This book contains line drawings of original 18th century garments from the Snowshill Collection, there are no photographs but there are brief descriptions of each garment. For that reason alone, the book is a worthwhile addtion to the costume library. From a stay-making perspective there are three pair of stays detailed in the book. A red silk pair, laced back and front with shoulder straps, a blue silk damaskpair, laced back and front with shoulder straps and an unusual pair of green linen stays with no shoulder straps, back lacing only. There are two other pairs featured, they are both late 3rd Qtr, 18th c, both are back lacing only, one of linen and fully boned, the other with a cotton outer layer, half boned.
As the woman washes her last shift, (wearing only a large handkerchief to cover her bosom), the stays she was wearing are shown on the floor under table. the stays are of a neutral/natural color, back lacing are still holding the shape of her body. The whalebone has with the warmth of the body taken on its shape. There is probably additional horizontal boning to the interior that is contributing to the boundedness of these stays.
This print (c1776) gives another look at an undressed woman wearing her stays. She appears to be wearing an underpetticoat and stays with narrow tabs and decorative lacing often found on stays, which is purely decorative and not actually used to lace the front closed. The poor chicken has been plucked to provide the feathers for the towering hairstyle, another spoof of the extreme fashion and high hair of the 1770s. 
These workman are laboring to produce the steel shapes referred to in many of the stay maker advertisements. The blacksmith pounding on the anvil is working on a pair of steel stays, which is an exaggeration on the theme of using steel in women's stays. the woman is once again being fitted for her stays in petticoat and pocket. This print is entitled "Bath stays or the Ladys Steel Shapes" c 1777.
Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, 16 June 2009), October 1759, trial Elizabeth Rosdell, (t17591024-2)
“I saw the prisoner standing in my kitchen by the door, with the things mentioned in the indictment, in her apron; I stopt her, and found four pewter plates under her stays” Ouch!Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, 16 June 2009), May 1771, trial Mary King, (t17710515-49)
“ upon taking off her stays and shaking her cloaths, there fell down a guinea, a half guinea, a half crown and a shilling, which with the 4 s. that were found before, made up the money that I missed”Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, 16 June 2009), January 1778, trial Ann Shepherd, (t17780115-50)
This Carington Bowles c 1784 print shows the amorous Stay-maker making a house call, which he appears to be enjoying quite a bit! He is down on one knee taking the customer's waist measure with a tape of some sort, the tape has no increment markings. The tape hangs like a linen tape, but could as easily be the more commonly used paper tape, as would a tailor. There are two pair of stays in the picture, a pair on the floor (whitish in color), wrapped in a patterned handkerchief or scrap of fabric and a pair on a side table. The pair on the table has a different color to the front panels (pink), and has the appearance of being worn, as they are holding their shape when removed from the wearer, the assumption is these are her old pair, baleen boning over time will mold to the body and when the stays are removed they retain the roundness of the body.
This satirical print entitled "The Abusive Fruitwoman" c 1773, offers us a look at a larger lady in working class dress who is most obviously not wearing stays. She is wearing typical working class attire including a bedgown, apron, short cloak, petticoat, practical shoes and black silk bonnet, but no stays. She appears to be in the process of giving the passing young woman a tongue lashing, the assumption is the young fashion follower is a prostitute as it would make no sense to verbally abuse a lady of quality who would be a potential customer. The young boy in the print is taking advantage of the fruit woman's distraction and stealing from her table, with a sly finger to his nose.
Mr William Hogarth, in 1753 published "The Analysis of Beauty" which describes in detail Mr. Hogarth's opinion on what constituted visual beauty and good taste (quite a controversial topic of the time from a controversial artist). 
These stays are in my private collection and they will be the focus of an in depth study on stays on this blog. These stays are professionally constructed by a professional staymaker and have a New England provenance.
The caption on this British Mezzotint, c 1772, reads "Lady Drudger going to Ranelagh". The old woman is primping for her visit to the 18th century pleasure gardens of Ranelagh, where there would be dancing, music and fine foods. Is the purpose of the print to poke fun at an older woman trying to look attractive, or is this cartoon aimed at a particular person whose identity is lost to us?
Mr. Astle, coming directly from London, as the best staymakers do, (there must have been a convoy of staymakers leaving London), is advertising his skills as not only a staymaker but also as a taylor and habbitmaker. In this advertisement he is also touting that he makes all kinds of Cloaks and Huzzas. Is a Huzza a type of cloak? An outer garment? 
Corsets and Crinolines, by Norah Waugh first published in 1954, with frequent reprinting, contains a limited section on 18th century stays, but good diagrams, period references and citations. While mainly 19th century in orientation, this book is a good starting place for the modern staymaker. It is still an expensive reference book, and while it is nice to have on hand, interlibrary loan would be a good option.
