Rachel with an E

What’s in my handbag? Fabulous Flappers and 1920s Handbags.

The enduring image of the 1920s t is that of a young, thin, glamourous and often wealthy young woman with bobbed hair, short skirts and red lipstick. Think Clara Bow or Louise Brooks. This glamourous flapper-girl was far from the reality for most women of this period but it didn’t mean that a shop-girl didn’t get her hair bobbed or dream about her next dress. This was the age of growing consumerism and mass-production and the average woman could have a hat, dress or hand-bag just like Louise Brooks. Let’s take a look at what would be in this woman’s hand-bag in the 1920s! A sort of 21st century social media ‘What’s in my bag?’ post but with a 1920s twist!

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Twitter and Instagram: Historians in the Digital Age

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc. ever thought of these digital social media platforms as a method of research or public engagement as an historian or museum professional? More and more people in 2019 have social media profiles that highlight their work to a wider, often global audience in a way that people twenty years ago could only dream off. I have and do use Twitter (and soon Instagram) daily to interact with historians across the world and to catch-up on the latest historical research and news whilst also promoting myself as an historian, blogger and curator.

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The Stitches That Made It To The Moon

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon. When Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, they were wearing state of the art space suits designed by Playtex. Playtex as in the company that pioneered the use of latex in women’s undergarments including girdles and long-line bras. The spacesuits where designed by Playtex and where stitched by female seamstresses who already worked for the company such as Hazel Fellows, Anna Lee Minner, Lillie Elliott and Ruth Anna Ratledge. There is even a somewhat hilarious video of a man wearing an early version of one of the space suits to test out the limitations of the suit itself.

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Wednesday Women – The Original Danish Girl; Gerda Wegener.

 

Gerda and Eina Wegener with Gerda’s painting Sur la route d’Anacapri, 1924, Royal Library, Denmark.

Gerda Wegener. Never heard of her? Nope, never have I until I listened to this podcast by fashion history podcasters Dressed on the illustrious career of illustrator Gerda Wegener (pronounced with a ‘V’) in the early twentieth-century. Gerda drew illustrations using the ‘pochor’ technique of painting for Le Journal Des Dames et Des Modes as well as working as a successful painter and commercial artist for various companies in France and Denmark. However, her name may be familiar to you as she is played by Alicia Vikander in the 2015 film The Danish Girl which centres on the story of Einar Wegener / Lili Elbe who was the  one of first persons to undergo gender re-assignments in the early 1930s in Dresden, Germany.

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Charity Shop Shopping

 

As a self-confessed vintage addict (also craft beer and ice cream addict) I love a good charity shop. In fact I prefer to shop in charity shops over normal shops because you can find some vintage treasures in charity shops. My 1920s Chanel and Lanvin dresses and 1920’s opera coat have come from charity shops. Also my Madeleine Vionnet and Dior dresses and accessories. Who says charity shops are horrible when you find vintage designer clothing in them?!

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