Innovation
Ida Rosenthal: Dressmaker Turned Underwear Tycoon
As I mentioned recently, I’ve been thinking about women entrepreneurs and their stories in an on-again off-again way for the last few months. As I stumble across them, I’ll share them with you. Because that’s what I do. Next up, Ida Rosenthal (1886-1973), whom I mentioned in passing several posts ago. I first stumbled across…
Read More
The Secret Behind the Gibson Girl’s Shape
The Gibson Girl, as I previously mentioned, had a distinctive silhouette: a small waist, an ample bosom, and a graceful sway to her back that thrust the aforementioned bosom forward and the bum backward. In some ways she was similar in shape to a Barbie doll, and, like Barbie, her figure was difficult for the…
Read More
From the Archives: Florence Nightingale Does the Math
Florence Nightingale is best known for her heroic efforts in the Crimean War(1), where she threw open windows, scrubbed filthy floors and equally filthy men(2), bullied doctors and officers on the spot, fought with the British Army’s military director, and saved lives. She returned home a heroine. Victorian Britain loved to celebrate a…
Read More