Period back support?

[Johan Steele]

The search function turned up nothing for me... please bare w/ me.

I have an intermittent back problem that can for all practical purposes all but cripples me. I have been looking for a period style back support and the closest I have come is a variation of a "belly band" to cover up a modern back brace. My research has come up w/ nothing really pertinant to the subject. I have been trying to find something better; but have had little success.

Have any of you come across period references to back braces, support etc... or did the poor fools w/ back issues just grin & bare it?

As an experiment I tried the french style belly band and found it to provide some rudimentry support.

I thank you in advance for any directions towards research that might help.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Period back support?

The Workwoman's Guide, 1838 England, has the following, p. 83:

Men's Stays, or Belts.
Plate 11. Fig. 27, 28.

These are worn by gentlemen in the army, hunters, or by those using violent exercise.

They are made of strong jean, duck, leather, or webbing.

Sometimes the stay is merely a strip or belt, as Fig. 28; at others it is a little shaped or peaked, as Fig. 27. Towards the ends is sewed a piece of elastic work (see Fig 28 E). Runners of cotton are made in various places to strengthen the whole. Long webbing straps are sewed three on each end. These straps are sewed on with pieces of leather over them, and are about three nails deep. The length is, of course, determined by the size of the wearer.

The illustration looks about like the black modern back supports that moving men and warehouse workers wear, except it buckles with three straps rather than velcro.

I've not looked further into the context of these belts, to see how well known they were in 1860s America, but that's a start on some information at least.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[ScottCross]

Re: Period back support?

I have occassionally come across VERY wide (perhaps six inch) leather belts with double buckle fastners in antique stores. They appear to be some type of back support used by workmen, or that is what they are sold as. I've never really pursued researching them further.

[Bivouac_of_the_Dead]

Re: Period back support?

Have any of you come across period references to back braces, support etc... or did the poor fools w/ back issues just grin & bare it?

Although a tougher generation than our own, 19th century men and women felt pain as acutely as we do. I doubt if they just grinned and bore it without trying something... anything... for relief, hence the proliferation of the proverbial snake-oil salesmen.

No offense to your manliness, but have you considered taking a period woman's corset and adapting it for use as a man's back brace? It would not be totally outside the realm of possibility that an inventive 19th century male would concoct such a device if needed.

Along these lines, here's an interesting reference:

...(a) common myth revolves around the horrible discomfort of corsets. This, too, stems from the tightly-laced waists of the 19th century; the corset worn in Elizabethan England, when fitted and laced correctly, is quite comfortable. Some well-endowed women consider then more comfortable then modern underwire bras, and many people with back problems have remarked how much a boned-tab Elizabethan corset feels like a supportive back brace.

Source: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/corsets/history.html

Interestingly enough, some modern back braces are called corsets because they retain the lace-up configuration of the traditional corset:

[KCLoewe]

Re: Period back support?

I find this subject very interesting as I have just finished almost 3 months of Physical Theropy for 3 herniaed disks in my mid back. Mine is degenaritive(sp?) and in an area that it is rare to have this without "trauma". This is something I get to live with for probably the rest of my life and have but one option and that is be pro-active in what I do. Exercises and stretching are key, but back support is always good. If I can find something that is more period then the nylon/velcro contraption I'm all in.