Last Sunday I had a bit of a different Sunday. I went to the historical museum Het Schielandhuis in Rotterdam. The building itself is mighty interesting because it’s the only 17th century building left in the city centre of Rotterdam (all others were bombed during WWII.). Once, this was a city palace but since 1986 it’s a museum and these days a tiny dwarf surrounded by giant new shiny office buildings. But hey, I wasn’t going there for the building, I was going for the exhibition Behind closed doors.
From the flyer:“Closed doors can keep nosey people out. Chinks, windows and keyholes however, can make you nosey! They can make you want to sneak a peak. In the museum doors will reveal the secrets of classic and modern lingerie. Concealed or see-through, functional or presentable. Behind closed doors we find that doors and lingerie have a lot in common. With one difference though: Lingerie often changes the thing it conceals.”
It was pretty interesting to see how women have been changing their appearances throughout history with a little (or should I say a lot) help of lingerie. I can imagine that an isolation cell can be pretty tormenting and uncomfortable, but I don’t think people felt a hell of lot better when they started wearing corsets to gain the perfect silhouette. They needed a lot more here, and a lot less there and it had to be done….willing or unwilling. They were probably thinking “No pain, no gain!”
The most fascinating corset I saw was a metal one. It was made in 1620. I can’t imagine ever wearing that with any comfort. (it’s the black one in the tiny picture). Oh and they had a chastity belt from the same period on display too.
One other thing that really left me flabbergasted was the copper waist belt Ethel Granger (one of the famous tightlacers) used to wear. In the end, the Guinness Book of World Records listed her as having the smallest waist on record at 13” (or 33 centimetres). Now how scary, or should I say freaky, is that?Of course there was lots more to see; the history of the underpants for example. Did you know women weren’t allowed to wear underpants with a crotch at some point in history? Sorry, I can’t remember why that was right now; it had something to do with religion or something. I also saw some knitted (wool) brown granny panties which were made during the war. Can you imagine wearing knitted knickers? I can’t!
And let’s not forget the hoop-skirts or crinolines, those things were impossible to move around in. They had a mock-up one you could try one :)….(so glad I am never going to wear a wedding dress). They didn’t have a mock-up pannier or a bustle though :(
Anyway, there was a lot to see and it wasn’t all history. They had the Wonderbra, the gell filled bras, the sportsbra, the butt lifting panties, you name it and they probably had it. Oh and of course they had some items from the famous Dutch lingerie labels/designers Undressed by Marlies Dekkers and Der Kommissar by Annelies Nuy.
After enjoying a spot of lunch (and a little flirtation with the waiter)
I decided to see the other exhibitions too. So I went to see Rotterdam designs, Dutch Celebrities; razor-sharp caricatures by Paul van der Steen, and a exhibition about rebuilding Rotterdam after WWII and Rotterdam, a bird’s-eye view; a strange collection of bird-houses.When I finally left the museum I discovered that weather had turned out quite nice (nothing like they said it would be) so I went for a walk, rediscoverd the Walk of fame and the cutest celeb on there!
After that I jumped on the metro (a.k.a. rapid transit, underground, subway, tube) and went home. The end of a perfect Sunday :)
12 comments:
BIG smile for u HUGS
MIFFY!! I loved Miffy as a kid!
Yes big up for Miffy from me too!
And that was one narrow, ugly looking waist.
Right back @ ya, {{Boo}}
Do you want to hear something weird, Aoj? I never knew Miffy existed when I was a kid. I discovered her much later and I think that made me appreciate her even more. It’s amazing how something so simple can be so ingenious at the same time :)
I am so glad she is fully dressed in all the pictures I saw, Andre. I wouldn’t want to see her naked…..way to scary :)
Very interesting trip, Dakota, and the building looks lovely.
That women looks like she is about to snap in the middle.
What a fascinating exhibition! And a lovely way to spend a Sunday.
Posts that mention Holland always fill me with a bit of longing. Would you believe I haven't been back since 1996? Sigh.
Great post! My children must have nearly every Nijntje related thing: books, rucksacks, etc.
Thank you, Kat. It’s a magnificent building and it’s a shame you can’t see much of it’s old elegance when you’re inside, most of it’s grandeur is hidden behind the exhibitions.
I don’t know how that lady died, but who knows, she just might have snapped.
It sure was a lovely Sunday, KJ’s Muse and it made me realise I should visit museum more often. It’s a great thing to do on cloudy and rainy Sunday. :)
1996? That was 11 years ago! Oh my, you’ll have to visit soon :)
Thanks, Wanderingthinker.I didn’t know Nijntje was called Nijntje in German :) I love the Nijntje stuff and sometimes I am a bit jealous because they don’t make a lot for adults :)
You are right, Nijntje is called Miffy in Germany. But I've bought plenty of stuff during my last trip to Amsterdam...
Oh, that explains a lot, Wanderingthinker.
A Sunday mini adventure!
Great report and liking all the underwear shots :]
It's madness what people used to do themselves - it's like victorian cosmetic surgery and unbelievable how long this vain behaviour has been going on for!
A mini adventure indeed, DoGGa :) Since I don’t have the money to go on big adventures I decided to go on a mini one instead. And I hope to go on many more this summer.
Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take pictures myself, or else I could have shown you a lot more lingerie and x-rays from people wearing corsets for example.
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