Word: himmelstein
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1940-1949
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Lane Bryant started out as Lena Himmelstein. She came to the U.S. from Lithuania in 1895, at 16. After four years of struggling along as a seamstress, she married a Russian jewelry salesman named David Bryant. Within a year, the couple had a son, but a few months later Bryant died. The young widow pawned her diamond earrings, bought a sewing machine, started making lingerie at home. By 1907 she was prospering sufficiently to borrow $300 to start a separate shop, and open a bank account. At the bank, she accidentally signed her name "Lane" instead of "Lena...