Research is Never Ending

Today I learned that my Corset en X tied for win in the Improver category of the DPP, so I have moved on to the Finalist round!

Yesterday on a whim, I decided to try and find more information on the Musée Galliera stays that I used as my Primary inspiration. I had a very hard time navegating their website. So I decided to try another google image search trying a different combination of keywords, low and behold I found a better view of the back on a personal blog.
I did the back wrong!
As you can see the shoulder straps do still cross, but the lower strap is a bit different and there are all those ties!

I was not upset to discover I did it wrong, I knew when I made it that there was a good chance of it being incorrect, for example my choice to put in more boning is not consistant with the original.
My method of lacing the back, is still period plausable, backed up by the research I had posted.

As I said I had difficulties using the Musée Galliera website, particularily accessing the collections (broken links?) and posted on a more personal platform of mine, inquiring if others had trouble accessing it too. They did. One of my online Friends who has been very valuable in other research projects did how ever find the Museum accesion number and a better photo of the back!

Now I have been asked "Is it still Corset en X?" and my opinion would be Yes. Corset en X is a term picked up from a fashion plate from Costume Parisien April 15, 1810 Plate 1053 “Corset de tissu de fil en X”
This translates to English as “Fabric corset with ties in X.”
You can see the original here in the Collection Maciet at the Biblitheque des Arts Decoratifs (Upper left)
Or you can see it on Nuranar's flickr if the above link doesn't work. they are from the same source, as you can see by the A.D. stamp, I just normally chose to give links to the original, for legal purposes!
The shoulder straps DO cross, as do the other set of ties, thus from what I can see of the fashion plate, it still qualifies as Corset en X!

Is it “Corset Paresseuse?” Probably not. Because you will notice that there are 3 sets of small tape ties at the back that are tied together, rather than all being attached to the larger tie. More of them would have to attach to the larger tie, regardless if they go through eyelets or not, to be considered Paresseuse in my book. Based on the illustrations and text documentation I have found labeled Paresseuse from 1820 onward.

Now I know you have read all the way down here and are wondering where the PICTURES are!
Well I didn't want you to get distracted with the pretty, and I also do not have easy links for you! There are two methods to see the pictures, I hope at least one of them works for you!

First off is Roger-Viollet
go to Advance search and put in 1957.16.17 in the Accession number box. (Conversly if you are in the mood for Pretty, just stay on the simple search and put in Corset!)

The second method should get you to ZOOMIFY images, but is a bit trickier, so do try the other first!
This LINK should take you to the Paris museum collection search page. In the first box, select Musée Galliera
In the second type in Corset. Click the Blue VALIDER button. It will likely be on the second page. Again if you want more pretty, don't select an institution, just put in corset!

So there you have it!I did it wrong, (and just a day before I learned of my placing) and I am HAPPY to find this out! I have wonderful friends who help in my research, and this is why it is good to share research! If you hit a wall, don't give up, step back, or ask for help, other people see things differently and come at it from different angles.

To those of you who voted in the 2011 DPP, I kindly thank you for voting for the entry in each category that YOU  thought was best, and I encourage you to continue voting for what you think qualifies as best. I know that varies from person to person, and that is what helps to make popular vote contests fun! and yes, there were some hard choices, and with the final round now up, there will be even harder choices.