Why the California Lamp, Picture, and Accessories Show and the California Corset, Bra, and Lingerie Show were held simultaneously at Los Angeles' Biltmore Hotel in 1958 is lost to history. But a few of the slightly surreal promotional pictures survived. After attendees at the lighting show checked out frilly lampshades like the one pictured above, they could move to the adjacent lingerie expo to assess the new padded girdles, shortened petticoats, and so-called "balcony" bras. To keep those with more prurient than professional interest away, private detectives guarded each entrance and exit.