So, I have said many, many times that I am addicted to purses. Which isn't really that bad when you think about the fact that it's calorie free, it's a form of recycling/reusing an object, and I have the complete support of my long suffering husband who has been dragged into thousands of antique stores over the years. There are worse vices than mine.
Really, you're not going to find these types of purses in the local Goodwill. I did find one at the flea market many years ago...flea markets are still great...but if you're on the hunt specifically for one of these purses, antique stores and auction sites seem to be the best bet.
I recently went to see the movie "Midnight in Paris" and one of the main characters, portrayed in the 20's, had one of these mesh bags. It is lovely....and nice to know that the costume designer had it right, right down to her handbag.
There are some great books out there, as reference, that have sections on mesh if you're interested:
"Handbags" by Roseann Ettinger
"100 Years of Purses" by Ronna Lee Aikins"Vanity Bags and Purses" by Roselyn Gerson
"Vintage Purses At Their Best" by Lynell K. Schwartz
They're actually really great books for purse lovers in general, featuring many different types of purses.
I've also included some pictures of purses that some would consider vintage rather than antique. These are the later versions of the mesh purse....Whiting and Davis being the most famous maker. Although the original metal mesh purses of the 19th and early 20th centuries are the delicate beauties of this group, the later purses of alumesh and beadlite enamel have a funky, vintage, modernity to them. And if you ever come across one of these shiny beauties, pick it up and run your fingers over it....the feel is silky and sleek. It's very tactile and I love to feel these purses. Does that sound strange? Probably! But try it the next time you see one and you'll know what I'm talking about!
If you want more information about metal mesh purses of the 1920s and 1930s you can find it on our website, http://www.pursecollector.com. Select "Mesh Purse Info" from the menu and read the article titled, "The Mysteries of Mesh".
ReplyDeleteWe also hope that you will bookmark our website and check back to view the new content we plan to add. Although we didn't make much progress on our website this past year we have great plans for it in 2013. Topics of some of the articles we hope to publish include…
-The Lindbergh mesh purse - the W&D sterling baby flat mesh purse portraying The Spirit of St. Louis, which was presented to Mrs. Evangeline Lindbergh by MA congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers upon Charles Lindbergh's return to the U.S. in June 1927
-The "Blueboy" mesh purse – the W&D flat mesh purse painted with an image of Gainsborough's famous portrait that hangs in the Huntington Museum, which opened in 1928
-The W&D mesh dress worn by the little girl who won first prize in the 1926 Atlantic City "Baby Pageant Parade".
-The Shirley Temple mesh purse – the W&D flat mesh child's purse painted with an image of two ducks that was taken from a costume Shirley wore in the 1935 film, "Curly Top"
-A reveal of the meaning and history behind the enigmatic "EL^SAH" stamp on the frames of certain W&D and Mandalian purses of the 1920s
-The "Maid of Mesh" ring mesh purse with a frame made in the image of Miss Adele McHatton to commemorate W&Ds participation in the Irving Berlin musical stage play of the same name at the Music Box Theatre in New York in 1923-24