The Exciting Life of Caresse Crosby

Caresse Crosby, born in 1892 as Mary Phelps Jacob in NewYork, was a woman ahead of her times.  She was an inventor, author, journalist and poet.  She spent most of her career engaged in the literary arts, but she also helped change fashion and free women from confining corsets by getting the first patent for the modern brassiere.

Caresse Crosby came up with the idea for the bra in 1913, got the patent, then later sold the patent for $1500.00.

Caresse was married several times, and in 1921 she married Harry Crosby and they soon moved to Paris.  It was here, as an ex pat, that Caresse and Harry Crosby immersed themselves in the city's social happenings and began to travel in literary circles.  As part of her new literary persona, she became Caresse.   She was formerly known as Polly.  Caresse  published several books, some of her own writing, some published by other writers, including James Joyce and Archibald MacLeish.  The partnership between Caresse and Harry crumbled after he and his mistress committed suicide in 1929.

Caresse continued on as an editor and publisher, putting out collections of her late husband's work and letters, as well as material by Ezra Pound.  In the 1930's, Caresse Crosby returned to the United States.  She married Selbert Young in 1937, but this marriage was short lived.  In 1953 she published her memoir, a story of her fascinating life, called Passionate Years.  Later she moved to Rome, established an informal artistic colony at her castle home.  What a fascinating life she lived.<>