Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 9

1911, The Lady Claire Dress Form, Very Rare

Price:$5,000

$5,600List Price

About the Item

I've had an example of this dress form in my personal collection. It's an amazing piece of engineering and one of my favorite items... something I decided to never sell it. The Lady Claire has been on the top of my search list for years and we finally found a second example. There is nothing else out there like it. Some History... It should have been the dress form to end all dress forms. It was well built and completely adjustable. With it dress makers wouldn't have needed to have several dress forms at their disposal in order to accommodate the multitude of shapes and sizes of the female form. They would need just one, The Lady Claire. The dress form was invented by John Rae of Philadelphia, PA. He patented it in 1911 (patent no.991,241) and assigned it to the Kearns Manufacturing Company for the purpose of manufacturing it. The company was located in Philadelphia though it was incorporated in Delaware. Also, a separate company was created in 1912 to handle the actual sales of the dress form. The sales company was aptly named The Perfect Adjustable Dress Form Company which was incorporated in New York. John Kearns (owner of the Kearns Mfg. Co.) was named as one of its directors. The Lady Claire was constructed of wire and steel without any soldering at the joints. The front shoulder/ neck plate reads "The Lady Claire, Perfect Adjustable Dress Form Co., Patented 1911, New York." The dress form could be adjusted for a short woman or tall, slender figure or full, sloping shoulders or square, small chest or large, narrow hips or wide, thin neck or thick and every other shape in between. It rolled around on four solid casters so it could easily be moved around. The design was thoroughly revolutionary. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to me as to why, The Lady Claire was a commercial flop. It was advertised for just 2-3 short years and then it disappeared. Though The Perfect Adjustable Dress Form Company was on the books at least through 1917, there is no evidence suggesting any serious attempts to market the dress form past 1913.

Creator:
The Lady Claire Dress Form Co (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 60 in (152.4 cm)Diameter: 20 in (50.8 cm)
Style:
Industrial (In the Style Of)
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1911
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Peekskill, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU883813202551

Vintage 1950s American Architectural Models

Materials

Metal, Iron

Vintage Dress Form

$630

H 61.5 in W 12.5 in D 12.5 in

Very Rare Wind Vane Dial in the Manner of Whitehurst

Located in Lincolnshire, GB

A George III period carved mahogany wind vane dial. The silvered engraved dial with all the points of a compass housed in the finely carved mahogany frame, ...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Glass, Mahogany

Very Rare Wind Vane Dial in the Manner of Whitehurst

$11,708

H 1.58 in W 14.18 in D 14.18 in

Bronze Sculptural Thermometer, Long Bodied Lady, Artist Signed and Dated 1911

Located in Petaluma, CA

It wasn't easy trying to title this bronze in one sentence. The first thing about it to my eye is the wonderful whimsy displayed. The fact that it's a thermometer just adds to the jo...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Sculptural Thermometer, Long Bodied Lady, Artist Signed and Dated 1911

$1,137 Sale Price

40% Off

H 10.5 in W 2.25 in D 2.25 in

Dresses form the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales (Book)

Located in North Yorkshire, GB

A charity sale conducted by Christie's on a non profit basis Wednesday 25th June 1997. This is a large-format catalogue for the 1997 Christie's charity auction of dresses belonging to Diana, Princess of Wales. The eighty lots included dresses by Catherine Walker, Victor Edelstein, Gina Fratini for Hartnell, Christina Stambolian...

Category

1990s Books

Materials

Paper

Dresses form the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales (Book)

$750

H 17 in W 12 in D 1.19 in

19th C Surveyors Metamorphic Instrument Box/Table A very rare piece

Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight

19th C Surveyors Metamorphic Instrument Box/Table A very rare piece, the carrying box originally held many pieces of the surveyor’s equipment, t...

Category

Antique 19th Century Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Walnut

19th C Surveyors Metamorphic Instrument Box/Table A very rare piece

$2,755

H 5 in W 17 in D 13 in

Very Large Antique Victorian Brass Lobster-Form Box

Located in London, GB

A very large antique Victorian brass lobster-form box. English, Late 19th Century. Measures: Height 34cm, width 91cm, depth 41cm. This exceptional piece is a remarkably large brass box...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Animal Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Very Large Antique Victorian Brass Lobster-Form Box

$30,305

H 13.39 in W 35.83 in D 16.15 in

Rag bone Professional Dress Forms

Located in Linkebeek, BE

Rag & bone Professional Dress Forms Sewing mannequin - couture Measures : 40cmx50cm H:200cm Wear consistent with age and use : Please see photos

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal, Iron

Rag bone Professional Dress Forms

$1,669

H 78.75 in W 15.75 in D 19.69 in

Very Rare Antique Print of the City of Nice in France, c.1700

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique print titled 'Nicaea Civitas'. Original antique print with a view of the city of Nice, France. Rare in this edition. Source unknown, to be determined. Artists and Engraver...

Category

Antique 17th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Very Rare Antique Print of the City of Nice in France, c.1700

$691

H 12.01 in W 15.16 in D 0 in

Very Decorative Rare Antique Map of the Northern Part of Africa, 1702

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique map titled 'Africae Pars Borealis.' Very decorative antique map of the northern part of Africa by Heinrich Scherer. The map is full of the spurious geography of the perio...

Category

Antique Early 1700s German Maps

Materials

Paper

Very Decorative Rare Antique Map of the Northern Part of Africa, 1702

$826 Sale Price

30% Off

H 10.75 in W 15.75 in D 0 in

Very Rare Antique Print of the Valley of Terebinthus in Arabia, 1673

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique print titled 'Vallis Therebinthi'. Old print of the Valley of Terebinthus, below a decorative cartouche with lettered key and surrounded by 2 cherubins. This print originates...

Category

Antique 17th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Very Rare Antique Print of the Valley of Terebinthus in Arabia, 1673

$405

H 7.49 in W 5.91 in D 0 in

More From This Seller

View All

1911, The Lady Claire Dress Form, Very Rare

Located in Peekskill, NY

I've had an example of this dress form in my personal collection. It's an amazing piece of engineering and one of my favorite items... something I decided to never sell it. The Lady Claire...

Category

Early 20th Century American Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

1911, The Lady Claire Dress Form, Very Rare

$5,600

Very Large Ophtalmotrope

Located in Peekskill, NY

What is an ophthalmotrope? An ophthalmotrope is an apparatus for demonstrating the movements of the eye and the action of the different muscles which produce them, consisting essentially of a model eyeball to which are attached strings and pulleys to duplicate the line force of the muscles. We think this example is most likely French from the early 20th century. The base is marble with paw feet. It’s also quite large at well over 3 foot tall. This instrument is very complete. It also includes additional parts to set the mechanics up in a different way. In the pictures above the strings are attached to a keyboard. The alternative replaces the keyboard with string guide with a dozen hanging tubular weights. This is one of the largest and most decorative examples we have seen. I have only seen pictures of ophthalmotropes and never one this fine and complete. It’s as rare and impressive show piece. This item was also used in the movie Knives Out,

Category

Early 20th Century French Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Very Large Ophtalmotrope

$7,500

Super Rare 1880s Spoon Top Conformatore

Located in Peekskill, NY

This is a wonderful example of 1800s inventiveness. We believe this is American made and ie signed and dated 1888. This is only the second example we have ever found. We will only se...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Steel

Super Rare 1880s Spoon Top Conformatore

$3,600

Rare M4 Leather WWII Horse Gas Mask

Located in Peekskill, NY

M4 US Government Army Issue World War II, vintage 1941-1942 Horse Gas Masks are very scarce. Due to the large size, most were discarded after the war. Occasionally, one will pop up, but most are incomplete or in poor condition. The M4 Horse Gas Mask has 2 large filter canisters, one placed on each shoulder of the horse. It has a chest mounted pack, and a rubber mask for the horse's muzzle. Flexible hoses run between the components, and leather straps keep everything secure to the horse. Horses (Cavalry) and Pack Mules were not as common in WWII as they were in WWI, making the Horse Gas Mask all the more rare. If you are a serious gas mask collector, consider the chance of finding another M4 Horse gas mask. Included is the signed canvas...

Category

Early 20th Century American Industrial Arms, Armor and Weapons

Materials

Leather

Rare M4 Leather WWII Horse Gas Mask

$4,200

Rare Early 8x10 Double Bellows Double Exposure Camera

Located in Peekskill, NY

When have you ever seen one of these? This is a first for me. This very unique camera came out of an important 2 generation New York Collection. This was a custom built double exposu...

Category

Early 20th Century American Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Aluminum

Rare Early 8x10 Double Bellows Double Exposure Camera

$3,200

Rare German 1800s Anatomical Horse Model, Signed A.M.Sommer

By Frederik Sommer

Located in Peekskill, NY

This is an important handmade large scale papier mâché anatomical model of a horse. It's close to two thirds scale and over four foot long. At the turn of the century France and Berl...

Category