Browse Items (13 total)

Human's fascination and obsession with curls as symbols of divinity is long recorded in history and across a range of ancient cultures. An important aspect of beauty and prestige, depictions in paintings and representations of gods and goddesses…

The donor information collected with this handwoven and handsewn bag indicates that it belonged to a member of the donor's family in Philadelphia and was used to hold personal items. The small blue and white plaid fabric is in good condition and…

Gloves were a social necessity in the Victorian Era. At this time, having feet and hands that appeared small was considered fashionable, so gloves worn at this time were very tight-fitting. People owned numerous pairs to keep up with the various…

This accessory is a daily planner, with a different page for each day of the week but leaving Sunday as a day of rest. Assembled like a fan, the ivory pages allowed the user to write notes in pencil which could then be wiped clean. These memo cases…

This object is identified as a miser bag. This label tells us both its function, as a bag for holding items, specifically coins, and style, oblong with a slit near the middle and a pair of rings to secure the coins. Contemporaneously called a "short…

This small, multicolored needlework wallet-like purse or pocketbook would have been used to carry small, flat items such as letters, bills, sketches, calling cards, and sewing tools. Three inner sections are formed by a cardboard base covered with…

L: 7 3/4" x W: 8 1/2" (excluding ribbons) (19.8 cm; 21.7 cm)

This artifact is a small round bag intended to be held in the hand by ribbons attached to each end. The ribbons end in bows. The bag has an opening across its length to access the contents. The handbag’s outer fabric is a light brown silk taffeta, a…

These spectacles, made with French or blue steel frames and tinted lenses, have a crank-style bridge and ladies-style temples or ear pieces. Their small size, oval-shaped lenses and tinted glass suggest they were worn by a woman in the mid-19th…

Within the Victorian Era spectacles became popular due to the development of opthalmology, changing environments, and fascination with the eye in general. An increase in the social practices of reading for leisure, and compulsory education also…