From the moment you step inside Esse Purse Museum on South Main Street, you realize almost immediately there is more to see here than just pretty handbags.
What you’re looking at is the progression of women throughout history. “These bags have stories — stories of what women have experienced these last hundred years,” says museum creator and owner Anita Davis.
In large vitrines, these stories are chronicled by decade spanning from 1900 to 1999. More than 250 beautifully displayed purses ranging from beaded reticules of the ’10s and ’20s, to the patchwork shoulder bags of the ’70s, the bold clutches of the ’80’s and the knapsacks of the ’90s offer a “glimpse into the history of fashion and the evolution of women’s liberations,” says Davis.
Read more about Davis and where this idea came from in our March issue: http://goo.gl/YovfxN.