Spirella
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel manufacturing |
| Founded | 1904 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Marcus Merritt Beeman, William Wallace Kincaid, Jesse Homan Pardee |
| Headquarters | Meadville , United States |
| Products | Custom-fitted corsets (notably Model 305 corset) |
| Parent | Spencers of Banbury (from 1985 until closure) |
The term Spirella originates from the Spirella Stay, a device created by Marcus Merritt Beeman in 1904, consisting of tightly wound and flattened wire coils. The enterprise was initiated by Beeman alongside William Wallace Kincaid and Jesse Homan Pardee.
Origins
Founded in 1904 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, The Spirella Corset Company Inc initially focused on a patented dressbone technology used in bustles but soon transitioned to producing custom-fitted corsets. The company was notable for promoting employee welfare programs such as opportunities for travel, education, and healthcare services.
United Kingdom
The British branch, known as The Spirella Company of Great Britain, was managed by co-founder William Wallace Kincaid. He engaged architect Cecil Hignett to create an Arts & Crafts style factory, built and expanded between 1912 and 1920. This site became renowned both for its innovative manufacturing techniques and its commitment to staff well-being.
During the Second World War, the Spirella Building was repurposed for parachute production by the Irvin Airchute Company and secret assembly of components for British code-breaking equipment by the British Tabulating Machine Company. In 1957, the UK division became independent from American ownership.
Spirella’s signature offering was the Model 305 corset, marketed exclusively through in-home consultations conducted by female representatives known as corsetiers. Following the unsuccessful introduction of "Stub-tex" garments—a licensed version of Gore-Tex—the company was purchased by rival Spencers of Banbury in 1985 and ultimately closed in 1989.
Referred to as the "factory of beauty," the manufacturing plant was designed to boost employee comfort and efficiency, providing facilities such as baths, showers, exercise classes, a library, complimentary eye examinations, and bicycle maintenance. It received Grade II* Listed building status in 1979. Acquired and refurbished by the Letchworth Garden City Foundation in 1995, it currently functions as leased office space accommodating over twenty enterprises.
Locations
At its height, Spirella operated production sites across several locations: in the United States (Meadville, Pennsylvania; New Haven, Connecticut; Lincoln, Nebraska), Canada (from 1910), the United Kingdom (from 1910 including the Letchworth Spirella Building from 1912), Sweden (Malmö from 1920), and Niagara Falls, New York (established 1917). Its premier retail address was Spirella House located on Oxford Circus, London. The Niagara Falls factory in Ontario established in 1910 later transformed into Bird Kingdom Tropical Adventure.
Archival collections
Multiple repositories maintain historical records related to the Spirella Factory. The Garden City Collection in Letchworth holds an archive exceeding forty items comprising documents and artifacts. Hertfordshire's Community Archives Network also preserves relevant materials. Significant archival holdings include the Castle Corset cartoon and promotional material for the Spirella War Savings Association.