The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Hand-beaded evening purse, with silver frame and finger ring. While the note accompanying the item states that it was made and used in the 1880s, the label 'Made in France' would indicate that it was probably made in the first decade of the twentieth century.Label: "Made in France / Hand-made". A note which accompanies the item states: "Hand beaded evening purse, 1880s. Frequently used when formal dinner dances were held in the Kew mansions." [Editor - See correct date in Physical description]fashion accessories, clothing accessories, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- purses

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Hand-made crocheted or lace reticule with a long cord and a flap opening. The bag is lined with cream voile. It relies on different kinds of stitching for its decorative effects as well as rosettes and round pom-poms.fashion accessories, clothing accessories, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- reticules, bags -- purses

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Woven, lidded raffia straw reticule with dried raffia lowers used as decoration.women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- reticules, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Machine woven tapestry evening bag on metal frameevening bags, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- reticules, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products.An earlier inventory of the collection identified an Eighteenth century French evening bag. While the frame shows some affinities with models of that period, its dating has provisionally been made to the Nineteenth century, until expert advice is sourced.Densely beaded evening bag on a gilded metal frame. The beads are woven in a a variety of abstract and geometric patters, including a cross within an octagon at centre. The bag is held by a white metal chain.evening bags, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, inherited, owned, used and or donated by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Beaded evening bag on white metal framewomen's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- reticules, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Rectangular black silk art deco style evening bag with a white metal clasp set with diamentes.Label: "David Jones / Made in Italy"evening bags, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products.Beaded reticule with a fringe and handle of blue class beads. The internal prose has a blue silk lining and a pink silk outer encased in beaded net. Based on an examination of the fabric, the reticule has been dated to the 1880s.women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- reticules, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Gold brocade evening bag with metal chainevening bags, women's clothing -- accessories, bags -- handbags, bags -- purses, fashion accessories

Used in 1912 by Miss Olive Sebire.Handkerchief lace sachet.handkerchief bags, purses

The bags multiple small pockets are reflective of a movement post 1920s wherein evening bags were designed to hold cosmetics and at times, as in the case of this purse, small mirrors. It is a notably older design, produced by Gabee Products in 1949, their first year of production, by Heinz Arnheim, a Jewish miller who had migrated from Germany to Australia ten years prior. The bag is designed according to 1930s Art Deco sentiments, with industrial metal closures, shell shaped designs and geometric patterns etched into the frame. A contrast to the larger leather bags of the 1940s and the 'current' square and box bags which Dior popularised in 1947.Small black suede shell shaped coin purse with marcasite tuck lock. Mount lined with 3 rows of diamantes, 9 each side. Small black suede handle attached with metal square buckle to each end. Internal of the mount marcasite etched with a chevron pattern. Lined with thick black fabric with two pockets, one pocket containing rectangular mirror. Small fabric label on left side."Gabee Products Melbourne"bags, evening bags, purses, 1950s, 50s, 1940s, 40s

This bag was used in the 1970s by Mrs Annette Lord, and was part of a large collection she donated when helping found Mont de Lancey Historic Homestead. Annette and Neville travelled extensively throughout the 50s-70s during which Annette acquired a large amount of her collection. While partly for pleasure, Netta and Neville also travelled to strengthen diplomatic relationships in the British Crown, notably developing a unique relationship with Madagascan royalty and being one of the few families invited to Queen Elizabeth’s 1963 state reception. Much of Netta and Neville’s 1960s collection originated in Hong Kong, including this bag, a trend which can be attributed to both Netta and Neville’s extensive travel in Asia and Hong Kong’s 1960s industrial boom. The starburst design echoes that of Japanese beaded purses that came into vogue between the 1920s and 1960s as part of a fascination with the ‘oriental.’ Annette Lord’s collection is exemplary of this fascination, with this purse being one of many Japanese inspired items in her possession.C.1960s white and gold beaded evening bag with a starburst design. Gold frame with kiss clasp closure,diamantes on each clasp closure. Gold chain handle White lining with 1 small pocket handbag, beading, handbeading, purse, bag, bags, purses, handbags, beads, sead beads, orientalism, japan, japanese, sixties, 1960s, hong kong

This purse is an example of what is often described as the 1930s anachronistic meeting of industrial Art Deco and the arts and crafts movement, hand crocheted silk meeting geometric frames made of the 'modern' xylonite, an early version of bakelite. The Australian Arts and Crafts movement was at this time very focused on creating a notably 'Australian' design, utilising brown earthy tones and 'natural' shapes, such as this purse's spiral drawing on straw and taffeta purses of previous decades.Circular mount purse with xylonite chain interwoven with brown crocheted chain. Outside brown hand crocheted criss-cross stitch with scalloped edge. Xylonite mount with fleur-de-li patterning, edged with gold and black bead seed bead clusters. Opens with a push latch. Lined with a pink silk jacquard, opening embroidered with pink and green flowers. handicrafts, crochet, bags, handbags, purses, crocheting, wool, silk, cotton, 1930s, 30s, art deco, xylonite

This bag was used in the 1950s by Mrs Annette Lord, and was part of a large collection she donated when helping found Mont de Lancey Historic Homestead. Annette and her husband were large travellers and often bought their clothes and accessories while overseas. This silver mesh bag closely matches other 1950s Whiting and Davis bags - a U.S. company who became incredibly fashionable in America and Europe after WWII. Australia is often considered ‘behind the times’ when it comes to 20th century fashion, with silver mesh bags only becoming popular in the 1960s, with the creation of Australian Glomesh bags. It then reached its height in the 1970s, right as silver mesh bags lost popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Annette’s bag here suggests a different story. One where certain classes of Australians are more in tune with Western fashion then originally thought. One wonders how much effort Annette put into keeping ‘current’ while living so far away. Or was it just a natural consequence of her travelling lifestyle?Late 1950s silver mesh evening bag with diamantes encrusted frame and clasp. Silver chain,white lining 1 compartment.metal, glomesh, bag, bags, purse, purses, evening bag, evening bags, silver, 1950s, 50s, nineteen fifties, whiting and davis, whiting & davis, annette lord, netta lord, wandin, australia, australian history, accessories

Small purse of traditional Chinese design - surface embroidery in polychromatic silk thread. Design with citron, melon, bird and flower - black silk lined with blue.embroidery, surface stitchery, purses, bags, china

Silver metalwork chain purses were made in tiny coils and formed into patterns in the early nineteenth century. This example is made of fine silver mesh.This item formed part of a large collection of items collected by Dorothy Rogers, a notable local historian and founding member of the Kew Historical Society.Hand-linked silver rings, with silver frame and clasp.purses, bags - handbags, fashion accessories, clothing accessories

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products. Jack Eaton Handbags Pty Ltd was a designer/manufacturer located at 175d Liverpool Street, Sydney. The earliest known reference to the company was in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1954. The company appears to have been liquidated in 1970. Black calf art deco style evening bag with a white metal clasp. The bag was made by Jack Eaton Handbags Pty Ltd of New South Walespurses, bags - handbags, fashion accessories, evening bags

Pretty and tiny beaded bags and purses were highly decorated to match the dresses of the era. They were small enough to carry makeup compacts, a few coins, and they were fashion accessories more than practical handbags.This item is an example of a clothing accessory used by women in the early 20th century.Fully beaded drawstring bag with designs of flowers. Tassel of beads attached to bottom of bag. Small wooden hooks on the inside to hold black rope drawstring.bag personal-effects money-container beading drawstring-bag

Small beaded bag, possibly an evening bag. Included in the original box is the purchase receipt from Myer Melbourne dated 24 July 1968. Small pearl-beaded handbag with fabric lining, metal clasp and chain handle, in original cardboard box with purchase receiptpurses, handbags, evening bags

Bag bound with silver grey tape, 3 opening sections, 1 with purse snap closure, 2 with press studs, 2 loops at top to suspend bag from belt.costume accessories, bags

Pyott's Ltd., was an merchant and novelty shop in Vancouver, Canada during the early-20th century. An advertisement for the shop was published on February 9, 1922 in the Ubyssey News (issued Weekly by the Publications Board of the University of British Columbia. It reads: 'We carry one of the largest lines of Indian Burnt Leather Goods, Moccasins and Baskets in the city; also Beads, Purses and Hand Bags; View Books, Post Cards and Novelties of all kinds. Your inspection invited, 524 Granville St. Vancouver B.C'. History of shopping bags: Before the late 1800s, shopping bags didn’t exist. Shoppers would either carry their goods home in baskets, or have the merchant deliver them to people's homes, until 1852 when Francis Wolle, a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania, invented a machine to produce paper shopping bags. This invention would allow customers to carry items home in disposable paper bags. Soon after, owners of department stores and retailers began to realise that paper shopping bags could be used to help market their brands, and as such custom shopping bags with printed logos became common place. Carrying a shopping bag from certain shops became a type of status symbol for consumers, providing evidence that one was well-off, had good taste, or both. The paper shopping bag is a rare survival of ephemera related to a retail store that existed in Vancouver, Canada during the early-20th century. The arrival of waves of more than ten million migrants by boat is one of the major themes in Australia’s history. The paper shopping bag is representative of personal items purchased for migrant journeys as markers of domesticity, warmth and making oneself at home in a new land that speaks of the transnational lives embedded in threads of migration. A brown paper shopping bag with a printed logo and store information in black inkPyott's, Indian Souvenirs & Novelies. 524 Granville St, Vancouver- B.C. On the reverse side in handwriting: 'Red + dark red beadsshopping bag, marketing, ephemera, pyott's, vancouver, canada, migration, flagstaff hill, merchant

In the words of the Donor, Betty Stone, "This shopping bag is part of a set of two items. The items were designed, hand sewn and embroidered with raffia by my mother Daisy Elvena (nee Dale) Welsh. Daisy Elvena Dale (born 27 October 1899) daughter of Ellis and Ann (nee Lees) Dale, of Latrigg, Wangoom, Warrnambool, married Raymond Welsh in 1922. A few years later – approximately 1928- Daisy made these two articles, which she used, particularly during the Depression years. The important factor concerning these bags is that they were made with hand-woven cloth cut from a pair of trousers that her grandfather, William Dale brought with him when he left the family farm Back o-the Low situated in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England. He arrived in Australia in 1852 and seven years later was operating a quarry on land purchased in Wangoom, Warrnambool known as The Dale Bluestone Quarries. Dale forebears in Yorkshire were first recorded as "clothiers" ( ie weavers of cloth) in the Saddleworth parish records dated 1764; following generations also continued the tradition of producing hand-woven cloth as a home industry. The cloth, from which these two bags were made, is evidence of a tradition begun by the Dale family in Saddleworth, Yorkshire more than two hundred and fifty years ago. My mother, Daisy Elvena (nee Dale) Welsh (granddaughter of William Dale) always referred to the cloth, which is at least 160 years old, as a homespun hopsack. (Note: For additional information please refer to Betty Stone’s book “Pioneers and Places - A History of three Warrnambool Pioneering Families” ie. Chamberlain, Dale and Lees Families)The homespun hopsack fabric for the set of bags was part of the clothing brought from England to Australia, an example of emigrant luggage. It also represents a traditional home industry of 'clothiers'. This item is associated with the families of Chamberlain, Dale and Lees. These families are listed in the "Pioneers' Register" for Warrnambool Township and Shire, 1835-1900, published by A.I.G.S. Warrnambool Branch.Embroidered shopping Bag, part of a set, the other part being a wallet (purse). Wooden handles and fabric is decorated with embroidered raffia flowers. The bags were made by Daisy Welsh (nee Dale) c. 1928 from homespun "hopsack' fabric of William Dale's trousers, brought to Australia in 1852. Part of the 'Chamberlain Dale Lees Collection' flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, chamberlain, dale, lees, stone, betty stone, warrnambool pioneers, clithier, william dale, daisy welsh, wangoom, hopsack, saddleworth, yorkshire, shopping bag, handbag, homespun, handmade

In the words of the Donor, Betty Stone, "The wallet is one of a set of two items. They were designed, hand-sewn sewn and embroidered with raffia by my mother Daisy Elvena (nee Dale) Welsh. Daisy Elvena Dale (born 27 October 1899) daughter of Ellis and Ann (nee Lees) Dale, of Latrigg, Wangoom, Warrnambool, married Raymond Welsh in 1922. A few years later – approximately 1928- Daisy made these two articles, which she used, particularly during the Depression years. The important factor concerning these bags is that they were made with hand-woven cloth cut from a pair of trousers which her grandfather, William Dale brought with him when he left the family farm Back o-'the Low situated in Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England. He arrived in Australia in 1852 and seven years later was operating a quarry on land purchased in Wangoom, Warrnambool known as The Dale Bluestone Quarries. Dale forebears in Yorkshire were first recorded as "clothiers" ( ie weavers of cloth) in the Saddleworth parish records dated 1764; following generations also continued the tradition of producing hand woven cloth as a home industry. The cloth, from which these two bags were made, is evidence of a tradition begun by the Dale family in Saddleworth, Yorkshire more than two hundred and fifty years ago. My mother, Daisy Elvena (nee Dale) Welsh (granddaughter of William Dale) always referred to the cloth, which is at least 160 years old, as a homespun hopsack.The homespun hopsack fabric for the set of bags was part of the clothing brought from England to Australia, an example of emigrant luggage. It also represents a traditional home industry of 'clothiers'. This item is associated with the families of Chamberlain, Dale and Lees. These families are listed in the "Pioneers' Register" for Warrnambool Township and Shire, 1835-1900, published by A.I.G.S. Warrnambool Branch.Embroidered wallet (purse), rectangular, part of a set, the other part being a shopping bag Decorated with embroidered raffia flowers. The bags were made by Daisy Welsh (nee Dale) c. 1928 from homespun "hopsack' fabric of William Dale's trousers, brought to Australia in 1852. Part of the 'Chamberlain Dale Lees Collection' flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, chamberlain, dale, lees, stone, betty stone, warrnambool pioneers, clithier, william dale, daisy welsh, wangoom, hopsack, saddleworth, yorkshire, wallet, purse, hand woven, handmade

c1900 Decorative silver 'pill boxes' were popular accessories carried in a small purse by women for evening and special occasions . This 'pill box' was used by a lady in the family of Ailsa Hunt in Moorabbin SSmall decorative silver pill boxes were a common accessory for early settler women in Moorabbin Shire c1900A small rectangular white metal pill box with gold lining, a hinged lid and snap lock machined pattern on lid with beading on edgeclothing, pill boxes, silver, pewter, brass, evening bags, victorian fashion, edwardian fashion, market gardeners, early settlers, moorabbin shire, bentleigh, mckinnon, moorabbin, cheltenham, wedding dresses, evening wear,

The item from a collection from the former Larnook Teachers' Collect. Collected in the 1960's. Passed onto Rusden (now Burwood campus).Petit point purse with floral design on one side.embroidery, bags, canvas work, petit point, australia?, purse

Photographer notations on slide: At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), 1933 THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 Published title: THE EXHIBITS. A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE. Curios, Novelties, Working Displays Published Caption: ONE OF THE NOVELTIES – AN OUTSIZE IN SHOES Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Our photo is dated 20 September 1933, and shows a happy, chubby-faced young girl sitting in a very over-sized girl’s shoe. It is labelled – “Shoe, An Out Size, loaned by Messrs Blackman & Rose”. (1) It is an effective way to capture the attention of the readership and alert them to the Melbourne Leather Show 1933. This show was designed to be a drawcard of extraordinary proportion, and there is no doubt that this leather exhibition was a really big deal for Melbourne. It completely took over the Melbourne Town Hall, and was open from 10.30 am until 10.30 pm. It seemed to contain something for everyone – the military, the man about town, the home handyman, the housewife, the child, the sporting types, the domestic workers, the outdoor enthusiasts, the horseracing fans, car enthusiasts, those wishing to show off the latest fashion – both men and women - and those just intrigued by a lot of fascinating and wide ranging exhibits. One of the most comprehensive descriptions of the Exhibition accompanies the photograph, and is worth quoting in full: “PROMINENT among exhibits which first attract attention in the foyer of the Town Hall is a comprehensive display of leather articles used by the defence forces. A conspicuous legend states that leather plays an important part in national defence, being used for saddlery, tool containers, holdalls, range-finding, surveying and signalling equipment, explosives factories, harness accoutrement, bandsmen's equipment and clothing. Three models of horses and several figures of soldiers wearing leather equipment illustrate the lesson, and a great range of leather goods used in military training and work variegate the display. Nearby are Texas cowboy, buckjumping and breaking-in saddles; whips, a walking stick, made of leather and numerous other curios. The general exhibition occupies the whole floor space of the main Town Hall, and is subdivided by partitions running most of the length of the hall. A bewildering variety, of leather goods presses for close and leisured inspection. Here and there operatives in charge of working machinery give practical demonstrations of factory processes in the production of footwear. Polishing materials are well represented. One attractive exhibit includes two bush huts constructed of leather, with wattle bark for roofing. Opossums, rosellas and a kookaburra add touches of bush realism. Adjacent exhibits include bags, fishing boots, leggings, leather covers in all colours. Factory Processes. One exhibitor has installed an automatic cinema apparatus and screen, which projects various factory processes in making a shoe, the operator being shown at work. Elsewhere an interesting exhibit depicts the five stages in the manufacture of sole leather, and the tanning materials employed. "Very handsome effects are achieved in the interior appointments of motor cars, which are attended by figures of smart chauffeurs in leather coats. Motor-trimming leather is said to be more durable and hygienic than fabric materials, and cheaper. The neat finish of the material, its excellent appearance, certainly make a very favourable impression. It takes the hides of three beasts to cover the cushions, squabs and door panels of a full-sized sedan, while to finish the entire interior, including quarter-panels and head linings would take four or even five. Special Exhibits. Amongst the special sections the display arranged by the handicrafts and home industries- committee of the Country Women's Association of Victoria is a notable one. In all there are about 130 entries which are in four classifications, viz., hand-tooled or embossed leathers, suede, hand-made gloves and undecorated leather. The glove section attracted the most numerous entries, a number being the work of members and craft subscribers of the Country Women's Association. In the leathercraft competition, organised by the Country Women's Association, the judges yesterday awarded the first prize for bookbinding (the only prize given in this division) to Miss M. Alston, of South Yarra. There is also a creditable display of exhibits submitted by boys of the orthopaedic section of the Children's Hospital at Frankston. Amongst the novelties on view in other portions of the exhibition were the following: — Leather coats worn by Sir C. Kingsford Smith on his Atlantic flight. Model Wellington boot, Phar Lap's saddle. Melbourne Cup winner's saddle. Longest whip in world, 108 feet long. (33 metres) [See our photo, to left of Girl in Shoe] Diminutive shoes. Pair of shoes 65 years old. Pair of men's working boots 75 years old. Larwood's, Tate’s and Pataudi’s cricket boots. [Three internationally revered cricketers of the day] (2) Picture frame made of leather bought 63 years ago. [See our photo, to right of Girl in Shoe] Leather frame, powder bowl, &c. Saddle used by world's champion buckjumper in U.S.A. Mexican cowboy outfit. Miniature saddle and bridle. A fireman's helmet made of sole leather. (3) Sample of the leather hat worn by porters at the Billingsgate Fish Market, London. (4) From South Australia there have been obtained sets of harness for donkeys, goats and camels, the equipment being displayed to good advantage on stuffed representations of the animals mentioned. Close to the platform is a glass case containing snow shoes and coats which have been used in Antarctic exploration work. Trade Display. Amongst the trade exhibits may be seen in operation a slipper turn shoe sewing machine, with heeling and channelling facilities, and the various stages in the production of ladies' sandals are shown. There is a wide contrast between sole leather of varying degrees of thickness on view in one stall and the choice samples of ladies' footwear in another — footwear, by the way, which could almost be used as ornaments, so dainty in colour and production are they. Again, there are displays of upholstering leathers of such soft texture that they could he readily mistaken for some of the finest cloth. Those who may be particularly interested in the production of chamois leather may gain an insight into the materials and chemicals used in the "working up” of this variety of leather. Supplies of glace kid (5) are tastefully arranged, and there may also be seen bags of all shapes and sizes, including satchels, suit cases and "sporting" cases, and bags for tennis players and golfers. Further variety is given to the exhibition by the display of antique hides, brightly coloured, with punching balls, boxing gloves and batsman's pads. There are crocodile skins and snake skins so cleverly "Worked up" that one could be almost pardoned for betraying an affection for such unpopular creatures.” “ Another wonderful article on this Exhibition, published the same day in one of the opposition daily newspapers, The Argus, is in the weekly article “Women to Women”, entitled “A Great Victorian Industry: Many Uses for Leather”. This weekly column was penned by Vesta, and she writes, with much purpose: “Yesterday afternoon I paid a hurried visit to the Leather Exhibition now being held in the Melbourne Town Hall and I was disappointed to find that the early visitors to the main exhibition were almost all men. Women, I think, should make a point of seeing every exhibition of our great industries, for women are the buyers of household requisites and goods for their own use and their tastes, and opinion influence also, to a large extent, the purchases of men. So, the welfare of industries is more or less in their hands and it becomes a duty for them to inform themselves fully of the extent and the quality of the manufacturing that is done here. The value of the output of the Australian boot and shoe factories alone was in 1930-31, the latest year for which the figures are given, Stg 3,750,000. Fully two thirds of that amount must have been spent by women on boots and shoes for themselves and their children. In a host of other directions, in the purchase of handbags, travelling bags, belts and straps, cushions, furniture coverings, purses, notebooks, spectacle cases, their annual expenditure must be very high. Their interest, therefore, in this industry is practical, and their support of it should be governed by knowledge of comparable values and qualities of the goods they buy. From the point of view of women, however, the exhibition itself is rather disappointing. There is an amazing collection of good stuff on show, but most of it is not displayed in a fashion that attracts attention. I was surprised, for example, at the range and quality of the leathers displayed, the suppleness of the finer qualities, and the varied range of colours and designs. But they are shown in such a fashion that if one set out deliberately to look for them it would be quite easy to miss most of them.” …It was surprising, too, that no one seemed to have taken advantage of the present fashion of wearing coloured gloves, or the cult of glove making, which the Country Women’s Association has fostered so successfully. Outside the collection of chamois leathers I saw no skins which were suitable to glove making. (6) However, it is perhaps a little unfair to be highly critical of the exhibition, inasmuch as it is the first of its kind. The material is there, undoubtedly, for a splendid show of every phase of this enterprising industry, and I am confident that experience will prove to those concerned that it will be worth while next time to devote a great deal of attention of the method of display.” With further research, it transpires that “Vera” is in fact NZ born Stella May Allen (nee Henderson) (1871-1962), a journalist, the first woman in NZ to begin a law course, in 1890-91). She later worked at a law firm while she completed her degree. Study of the law had always been open to women in NZ, but its practice was still barred to them. Her case “…led to amending legislation in 1896 allowing women to practise as barristers or solicitors. However, on gaining her LL.B. in November 1897 she did not apply for admission to the Bar. Instead, she became the Wellington-based correspondent and leader-writer for the Lyttelton Times. Her appointment, the first for a woman, was not welcomed by the all-male Press Gallery, and special permission had to be obtained from a subcommittee of the House before her presence was accepted. In 1900 she married Edwin Allen, a senior leader-writer for the Wellington Evening Post, and they moved to Australia in 1903 when Edwin Allen took up the post of foreign affairs leader-writer and parliamentary man for the Melbourne Argus. As Patricia Keep notes in her excellent entry of Stella Allan in the Australian Dictionary of Biography: “In 1907 The Argus commissioned her to write a series of articles on the first Australian Women's Work Exhibition held in October. They aroused much interest and next year The Argus invited her to join its full-time staff and begin a weekly section on the particular interests of women. She adopted the nom de plume 'Vesta' and called the column 'Women to Women'. Her work was unique in an Australian daily paper at that time. Her pages extended to cover every aspect of women's affairs, children's interests and community welfare, and 'Vesta' became a household word for authoritative information and advice on such matters. An excellent needlewoman and first-rate cook herself, she thoroughly tutored her staff in the work and needs of women in both country and city, as well as providing the usual training for cadet journalists. She conducted interviews and also visited the country to see at first hand the results of bushfires, mouse plagues, droughts and floods. In 1910 she was one of three women foundation members of the Australian Journalists' Association. “…she found time to become deeply involved in community affairs. She was an original committee-member of the Victorian Association of Crèches and of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, and had much to do with the early days of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association, the Baby Health Centres Association and the Queen Victoria Hospital. She was a member of the National Council of Women, first in New Zealand and then in Melbourne, and of the Country Women's Association from its inception. … in 1924 she was appointed substitute delegate for Australia to the fifth assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva and was a delegate to the second Pan Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii in 1930. A meeting held in the Melbourne Town Hall in 1938 by representatives of all the main Victorian women's organizations paid special tribute to her work and influence. She retired next year to England where she continued to write for the Argus, contributing articles on the experiences of women and children in wartime.” It is little wonder that “Vesta” was unafraid to take to task both the women of Victoria, and those who created the exhibition! One item which appears to have gone unnoticed, or at least unreported, is a framed article in the background of the photo of the chubby girl in the shoe. The display frame is labelled “Leather from the Human Skin, Tanned and Dressed by French artists.” The exhibition was certainly a cabinet of curiosities! A charming article in The Argus is a nice note on which to end. It gives a quick history and overview of the Australian leather industry and its unprecedented, and possibly unexpected, development and success, and states with pride: “Though Victoria is the largest leather producer in the Commonwealth all tanners in the Commonwealth can look back with pride on the long march of progress.” Footnotes: (1) “Blackman and Rose”. Messrs Blackman and Rose were shoe manufacturers, from 1927 located at 200 Noone Street, Clifton Hill. The Melbourne Circle describes their building as a “fine-looking building in the Federation ‘blood and bandage’ style.” It was built around 1912 for Puttifoot and Bloom, boot manufacturers, and today the building is apartments. (2) These cricketers were household names in the day: Tate: Maurice Tate, “English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s, and leader of England’s Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. The founder of modern seam bowling. “ Larwood: Harold Larwood, “English right-arm fast bowler and the main exponent of the bowling style known as “bodyline”. Used to considerable effect in the 1932-33 Test series in Australia. Pataudi: Iftikhar A K Pataudi, “an Indian prince who in the 1930s played Test cricket for England, and in the 1940s played Test cricket for India (as Captain) – the only test cricketer to have played for both India and England. (3) “sole” leather “… is the thickest and most resistant material existing in the tanning industry … made from vegetable tanned leathers, usually bovine butts, processed in a special way to make them the hardest type of leather in existence.” (4) The hats worn by porters at Billingsgate Fish Market were also known as a “Bobbin” and look quite squat and rather unsophisticated. They were made of wood and tarred leather, with a “flat, hardened top designed to support large rectangular boxes of fish. The upturned brim protected the porter’s head against fish juice draining from the boxes of fish which would be carried on top of the hat. Some hats featured a small drain hole at the rear to allow this collected juice to drain down the back of the carrier. The hats were made using the ‘cuir bouilli’ technique. The leather was immersed in water which was heated until the leather began to shrink. It was then removed and put on a wooden former. The leather was stitched together to make the hat while still wet, and then held in place until dry.” (See article and photo on the London Museum website) (5) Glace kid – described on the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ Cameo database as “A smooth glossy leather originally prepared from goat or sheepskin. Early glace kid had a shiny surface that was originally prepared by tawing the skin in a mixture of alum, table salt, flour, and egg yolk. Today, glace kid is prepared from many types of vegetable or chrome tanned leathers. The smooth polished surface is obtained mechanically by shaving, glazing, ironing, and/or rolling the dry leather.” (6) In the 1930s, Melbourne’s glovemaking industry was characterised by local manufacturing, with key producers like Simpson’s Gloves Pty Ltd in Richmond and the Stagg Glove Company in Clifton Hill leading the market. These factories produced high-quality leather gloves, handbags, and specialty gear, often employing a clear gendered division of labour and training young, local women. Museum Victoria holds the Simpson’s Gloves Collection, comprising over 1200 items, and the University of Melbourne Archives holds the company’s business records. References: THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 EXPORT LEATHER. (1929, September 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4037647 LEATHER EXHIBITION (1933, September 18). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 10. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11693362 (1933, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page522766 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1933, September 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11694034 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Stella May Allan (1871–1962) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allan-stella-may-4998 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1930, January 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4063888 Museums Victoria, Simpson’s Gloves, 486-496 Victoria Street, North Richmond, VIC, Australia https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2702 The Argus. (1927, October 31). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3888451 Melbourne Circle: stories from the suburbs: “Boots and all in Clifton Hill” https://melbournecircle.net/2015/11/20/bootmakers-of-clifton-hill/ Wikipedia, Maurice Tate, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Tate Wikipedia, Harold Larwood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Larwood Wikipedia, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Ali_Khan_Pataudi Buy Leather Online Italy, Sole leather: https://buyleatheronline.com/en/blog/outsole-and-insole-leather-n7 London Museum, Porters hats, https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-731122/hat-porters-hat/ Cameo Database, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Glace Kid, https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Glac%C3%A9_kid VICTORIAN LEATHER HAS WON RENOWN (1937, September 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 31 (March of Progress Supplement). Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1108704 Photographer notations on slide: "At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age B5".displays, melbourne town hall, leather, children, shoes, 1930-1939, industry, hats, gloves

Small beaded purse with a bone frame, probably late 19th century. Completely beaded with sprays of roses back & front in pink and brown & background of blue beads. bags, bags, beading, late 19th century

Fawn and red crochet and beaded with small silver (steel) beads, with a 5 cm beaded fringe. Two silver metal rings at the centre close the purse.crochet, bags, beading, 1900-20

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products.Beaded purse with metal frame and beaded chain.handbags, bags, fashion accessories, women's clothing, purses, evening bags

The Kew Historical Society's Fashion & Design collection includes a small and representative collection of reticules, purses and handbags, purchased, inherited or collected by members of the Society. These items date from the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, and conform to fashions and styles popular during the period of their use. Some of the items are handmade, while others are mass-produced commercial products.Black evening bag with fabric covered metal frame. Flat black strap. Same colour cornelli embroidered exterior decoration.handbags, evening bags, fashion accessories, grace james collection