Red Crinoline-cage with Steel-spring Frame

The cage-like scaffolding of this petticoat is made of 15 fine flat steel bands sheathed in red braided woollen sleeves. Vertical woollen bands hold the upper six bands and the lower nine, which reach all the way around, are sown into red woollen fabric with a beige linen lining. The hemline is padded. The vertical ribbons are attached at the waist to a red and white linen waistband that has a hook and eye closure at the front and a half moon-shaped pass in the back, itself reinforced with two rattan cane strips. In regard to this innovation the Bazar reported on 1st January 1, 1863: “The Jupon illustrated here can be recommended as a practical innovation in the area of the crinoline. The skirt, arranged from fine steel rings and familiar, is improved here with cladding at the bottom. This cladding not only prevents the ugly visibility of the rings, but also supports the improved drop of the skirt”. Wide skirts remained in fashion a good ten years longer thanks to this invention. The English company Thomson was one of the most significant producers of steel ring crinolines and maintained branches in New York, Paris and Brussels as well as Annaberg in Saxony and Weipert in Bohemia. It cleverly advertised this product with reference to Empress Eugenie, who personified the fashion ideal of her time and made a decisive contribution to the spread of crinoline fashion. Although steel consumption was huge—five million crinolines were produced in France alone during 1860 - the jupe cage was cheaper than petticoats stiffened with horse’s hair and thus women of every social class soon owned a crinoline.