40's compact/carry all purses

[MaryMary]

Hi everyone!

First, just wanted to introduce myself, I am new to this forum and was beyond excited when I discovered it!

I have a question for you ladies: last weekend I was at an antique show and happened upon a purse that was unfortunately already sold... But anyway, it was a 1940's evening bag, soft material, fully beaded with a gorgeous beaded clasp on the top. Inside, to my amazement was a built in gold-toned compact, complete with lipstick case, powder and puff. Underneath that layer was a spot to put cigarettes, and whatever.

Now, I have seen purses like this many times, like the Volupte compact/carry all purses, but they have always been hard shells, usually just the compact itself on a metal strap. I have never seen a carry-all that was built inside a full, soft material purse, and a fully beaded one at that!

Needless to say, I am now obsessed with finding one like this...lol anyone ever seen anything like it?

Mary

 

[texasgirl]

I have this scan from this book

 

[MaryMary]

Thanks for that! Yes, I have seen those before, the mesh bags with the powder/rouge on top, but this one was so different, I will try to explain with photos. So, I attached two pics, one is sort of what the bag looked like, but it was much, much nicer. It was beads on a cotton/silk or something like that kind of material, so it wasn't mesh, or sequins.

The purse opened like a normal bag, from the top, and the gold compact was in it's own enclosed pouch- at first I thought I was only opening a change purse inside the bag, but was surprised to find the compact. You opened the pouch and could pull the compact out of the bag only so far because it was still attached to the purse somehow. (I didn't look too closely at that detail because at that point the owner was yelling at me that the bag was already sold, lol)

I have been searching and searching and have seen nothing at all like it.

 

[texasgirl]

Yeah, I just thought it would be interesting to add to the thread and maybe show all the different types they had. Maybe how they progressed, as this was from the 30s.

 

[MaryMary]

Thanks! I will post the purse if I ever find it...happy hunting to me, I guess!

 

[bigdog24]

wow, i love antique purses. i bought one last year but u've got to be careful of replica purses if u want to get one.

 

[fuzzylizzie]

I've got one from the early 60s. I'll try to get photographs posted tomorrow.

 

[MaryMary]

Ooooh yes please, do share!

I actually saw something similar on ebay last week - but rather than it being of soft material, it was a box purse made out of lucite. It was a normal purse when opening, and then the side flipped down to reveal a compact. Really neat, it went like hot cakes too!

But I am still on the hunt for the soft material version

 

[swinggal]

Hi,

I have many compact pics in the comapcts thread but I have a little bag one like you describe.

It had never been used and I got it from Germany. Has a powder compact, cigarette/money holder and lipstick holder. I love it

 

[Wire9Vintage]

Swinggal, That is utterly fabulous. I will now be scouring ebay for one just like it!

 

[goldwyn girl]

swinggal, thats beautiful ! I think I may have to track one down too.

 

[MaryMary]

Hi Swinggal,

Yes, love the volupte purses, yours is adorable!

But actually, it is different than that. If you look at my first post, you'll see what the outside of the bag looked like. It was very similar to that, large, soft material with beading all over it. Then you opened the purse and it was like a normal purse on the inside, you could put a wallet in there, cell phone, whatever... but then to the side it had a compartment that looked like it was a change purse. When you opened it, a whole compact unfolded, very similar to the Volupte compact.

I don't know if I mentioned this, but I actually ran into the woman who sold the bag at another antique show. We talked about it for a bit and she told me it was the first compact/carryall purse she had ever seen like it. No wonder it sold for over $300!

 

[swinggal]

Wow! Mine ceryainly didn't cost that much! maybe it's worth something huh!?

Maybe there is a site decicated to Volupte and the designs they had somewhere.