Whalebone corset, known as "a pair of stays"

Stays bore the daily strain of a moving, perspiring, body, and rarely survive; this is the only 18th-century pair in our collection. The many narrow stitched channels contain strips of stiff baleen, the wavy channels a more pliable cord stiffening. These stays have unusual features, leaving their purpose a bit of a mystery. Comparison with other examples suggests they may have been designed for riding or some other physical activity requiring exertion.