Born: 20 April 1891, United States
Died: 26 January 1970
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Mary Phelps Jacob
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women creator Allison Tyra’s book Uncredited: Women’s Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work.
Socialite Caresse Crosby got so fed up with her corset at age nineteen that she stitched together the first modern bra on the spot. In 1914, she patented her “backless brassiere,” selling it to Warner Brothers Corset Company for just $1,500. The company erased her from their product’s history and went on to make $15 million from her invention over the next three decades.