(Mary Brosnan's lounging Sleeping Beauty of the '50s was an exception to the plastic doll look that dominated the decade. Brosnan's beauty emoted a luxurious sensuousness, quite the antithesis of many of the mannequins then who could truly be labeled dummies.)

Aug 8, 1999 / FW/ --- During the mid '40s and early '50s, experimentation continued with materials used for mannequin creations. Plastics and fiberglass came into the picture.

Consequently, for several years mannequins continued to be lacking in sculptural quality. There were also pressures to mass-produce mannequins in tandem with the booming clothing industry.

In other words, quantity pre-empted sculptural quality. Most mannequins that were produced were serviceable, but lacked high-fashion aesthetics.

In 1947, when Christian Dior introduced the New Look, live models appeared to emulate mannequins, rather than the reverse.

With wasp waists and emphasized busts, they took on mechanical poses similar to plastic dolls with rounded shoulders.

This plastic doll look was prevalent in many of the early '50s female mannequins. They were stilted in body attitude, and some could truly be called dummies.

Fingers that stuck out like turned-up toothpicks became the norm. This style was actually an abstract version of the finger dramatics that took place between 1900 and 1920.

There were, of course, those welcome exceptions to the plastic doll look. Mary Brosnan and Lillian Greneker created some interesting alternatives. Greneker developed a sprawling "feline" which emoted sexual aggressiveness.

Brosnan presented a lounging "sleeping beauty" that would most certainly arise with just one kiss from Prince Charming.

Both Greneker and Brosnan's figure was most unusual because of the fact that it was a male. He was a far cry from what had been seen in previous decades. Brosnan went so far as to present detailed scenarios of interaction between figures.

In one of her vignettes, a female mannequin lovingly straightened her beau's bow tie. There were most assuredly rumblings of a sexual revolution.