Corset, 1770s Italian Yellow, red, and ivory silk compound weave Gift of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1940 (C.I.40.173.6a–e). By the 1770s, steel was being used in stays, which increased their strength, though not their flexibility.

Corset (silk), Maison Léoty, 1891 http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80003627

French corset La Sirene, mid-1880s (leather, metal, cotton, silk) http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80009117#

Stays (silk damask, lined with linen, reinforced with whalebone, hand-sewn), England, 1770-1790 http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O13864/stays/

French corset (silk), 1890s http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80008013#fullscreen

Corset (cotton and whalebone trimmed with broderie anglaise and silk ribbon, and steel centre back supports), Great Britain, 1890-1900 (made). http://pinterest.com/nikolaeftimov/la-corseterie/

European corset (green silk damask), third quarter of 18th century http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.39.13.211

Corset (front view), blue silk stiffened with whalebone, possibly English or French, 1864. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/crinolines-crinolettes-bustles-corsets-1860-1880/

French corset (silk, bone, metal), ca. 1876 http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80095437

Corset (front), 1883 http://www.vamuseum.jp/en/historical-fashion-and-dress

ca. 1790 transitional stays in the Victoria & Albert Museum costume collection.

Linen corset 1790–1810 - in the Metropolitan Museum of Art costume collections.

Lace Trimmed Corset

Nikola Eftimov Custom Made Corsets Double layer corset (net lace & shantung silk fabric with silk lining) Owner: Miss Olivera Srbinovska by eftimov-schenk-schwartz, via Flickr

Stays (linen, hand sewn with linen thread, applied ribbon, chamois and whalebone), Great Britain,1780-1789. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115752/stays/

Corset 18th Century American or European, cotton and silk

Wedding corset (satin, silk thread flossing and silk braid; lined with coutil) made by Edwin Izod, England, 1887. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115825/wedding-corset/

Stays, ca 1790 England or France, the V Museum These are interesting because they’re right in the middle of the transition from rigid, mono-boobed 18th century stays to the softer ones worn in the early 19th century.  Those odd tabs hanging off the back may have functioned as a miniature bustle.

Corset 1910, French, Made of silk

Spain, early 18th century. Corset

Corset, 1900–1905, American, cotton, silk, steel

1820s Russia - Cutesy Embroidered Bodices

Corset, 1770s Italian Yellow, red, and ivory silk compound weave Gift of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1940 (C.I.40.173.6a–e). By the 1770s, steel was being used in stays, which increased their strength, though not their flexibility.

Corset, 1880s, American, cotton

French iron corset cover 1580-1600 resides at Kyoto Costume Institute Japan