1933 Kentleycraft leather handbag ad from the collection of Mary Nunn

The photo of the woman is from the 19-teens with a large "picture hat" and a coin purse on a long chain around her neck. From the Collection of Mary Nunn

Taken sometime before 1908 on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the woman in the picture is wearing a Japanese Sagemono with a netsuke. Japanese pouches like this we’re sold through stores like Vantine’s in New York.

 An advertisement for Andre's in French Vogue Magazine, Dec. 1, 1926. Notice the Japanese inspired purse with a dragon on it. From the collection of Mary Nunn.

Acme Newspictures, June 18, 1941: British Trend in Fashions. A striking pro-British outfit is worn by Jean Lewis of the Traphagen School of Fashion. Particularly so is the patent leather bag of blue, surmounted with a red felt band and the British Flag.

A woman sports a 1940s woven clutch. From the collection of Mary Nunn.

A photocard postmarked from Chatham, England -- Oct. 2, 1907. We have no idea why two girls would be holding rifles while the middle girl has a bag marked "Jersey" with a sailing ship. They seem to be standing in front of a tent (tent pegs and ropes in front of them)....

Feb. 25, 1944 Detroit: The handbag of Josephine Leach, Saks Show Dancer of Detrooit, not only contains every insignia of all the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, but several United Nations' emblems as well. The Army collection goes from buck private to two-star...

Grand Central Palace, scene of the the 1936 Radio and Electrical Exposition: All the latest developments in the electric and radio fiels are on display at the show which opened on Sept. 9 in New York City.  Here Catherine F. Lang of New York City displaying a handbag...

June 13, 1954 Paris: The quaint styling of a wooden shoe seems to lend itself to use a novel handbag that should a conservation piece anywhere it goes, even its native French provinces. All that was necessary was to equip the shoe with a strap and a cover. From the...

April 3, 1960. Associated Press Photo: "Carryall Hat -- Indianapolis secretary Shannon Delaney models a new beach hat with space on top for the things a woman usually carries in her purse, including a built-in mirror." From the collection of Mary Nunn.

A 1949 Polly Pigtails Magazine ad for Youth Mode Handbags featuring Mary Jane Saunders, appearing in the film "Sorrowful Jones." Advertisement from the collection of Mary Nunn.

1940s news photo: "Severely Tailored...is this black suit with red and white pin stripes worn by attractive Eve Arden in a new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film. The new fly-front jacket with stitched up cuffs, is worn over a pencil slim skirt. An interesting detail is the...

Winner in the field of handbags in the fourth annual Hess Brothers Versatility in Design and Use contest is this para-tote, by Jana Handbags of New York City. This unique clear plastic handbag is designed to serve as a carrying case for a pet parakeet and milday's...

1927: If a flirtatious annoyer molests a girl carrying the newest thing in purses, all she needs to do is slap the purse gently against the gentlemen and he passes out cold. A device not unlike a blackjack is sewn into the back of the purse, inside, and offers ample...

James Garfield Stewart, mayor of Cincinnati, is shown at the 1944 GOP convention in Chicago examining a novel handbag made up like a Republican elephant held by Mrs. Katherine Brown, Ohio committeewoman. From the collection of Jennifer Whitehair.

The nostalgic sepia-tone prints of Rolland Hendrickson were a staple in thousands of American homes in the 1960s and '70s, displayed artistically in frames. His period costume portraits and nudes were often displayed in weathered pine frames and hung conspicuously for...

This is kind of how I feel after a day going around the flea market. Rome, 1958. Too tired to deliver his sales pitch, this vendor of ladies' handbags takes time out o for a nap in Rome. With the city in the grip of a heat wave, no prospective customers were in sight....

April 13, 1970, Mrs. Marilyn Lovell, wife of Apollo 13 Commander James A. Lovell proudly displays an Apollo 13 decorated handbag which she received as a gift from a friend. Mrs. Lovell went shopping here (Timber Cove Texas) early April 13 after returning from Cape...

French News Photo, January 28, 1955: "Jacques Fath presented his collection of trinkets for 1955. We see in our photo 'Jealousy' beach set with a marine blue hat and bag adorned with a pendulum." From the collection of Mary Nunn.