RegencyPurseMuseum.com is designed for a up close up view, of these wonderful survivors. 

To navigate, select a page from the topics on the left, or to continue, select: click to read more,  at the end of each section.

Photos on each page are connected . Click on one to enlarge & navigate. 

The last information page includes links to other web sites  for more in-depth study.  enjoy!!!

Collecting antique purses is fun. It transforms objects into a time machine  that explores history, values, and cultures. As my original collection grew, the collecting space it required had to be considered. Please enjoy my solution: an intimate look at these early small bags from

RegencyPurseMuseum.com

they  are:

too old …too small…too wonderful

not to collect and share

Often the exact date is hard find, and it is easier to give them time periods like Regency: 1795 to 1837, Georgian: 1714 to c. 1830–37, Victorian: 1837 to 1901, and Belle Époque 1871–80 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914.  

Placing purses in the context of a time period through novels, television programs, and research can also aid in identification. Jane Austin’s novels and movies are an example showing life in the mid 1800’s to early 1900’s.

other methods:

• Materials used in construction example: pinchbeck frame
• The type of clasp or closure: plain bar, or push button
• Fashion books of the period
• Printed lithographs
• Museum artwork
• Design patterns in publications & contemporary reprints
• Museum collections 
• Exhibits
• Major auction houses past auction sales
• Hallmarks
• Books on Antique purses
• Similar examples from major dealers 
• Belong to a collectors group example: Antique Purse Collectors Society