ABSTRACT
The corset bodice held at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth, is extremely rare and the exact date is not known although it is thought to be between 1680 and 1700. There is a small label that accompanies the corset that has the name Mrs. J.W. Jackson and an address in Wimborne, Dorset. With this is a small piece of the original lace that tied the shoulder strap to the front. Very few garments from this period have survived and although the cream silk has deteriorated in places the gold and silver raised gilt embroidery is in extremely good condition. Some panels of the corset have been conserved by sewing a silk organza over them to prevent further deterioration of the original fabric. The corset bodice is fully lined in a plain chartreuse yellow silk; this also appears to be part of the conservation work on the bodice.
