There are many myths about corsets. Did women really tight lace to make their waists small? Did children really wear corsets? Were some early corsets really made of iron?

Join Assistant Curator of Costume and Textiles Dr Faye Prior for a journey through corset history, beginning with a very special object: a set of iron stays from the seventeenth century. Learn about the history of the corset, from its origins in shaping and stiffening garments of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to the complex and beautiful corsetry of the Victorian age. Discover why people wore them, what their real function was, and examine some real historical corsets from York Castle Museum’s collections.

This event is now cancelled due to government advice around Coronavirus. Please see here for more information. We will be in touch with those that have already booked their ticket.