Department Store Mannequins, L. Frank Baum, and Automatonophobia, of course
Six things (or more — but who’s counting) about the history of department store MANNEQUINS that everyone needs to know 1. The Dutch word mannekijn, which meant “little man,” evolved to mannequin in France, where it first referred to an artist’s jointed model. By the 1800s, shops in Paris used full-size mannequins made of wicker or paper mache to display clothing. 2. Around the turn of the 20th century, the first department stores in the United States used mannequins made of wax. When sun hit the store windows...
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