PURSE

Description: LUCITE PURSE. PURSE IS CYLINDRICAL SHAPED, WITH A FLAT TOP AND BOTTOM. LID IS CLEAR AND FLAT; LID IS HINGED ONTO BACK SIDE OF PURSE. LID HAS A FLORAL AND LEAF DESIGN CARVED INTO IT'S UNDERSIDE. ON TOP OF LID IS A PLAIN, CLEAR PLASTIC HANDLE, ON BRASS HINGES. PURSE HAS A PLASTIC CURLY CUE CLASP WITH TWO FLOWERS ETCHED INTO IT (AGAIN, ON BRASS HINGES). INSIDE OF PURSE IS BLACK LUCITE. THERE IS A STICKER ON INSIDE BACK THAT READS "CHARLES S. KAHN INC. MIAMI, FLORIDA". OUTSIDE OF PURSE IS A PEARLIZED GREY COLOUR, WITH STRANDS OF SILVER GLITZ ON FRONT AND BACK, AND STRANDS OF GOLD GLITZ ON THE SIDES. HAS FOUR CLEAR PLASTIC FEET.

History: LUCITE HANDBAGS WERE CREATED IN THE 1950S FROM DUPONT'S REVOLUTIONARY NEW PLASTIC. SHAPELY AND STRUCTURED, THERE WAS NEVER ANYTHING LIKE THEM NOR HAS THERE BEEN SINCE. THEY CAME IN AN ENDLESS VARIETY OF ODD SHAPES (BEEHIVE, PAGODA, TRAPEZOID, PAIL, LOG, OVAL, KIDNEY....), COLORS (STANDARD GREY AND WHITE, OBSCURE CHARTRUESE, CREAMY YELLOW, PALE GREEN, DARK TORTOISE. ...), TEXTURES AND SHADES (GLITTER, PEARLY, OPAQUE, SHINY, TRANSPARENT, METALLIC...). *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ACCESSORIES AND BOXED TEXTILE ARTIFACTS. IN 2018, PUNDYK CONTACTED DONOR, DARLENE ALDOUS, REGARDING THE DONATION OF THIS PURSE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.