Undergarment Boudreaux showed the world that an American woman could establish and run a company, and she also caused a revolution in the underwear industry. In 1913, a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob created the first modern brassiere by tying two handkerchiefs together with ribbon. Jacob's original intention was to cover the whalebone sticking out of her corset, which was visible through her sheer dress. Jacob began making brassieres for her family and friends, and news of the garment soon spread by word of mouth. By 1914, Jacob had a patent for her design and was marketing it throughout
Phelps Mansion Phelps Mansion The Phelps Mansion, formerly known as The Monday Afternoon Clubhouse, is a three-story brick and stone mansion located on Court Street in Binghamton, New York. It was built in 1870 as the private home of Sherman D. Phelps. Mr. Phelps was a successful business man, banker, Republican elector for Abraham Lincoln, and mayor of the City of Binghamton. The building was designed by Isaac G. Perry who later became the chief architect for the New York State Capitol building in Albany, New York. The mansion was purchased in 1905 by the Monday Afternoon Club (a women's civic organization).