History of Plus: Have You Heard of Lena Himmelstein?

I learned about Lena Himmelstein watching the Powder and the Glory, a PBS documentary on cosmetics.

“1904 Russian-American seamstress Lane Bryant (nee Lena Himmelstein), 24, opens a New York store to sell maternity clothes, becoming the first merchant to sell ready-to-wear garments for stout and pregnant women.”

-http://www.madisonvoices.com/womenshistory/timeline.htm

A Jewish-Lithuanian immgirant, she is hailed as one of the first niche market women’s entreupreneurs. Amazing – Lane Bryant has been around as long as I can remember, but I had no idea it really was an institution.