Mattoon Woman Has Her Hobby In The Bag
June 16th, 2008, 5:39 pm Hobby Shops
They identify with personalities just as much - or maybe more - than other accessories, such as hats, shoes, belts or jewelry.
Called clutches, totes, reticules, compacts, coin holders, pouches, pocketbooks or bags - there are numerous designs, materials and craftsmanship of purses to complement one’s clothing, depending on the occasion.
But even though the styles, designs and sizes may have changed through the decades, the purpose remains the same.
Carol Batterham of Mattoon collects women’s vintage purses, and recently she dug through a large bag to pull out dozens of various styles.
“Many of the old purses usually came with combs, a pencil and change purse,” Batterham said. “This brass box purse has a place in the back for carrying a handkerchief, a comb, cigarettes, lipstick and powder.”
Batterham, 78, said she enjoys antiques shops, where she finds many of her purses.
She believes in bargain hunting and has never paid more than $35 for any purse or handbag. She has about 50 purses, some she made with purse kits.
History shows that purses go as far back as the 1100s. Some of Batterham’s collection could reach back into the 1910s, she estimated.
Jean Dilworth, professor of apparel and textile design in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University, said although styles of purses have changed a little, it served as an accessory item for coins, jewels or spoils of the war, and letters of introduction between the 1100s and the 1400s.
“The purpose of a purse has always been an item for travel,” Dilworth said.
But even if sizes and materials have changed, the basic shape and primary purpose remain the same, she said.
Batterham said she was an adult when her collection of purses first began.
“I probably had a $5 bill in my pocket one day at an antique shop, and that’s how it started,” she said.
But as a child, Batterham recalls really wanting a Lucite box purse. This particular purse came with a comb, lipstick and handkerchief, and was selling for about $15 at the Marshall Fields store in Oak Park when she was 9 or 10 years old.
Tags: 1400s, 1910s, antique shop, change purse, clutches, comb, compacts, dilworth, eastern illinois university, Hobby, lace, letters of introduction, pocketbooks, pouches, shoes, spoils, textile design, vintage pursesRelated posts
