You wrote:
 
>
>This is being cross-posted, so please forgive the
>duplication.  We've had a request from a museum that is
>mounting a clothing exhibit.  In the past, the comment,
>"people were smaller then," has been made by visitors.
>The museum seeks some documentation (a written source)
>that this was or was not the case.  The exhibit is
>primarily women's clothing, but there are a few men's
>garments. Current figures from the National Center
>for Health Statistics indicate that the average height
>for women today is just under 5' 4".  Any info on 1850
>or 1900?
>Pat Miller
>
>Patricia L. Miller
>Illinois Heritage Association
>602 1/2 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
>tel: 217-359-5600  e-mail: [log in to unmask]
It is the case that people were smaller in the past.  This is almost
entirely ascribed to changes in nutrition by historians of such things.
 Robert William Fogel did an extensive study of Civil War soldiers.  And
there are others, but I haven't got exact citations at hand.  Ask your
reference librarian. This shouldn't be too hard to track down.
 
>
 
 
 
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