Aerial photograph of the Richard Cooper corset factory in Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Richard Cooper and Company (Ashbourne) Ltd began making 'stays' in the 1850s, in the small town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire. By the time they celebrated their centenary, in 1954, they were producing a wide range of brassieres, girdles, suspender belts, corselettes and wraparounds under the Excelsior brand name.