It's in the bag!

It\'s in the bag!

We just accepted a donation of 146 amazing beaded bags for the Fashion History Museum - here are some highlights

 

:fainting:

 

Now that is some kind of donation!

 

*gasp*

Any ONE of those would be a significant donation! Congratulations, Jonathan. It's great to see the museum building up steam.

(BTW, I loved seeing the museum's ten 60s garments to the museum in Waterloo. I'd love to see that photoprint pantsuit in person. And who designed that fabulous red and black cape?)

 

I got that red and black leather cape from a dealer in Montreal who had it made for herself in 1967 by a local dressmaker because the designer original was out of her price range but even the knock-off cost her a minor fortune. I have forgotten the name of the maker -- its in the files, but its not a name anyone would recognize unless they were into fashion in Montreal in the late 1960s.

 

It's wonderful.

 

stunning, just stunning

 

Thud. That is wonderful.

 

Nicole

 

:adore:

, Jonathan; those bags are fabulous. What a donation!!!
Thanks for sharing, though now I'm lusting after a few of them....

 

Wow! There are all so beautiful ~ such a generous donor.

I collect beaded bags and I'm lusting after ALL of them.

 

Fabulous bags! What do you think the story is with the one with a swastika??

Jen

 

Those are awesome!! WOW - just breathtaking.

 

Holy crap...what a fabulous bunch. And donated to you...how wonderful!!

 

The Swastika one is, I think, imitating a Native American symbol. We talked about this recently on another thread you probably missed Jen. SOmeone else had a swastika decorated item and was wondering what it meant. It was a popular motif during the 1910s and I have seen it in whitework embroidery, lace, and beaded motifs on household linens and clothing. It was falling from favour as a decorative symbol just at the time it was picked by the National Socialist Party in 1920.

 

The word swastika was derived from the Sanskrit "svastika," which means auspicious object or good luck charm and was used by many cultures as a symbol of good luck. I'm a poker player and love inlaid chips; the ones with swastikas are often falsely touted on eBay as "rare Nazi poker chips," but they were made, as Jonathan says, in the 19-teens and have nothing to do with Hitler. Once the swastika became an intensely hated symbol in the Western world, many sets of those chips were thrown away or buried in people's back yards. I sure would never want to acquire any, let alone play with them at the table. Every now and then I spot a swastika here in Portland in brickwork on the side of a pre-1920s house chimney.

 

what a lovely collection of bags . Quite the score, Jonathan!

Hollis