ORIGINAL 1894 DR. WARNER'S "MODELED TO FIT" CORALINE CORSETS ADVERTISING BOOKLET

Description

ORIGINAL 1894 DR. WARNER'S "MODELED TO FIT"
CORALINE CORSETS ADVERTISING PAMPHLET
On offer is a charming advertising booklet promoting Dr. Warner's Coraline Corsets. The "Dr. Warner" in question was actually two Warners, physician brothers Lucien and Ira De Ver. The Drs. Warner disapproved on medical grounds of the uncomfortable steel-and-bone corsets required for women to fit into the tightly fitted, hourglass-shaped fashions of the day, so Lucien invented a better version. Lucien's corset was more flexible because it used "Coraline" fibers from the Mexican lxtle plant. which, along with a design that shaped the body with less discomfort than earlier corsets, made the garments more flexible. The doctors were clearly onto something, for the business they formed to make their improved corset - Warner Bros. - was an immediate success.
This well-designed and delightfully illustrated pamphlet shows that marketing savvy undoubtedly played a role in the quick acceptance of their products which, by 1894, included not only a range of corsets but also dress stays, thin waists, and hose supports.
The cover features a well-dressed equestrienne on a spirited horse. The inside front cover has text about the quality and fit of Dr. Warner's corsets. Succeeding pages feature beautiful illustrations of Victorian ladies dressed in the height of 1890s fashion, along with a drawing of the corset to be worn underneath the lady's ensemble. Some of the illustrations are in full color and some in a reddish tint similar to a warm sepia. As to the illustrations and drawings, this is the quantity breakdown:
16 full-color illustrations of a lady in a fashionable outfit
8 reddish illustrations of a lady in a fashionable outfit
8 black-and-white drawings of corsets
6 reddish drawings of corsets
2 reddish illustrations of a lady in "thin waists"
2 reddish illustrations of dress stays
1 reddish illustration of hose supporters
The design throughout is held together by decorative cartouches, some in full color and some in the reddish tint.
Together, the illustrations and drawings generate an image of a world where grace and beauty were still prized even as a desire for comfort was overtaking convention.
MEASUREMENTS:
3" high by 4" wide, cover plus 16 pages.
BINDING:
Paper cover. Staple bound.
DATE:
1894 (copyright date on back)
PUBLISHER:
Warner  Bros. N.Y.  Founded in 1873, the company has survived changes in fashion that made the corset obsolete. Today, it's part of The Warnaco Group, Inc., and known for its range of bras.
ISSUED BY:
W.E. Youland & Co., Biddeford, Me. The company was established in 1893 by W.E. Youland of Biddeford, Samuel Boothby of Portland, and G.W. Richards, of Houlton.  The department store dealt in:  dry and fancy goods; women's, misses' and children's ready-to-wear; millinery; upholstery materials; and men's furnishings. Today there is a Youland's Jewelers in Biddeford at 238 Main Street.
CONDITION:
Front and back cover show light water damage, as well as age wear, and the staple angle results in a slight offsetting of interior pages with cover (all are visible in photographs). Interior pages show slight age discoloration.
The bid and Buy-It-Now amounts reflect the fact that the pamphlet is not in perfect condition.
Please view the photographs carefully, as they are part of the Item Description and give a good idea of the condition of the book.
COMPARABLE:
Price is 5.00 elsewhere on the web.
SHIPPING:
This item will be shipped within two business days of payment receipt via USPS priority mail to U.S. addresses confirmed by PayPal.
NOTE:
Please ask any questions before bidding, as there will be no returns unless both buyer and seller agree that there is egregious error or misrepresentation in this listing.
This rare and informative pamphlet would make a nice addition to any collection of Victorian advertising memorabilia. It would be an especially welcome gift to a collector of Victorian lingerie.