Name/Title
CorsetEntry/Object ID
2024.3.1Description
Black floral lace corset with sheer paneling. Cups are white/nude with black lace overlay. Some nude fabric has been added to the top of cups on the back. Between cups is a nude and black lace ribbon adornment. Corset fastens in the back with silver hook-and-eyes.Context
Corset worn by Swedish actress Signe Hasso (1915-2002).
Signe Hasso was born Signe Larsson in Stockholm, Sweden in 1915. She began her acting career at age 12 at Sweden's famed Royal Dramatic Theatre, where she became their youngest acting student at age 16. She acted in many plays in Sweden throughout the 1930s, and married German film director/cameraman Harry Hasso in 1933. They had a son the next year in 1934. She and her husband would divorce in 1942.
After gaining fame in Sweden's theater world, she was convinced to move to the U.S. by Hollywood's Howard Hughes. She would go on to act in Broadway plays and then transition to a career in Hollywood once she signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the mid-1940s. She starred in many Hollywood films and acted alongside leading men such as Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and Ronald Goldman.
After her son was killed in an automobile accident in 1957, she paused her career in Hollywood. She focused on her stage career and would act in occasional Swedish films and televisions series throughout the 1960s. Hasso also composed music and wrote lyrics and poems; in a 1994 interview she said that she would rather be remembered for her writing than her acting. She translated Swedish folk songs into English and wrote a novel about her childhood called "Momo."
In 1994, Hasso was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She would continue acting in her final years, with her last role being in a 1998 film. She passed away from cancer-related pneumonia in 2002, at the age of 86.Acquisition
Accession
2024.3Source or Donor
Wooten, JamesAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of James WootenClothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
CorsetClothing Sex
FemaleSize
32Textile Details
Material
Nylon, Acetate, RubberColor
Black, WhiteLabel/Inscription/Signature
Type
LabelLocation
Back left-hand sideTranscription
(side 1) "By Lady Marlene; Made in U.S.A; Fiber content on reverse side; Style 235" (side 2) "Size 32; Rigid Fabric: 100% Nylon; Elastic: Nylon, Acetate, Rubber; Exclusive of Decoration"Language
EnglishMaterial/Technique
LabelLexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Women's underwear, Lingerie, Corsets, Fashion, LaceRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Signe HassoReproductions
Notes
Reproduction of the Museum's artifacts for publication, commercial use, or distribution requires written permission.
