The Women’s Museum of California (www.womensmuseumca.org) welcomes the public to explore a new fashion history exhibit in the museum gallery, One Hundred Years of One Hundred Handbags, running June 2 to July 2. This exhibit explores how women’s lives have shaped the fashion of handbags through a collection of one hundred handbags ranging from the 1850s to the 1950s. The collection on display showcases the various forms women’s purses have taken throughout the years. On June 2, alongside the new exhibit will be the revamped Historical Clothing Show, a staple of the Women’s Museum’s educational programming. This show presents a variety of women’s clothing that showcases the history of fashion over the past 200 years. The fashion Show is open to public at 7 p.m. outside Barracks 16 in Liberty Station.
This exhibit was made possible by a generous donation to the Women’s Museum of 101 purses from Jean Nemer’s private collection. She was former executive director of the Riverside YWCA and the March of Dimes. Nemer started collecting vintage purses 40 years ago and concentrated mostly on beaded and mesh bags from the early 1900’s.
“I have always loved the workmanship of these antique bags and tried to find out as much as I could about their origins. They are works of art owned and carried by women with interesting lives.”
Nemer is pleased to donate her collection to the Women’s Museum, including two vintage bags owned by her grandmother Anna Larsen of Chicago. Friday, June 2
Exhibit opens at 5 p.m.
Fashion Show starts at 7 p.m.
Free to public – opening night