Atlanta Antique Gallery - General

Handbags have been essential to daily life every since people have had something precious to carry around with them. Embroidery and jewels adorned some of these purses, and were used to show status—the richer the person, the more elaborate the purse. Skins were used on the more expensive handbags.

The word “handbag” is synomous with purse. The term “handbag” first came into use in the early 1900's, generally referred to hand-held luggage bags that were usually carried by men. These hand-held luggage bags were an inspiration for the new handbags that became popularized for women, and are considered antique purses today. These antique handbags include complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks.

With this new fashion, jewelers got into the act with special compartments for opera glasses, cosmetics, and fans. The '20's saw a revolution in fashion, with antique handbags and purses that no longer needed to match the outfit. The discovery of King Tut's tomb inspired Egyptian art on some antique handbags. The '40's saw new austerity as metal frames, zips, leather and mirrors were in short supply so manufacturers used plastic and wood. The 50's saw the rise of important designer houses and the 60's saw the breakdown of old notions of the classical and the rise of youth culture.

We are confident you’ll enjoy browsing our selection of antique handbags!