Spinal support, London, England, 1822-1869

Spinal support, for angular curvature, by Ferguson, London, English, 1822-1869

Made from a leather-covered iron frame, the support was worn by a person with angular curvature of the spine. This was likely to be due to a medical condition such as scoliosis or tuberculosis of the spine, also known as Pott’s disease – named after Percival Pott (1714-1788), an English surgeon who first described the condition. These were quite common conditions until well into the twentieth century and children and adults affected in such a way would have been a familiar sight.