The interior of a fitting-room on the wall of which are hung pads of different sizes, inscribed: 'two months', 'one month', 'four months', 'six months', 'nine months'. A foppish frenchman ties one of these round the waist of a customer in a short petticoat, who stands (left) before an ornate oval wall-mirror, her hands folded complacently over the projection at her waist. A little girl in back view holds up her arms eagerly towards a small pad. An elegant shopman, holding a pad, insinuatingly points out a larger one on the wall to an agitated elderly lady. On the extreme right two women stand together highly pleased with their huge excrescences; one is pretty, the other, full-face, resembles a prostitute; her pad is inscribed 'twins'. Beneath the title: 'monsr devant, inform de ladies dat he has lately imported a great assortment of his new fashioned belly pieces, or machine dat make de ventre of de ladies, for all de world like de mama, he can refer to several young ladies of quality, who dat look one month, 2 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 & nine month de full size, who will zeccommend his abilities, he has always ready his tings for ladies of all sizes, de little girls, de middle size, & he can also fit des gros ladies without delay or disappointment, having engagée some habile emmigrant abbé who have had practice in dis way in france:-' april 16 1793
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1793. Dimensions: Height: 351 mm (cropped); Width: 465 mm (cropped). Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. Cestina Warehouse or Belly Piece Shop (BM 1935,0522.8.28)
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