A.H. Fish and Cecil Beaton illustrations, 1920s

A.H. Fish and Cecil Beaton illustrations, 1920s, originally uploaded by Gatochy.

Scanned from Bronwen Meredith's "Vogue Body and Beauty Book" 1977. Click image for 752 x 1000 size.

Top, A.H. Fish illustration, 1925.

On the building it's written "Abdomen Allah," and "Turkish Baths," "Entering the door on the left of Abdomen Allah, the latest fashionable building, we see an impressive female clientèle going for the baths, the Turkish baths, the steam baths, the massages, and other tortures prescribed by the terrible Turkish regimen. Observe that the ladies look like five of the most well-fed Ottomans of the Roman Empire. But wait... Incredible as it may seem, the quintet of Vogue mannequins you see exiting on the right are the same monumental matrons that, on the left, used to occupy much more than their fair share of tridimensional space. And the baths accomplished this miracle. Now they will be able to face their dressmakers with their heads held up high and fit inside small sized dresses without ignominy, shame, or rubber girdles."

Bottom, Cecil Beaton illustration, 1927.