08/17/2026
Please join us on Wednesday, September 2, at 7 pm as the Friends of the Milford Town Library welcome author Anne Marie Murphy for a book talk on her recently published, "A Proper Fit: Women at Work in a City of Corsets."
For Anne Marie Murphy, what began as curiosity about one female business owner from 1904, became an exploration of a huge industry in Worcester, Massachusetts: corset making. The industry created a wealth of female self-employment opportunities long before American women had the right to vote. One woman, in particular, operated at the highest level—factory owner Mary Heintzelman Gifford Bowne. A deep dive into the history of both a garment and a city, A Proper Fit is a fascinating visit to a once-thriving industry driven and supported by thousands of women in a city of innovation, diversity, access, and opportunity.
Anne Marie Murphy, previously lived in Milford and served on the Board of Library Trustees. She founded Eastern Script in 1993, the first script clearance house to exist outside of Los Angeles County. Eastern Script maintains offices in Worcester, Massachusetts and Kingston, Ontario.
Copies of A Proper Fit and Anne Marie's coloring book, Amazing Women of Worcester will be available for purchase at the event.
