Published Resources Details
Book Section
- Title
- Burley, Frank Arthur (1881-1957) and Frederick Richard (1885-1954), corset manufacturers
- In
- Australian dictionary of biography, volume 13: 1940 - 1980 A-De
- Imprint
- Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1993, pp. 307-309
- Url
- http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130347b.htm
- Format
- Description
Published online in 2006.
- Abstract
Quotes:
"That year [1917] Arthur coined the Frenchified tradename, 'Berlei', for a popular new product; in 1919 the firm formally became Berlei Ltd and was registered as a public company in October 1920. With the purchase of W. Zander & Co. that year, Berlei's staff grew to 280 and new machinery was installed for large-scale manufacturing. The firm had three times moved to larger premises before the Burleys bought land in Regent Street and in January 1922 opened Berlei House, seven storeys of offices and workrooms 'constructed on the daylight principle', with display theatre, elegant sales rooms, a library and a roof-top 'playground' for employees."
"They held annual conventions for sales representatives, advised retailers on window display and ran regular training schools for corset-fitters. Insisting on a scientific approach, they employed a physician Dr Grace Boelke to ensure that Berlei garments were 'anatomically correct'."
"In 1926 Fred enlisted physiologists at the University of Sydney to assist in an anthropometrical survey of Australian women: the aim was to identify basic figure types, so that ready-made corsets might be designed to fit as if made-to-order. Professor Henry Chapman led the project. Some seven thousand women were measured in fine detail and the data revealed five fundamental types-big abdomen, heavy bust, big hips, sway back and average proportions.>