

With the establishment of a 5-day, 40-hour workweek, blue- and white-collar workers alike received a 2-day weekend-just enough time for a quick road trip or getaway by train.
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Though wealthy women have always enjoyed the luxury of travel, the museum points out how it wasn’t until the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that everyday Americans began having enough free time to take trips.
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The museum has set up a scale where visitors can see how heavy their bag is and read tips from a chiropractor on how to find a purse or handbag that’s less painful to carry. A single-strap bag can be especially problematic since the weight is not evenly distributed across your shoulders. In one exhibit dedicated to Black Glamour, photographs and objects highlight the clothing, purses, handbags, and jewelry used by Black women throughout history.Īnyone who’s ever carried a bag-large or small, decorative or functional, understated or whimsical-knows that it can put a toll on your body. Photographs of elegant, glamorous Black women are on display throughout the museum. Sure, the bright ‘60s bags are fun and free-spirited, but in the background the Vietnam War raged on.ĮSSE-one of only three purse museums in the world-is also trying to counter the misconception that white women have historically been the only ones interested in fashion. What really intrigues me are the informational placards that accompany the museum’s displays, describing what was going on in the world at the time and what women, in particular, were struggling with in the U.S. Some of these items are on display, some are described in the captions, and others are left to the imagination. | Photo: Cassandra BrooklynĪs I stroll through the museum, I’m impressed with the creativity of the creators of these purses and I’m curious about the makeup kits, cigarette cases, perfume vials, gloves, barrettes, flasks, sunglasses, and books carried in these bags. Alongside the actual purses, each display case shows advertisements and photographs from the respective time period, along with a collection of items that women may have carried inside of the purses. There are purses shaped like animals, embroidered with cartoon characters, or in the form of hat boxes and wicker monkeys. The 1920s are represented by small, bedazzled, and beaded clutches while the 1960s features pop art-inspired creations in the form of gigantic smiling faces or Andy Warhol’s soup cans. ESSE is that, yes, but it’s also a historical retrospective on women’s suffrage, suffering, accolades, and accomplishments over the past 120 years, explored through the lens of women’s handbags and their contents. But as soon as I step inside, it’s clear that this is not just a fashion-forward museum with a phenomenal gift shop (much of which is also available online). From the outside, the ESSE Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas, appears to be a typical museum-I expect to stroll through it mindlessly, perusing the evolution of women’s fashion over the decades.
