What's Inside: A Century of Women and Handbags, 1900-1999
This museum-quality book documents the evolution of women's handbags across the entire 20th century, offering decade-by-decade insights into American women's lives through their most personal accessory. Published by ESSE Purse Museum & Store, the only purse museum in the United States, this collection presents authentic photographs, historical artifacts, and detailed essays that chronicle how purses reflected the changing roles of women from 1900 to 1999.
Inside the Book
Each decade receives dedicated coverage through evocative photographs of period-appropriate purses and their actual contents. The book features artistic renderings, historical narratives, and intimate vignettes that reconstruct the daily lives of 20th century American women. From the clutch bags of the 1920s to the practical handbags of wartime America to the designer pieces of the 1980s and 90s, this chronological journey documents how women's accessories evolved alongside their expanding freedoms and opportunities.
The photography captures both the exterior beauty and interior contents of historical purses, revealing what women actually carried during different eras. Essays provide cultural context for each period, while historical fictions bring unnamed heroines to life, celebrating the everyday women whose choices and struggles shaped future generations.
About ESSE Purse Museum
Founded by collector Anita Davis in Little Rock's SoMa neighborhood, ESSE Purse Museum & Store is one of only three purse museums worldwide. The museum explores the intersection of art, history, and feminine culture through its permanent collection, and this book serves as a companion to that exhibition. The publication represents a collaboration between museum founder Anita Davis and contributing writers, photographers, and artists including Betsy Davis, George Chambers, Laura Cartwright Hardy, Rita Henry, Brandon Markin, and Nancy Nolan.
Book Details
Published by Et Alia Press in November 2018, this paperback edition combines scholarly research with accessible storytelling. The book treats purses not merely as fashion accessories but as personal spaces that held the essence of women's individuality across different historical moments. Each page examines how these intimate objects reflected broader social changes, from suffrage movements to workplace integration to evolving fashion trends.
This volume appeals to collectors of vintage fashion, students of material culture, historians of women's studies, and anyone interested in how everyday objects tell larger stories about social change. The chronological structure makes it both a reference work and an engaging narrative about American women's history through the lens of their handbags.
