Clutch, Justin Leather Goods Co., American, c1918
Leather, metal, and enamel
By 1910 handbags had become so popular that manufacturers were patenting their designs in order to deter copyists and protect profits. This model rests on a Jemco frame and is inscribed with the patent number and dates ‘Oct. 1915 / May 16, 1917 / July 23, 1918’. Its design combines elements from the nineteenth-century Arts and Crafts movement, as well as Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Accession Number: SHM.2010.L.188:i-ii
