A later name, an attractive storySourced
The fainting explanation lacks historical support
The claim that so-called fainting couches were made for women collapsing in tight corsets lacks historical support. The furniture was described as a daybed at the time; the term fainting couch is documented only in the twentieth century. A later name can encourage a story about an earlier object.
The familiar label is not itself evidence of the original purpose.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
Source and reuse details
Fainting couch · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-05