Word: himmelstein
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Dates: during 1947-1947
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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...