner, New Hampshire Warner, Oklahoma Shorthand for Warner Brothers Studios (and some related companies), founded in 1923 by four brothers: Albert Warner, Harold Warner, Jack Warner, and Sam Warner. ...

During the flat-chested Flapper era in the 1920’s, a Russian immigrant named Ida Rosenthal noticed that a bra that fit one woman did not fit another woman of the same bra size. With the help of her husband William, they founded Maidenform. Ida was responsible for grouping women into bust size categories (cup sizes) and developed bras for every stage of life (puberty to maturity). The term flapper, which became common slang in the 1920s, referred to a new breed of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered decent behavior. ... Ida Rosenthal (January 9, 1886 - March 29, 1973) (born Ida Kaganovich) was a U.S. (Russian-born) dressmaker and businesswoman who is often credited as the inventor of the brassiere. ... Maidenform is a brand of womens underwear, founded in 1922 by seamstress Ida Rosenthal, along with her husband William Rosenthal and Enid Bissett who owned the shop that employed her. ...

In the 1930s, Warner produces the first popular all-elastic bra, which shows off a woman's curves.

Polly Marries Harry Crosby and Joins the Paris Intellectuals

After Polly sold her brassiere patent, she had two children: a son, William Jacob in 1916, and a daughter, Polly ("Poleen") the following year. Her husband Richard Peabody was a well-educated but undirected man and a reluctant father. She found he had only three real interests, all acquired at Harvard: to play, to drink, and to turn out, at any hour, to chase fire engines. He would soon suffer the personal consequences of his WWI experiences and became an alcoholic. Polly's life was difficult during the war years and when her husband returned home, significantly changed, her life soon changed abruptly too. Harry Crosby (1898-1929) was an American heir, bon vivant, minor poet, and for some, an exemplar of the Lost Generation in American literature. ... Harvard, see Harvard (disambiguation) Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ...

The catalyst for Polly Jacob Peabody's transformation was her introduction and eventual marriage to Harry Crosby, a wealthy scion of a socially prominent Boston family and another veteran and victim of the recent war. Harry attended private schools and until age 19 he appeared to be well on the path to a comfortable life as a member of the upper middle class. His experiences in World War I changed everything. Harry Crosby (1898-1929) was an American heir, bon vivant, minor poet, and for some, an exemplar of the Lost Generation in American literature. ...

In the pattern of other sons of the elite from New England, he volunteered for the American Field Service Ambulance Corps. He served in the Second Battle of Verdun. After the Battle of Orme, his section (the 29th, attached to the 120th French Division) was cited for bravery, and in 1919 Crosby was awarded the Croix de Guerre. AFS volunteers and ambulance in World War I. The American Field Service (AFS) was established in 1915 by A. Piatt Andrew, a political economics professor at Harvard University and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ...

While completing school after WWI, Harry met Polly. She was 28, six years older than Harry, with two small children. By some accounts, Harry fell in love with Mrs. Peabody in about two hours. He confessed his love for her in the Tunnel of Love at the amusement park. Two weeks later they made love. Their scandalous courtship was the gossip of blue-blood Boston. Polly finally divorced Richard Peabody who was in and out of sanitariums fighting his alcohol abuse, and on 9 September 1922 Harry and Polly were married. Two days later they moved to France to join other American expatriates, probably much to the relief of their respective families. Harry at first worked for his famous uncle, American capitalist J.P. Morgan, who was also Harry's godfather, in a job arranged for him in a Paris bank. But he soon tired of work. Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... John Pierpont Morgan (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913), American financier and banker, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, a son of Junius Spencer Morgan (1813–1890), who was a partner of George Peabody and the founder of the house of J. S. Morgan & Co. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

Polly and Harry purchased a race horse and then two more. They traveled to North Africa where it is reported they first smoked opium, a habit to which they would return again and again. From 1922 to 1925, the Crosbys led the life of the rich expatriates. They lived a glamorous and luxurious lifestyle that included an "open marriage," a mutual suicide pact, and cremation instructions they carried with them. Their lifestyle was financed by selling the bonds and stocks whose dividends were previously the basis of Harry's income. North Africa is a region generally considered to include: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara The Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Azores and Madeira are sometimes considered to be a part of North Africa, though they do not share a common culture with North Africa. ... Opium is a narcotic drug which is obtained from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy . ...

Founds the Black Sun Press With Her Husband

After publishing two volumes that they were unhappy with, the Crosbys found a master printer named Roger Lescaret whose previous work had been largely funeral notices. He printed Harry’s poems in a fine edition. Harry and Caresse were very happy with the book, Red Skeletons. It contained illustrations by their friend Alastair (Hans Henning von Voight). They decided to found a press, first called Éditions Narcisse — after their black whippet, Narcisse Noir. It was created to publish its founders’ attempts at verse in beautifully bound, hand-set books.

By the time the name of the press was changed in mid-1928 to the Black Sun Press, the careers of both the Caresse and Harry Crosby were in high gear. The Black Sun Press is famous for having published lavishly bound, typographically impeccable versions of unusual books, including The Fall of the House of Usher, their Hindu Love Book, and letters by Henry James to Walter Berry, Harry’s cousin. As their literary tastes matured, they began to publish the works of their Parisian literary friends. This included D. H. Lawrence’s Sun and Escaped Cock (sometimes reprinted under the title The Man Who Died); James Joyce’s Tales Told of Shem and Shaun (work — later incorporated into Finnegans Wake); and short stories by Kay Boyle. In 1929, their best year, they published fourteen works by James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound, among others. Caresse published her own book of poetry, Crosses of Gold. This article is about the writer; for the politician who was almost his contemporary see Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford. ... Walter Berry ( April 8, 1929 – October 27, 2000) was an Austrian bass-baritone. ... D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was one of the most important, certainly one of the most controversial, English writers of the 20th century, who wrote novels, short stories, poems, plays, essays, travel books, and letters. ... James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) was an expatriate Irish writer and poet, and is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. ... Finnegans Wake is the last novel written by James Joyce. ... Kay Boyle, born February 19, 1902 in St. ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) was an expatriate Irish writer and poet, and is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. ... Ernest Hemingway, 1950 Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist and short story writer. ... Ezra Pound in 1913. ...

After Harry Crosby's suicide, Caresse continued her writing and publishing work at Black Sun. She also established Crosby Continental Editions, a book company that published paperback books by Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Dorothy Parker, among others. William Faulkner, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954 William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897–July 6, 1962) was a Nobel Prize-winning novelist from Mississippi. ... Dorothy Parker (born Dorothy Rothschild) (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American writer and poet best known for her caustic wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles. ...

In 1937, at age 47, she married Selbert Young, a football player nearly twenty years her junior. She bought and renovated Hampton Manor, a ruined but splendid home in Bowling Green, Virginia. She opened an art gallery in Washington D.C. and started Portfolio, a magazine about art and literature. She also was politically active and founded the organization Women Against War. She later bought a castle north of Rome that gave her the title of Principessa, and later mountain-top retreats in Cyprus and Delphi. Thus she had homes in Bowling Green, Virginia, in Washington, D.C., a sprawling apartment at 137 East Fifty-Fourth Street in New York City, as well as her residences in Europe. State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... The amphitheater, seen from above Delphi (Chech Δελφοί - Delphoi) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York and abbreviated NYC) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Henry Miller and Opus Pistorum

In Paris during 1933, Caresse had met Henry Miller. When he returned to the U.S. in 1940, he confessed to Caresse his lack of success in getting his work published. Miller's autobiographical book Tropic of Cancer was banned in the U.S. as pornographic, and he could get no other work published. She invited him to take a room in her New York apartment where she infrequently lived, which he accepted, though she did not provide him with money. Henry Miller (December 26, 1891, New York City – June 7, 1980, Pacific Palisades, California), was an American novelist, whose novel Tropic of Cancer led to a series of controversial obscenity trials in the United States—testing the pornography laws of the time. ... The Tropic of Cancer (cancer (♋) is Latin for crab) is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. ... Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki (R) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ...

Desperate for cash, Miller fell to churning out pornography on commission for an Oklahoma oil baron, but after two 100-page stories that brought him $200, he could do no more. Now he wanted to tour the United States by car and write about it. He got a $750 advance, and persuaded the oil man's agent to advance him another $200. He was preparing to leave on the trip but still have not provided the work promised. He thought then of Caresse Crosby. She was already pitching in ideas and pieces of writing to Anaïs Nin’s New York City smut club for fun, not money. Caresse was facile and clever, wrote easily and quickly, with little effort. Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong midwestern and western influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... Anaïs Nin (February 21, 1903 - January 14, 1977) was a French author who became famous for her self-published diaries, which span a period of forty years, beginning when she was twelve years old. ...

Caresse accepted Henry's proposal. She wrote the title given her by Henry Miller Opus Pistorum at the top, and started right in. Henry left for his car tour of America. Caresse churned out 200 pages and the collector’s agent asked for more.

Caresse’s smut was just what the oil man wanted--no literary aspirations--just plain sex. In Caresse the agent had found the basic pornographic Henry Miller. Caresse churned out another 200 pages, spending her time writing while her husband, Bert Young, fell into a drunken stupor every night.

In her diary, Anaïs Nin observed that everyone who wrote pornography with her wrote out of a self that was opposite to her or his identity, but identical with his desire. Polly or Caresse experienced years of social constraints imposed by her upper-class association in New York. She had a doomed and troublesome romanticism with Harry Crosby. She participated in a decade or more of intellectual lovers in Paris during the 1920s. Perhaps it was a release for Caresse just to take love as casual lust and let it go at that. Anaïs Nin (February 21, 1903 - January 14, 1977) was a French author who became famous for her self-published diaries, which span a period of forty years, beginning when she was twelve years old. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki (R) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Harry Crosby (1898-1929) was an American heir, bon vivant, minor poet, and for some, an exemplar of the Lost Generation in American literature. ...

Founded Artists Colony in Europe

In 1940 Caresse divorced Bert Young and moved to Italy by 1950 where she planned to create an artists colony. She published an autobiography in 1953 called The Passionate Years. Caresse died in relative obscurity on January 24, 1970, but she lived long enough to see the bra go through a number of transformations and become immensely popular all over the world.

External links

• Mary Phelps Jacob Inventor of the Week Archive November 2001 (December 2003)
• "Caresse Crosby, Infield." Cosmic Baseball Association, 1998 (December 2003)
• "The Brassiere." Useless Information. (December 2003)

This article is originally based upon material originally written by Brian Phelps and licensed for use in Wikipedia under the GFDL. GNU logo The GNU Free Documentation License (GNU FDL or simply GFDL) is a copyleft license for free content, designed by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for the GNU project. ...