Purse

Object Name:

Purse

Object ID:

1963.039.321

Date:

1800-1820

Description:

Purse. White muslin with flounced edge and hand drawn (in ink) pictures and poem, both sides. Cord drawstring. Friendship purse. Decorated in ink on one side with intwined hearts, leaves and doves with legend: "Presented to Mrs. Betsey Edson by her Friend,/ Alice Sophia Wetherbe/ True Friendship they Laurals interwines round my heart/ Nor let envy intrude my pleasures among;/ Then joy from my breast shall never depart;/ And friendship remain the loved theme of my song." Reverse base design of leaves, birds and flowers leabled "Amity" and bearing verse: "The Friendships of the World are oft confederates in vice,/ Or leagues in pleasure/ Ours has the purest virtue as its basis/ And such an one ends not but with life."

Material:

Textile
Cotton

Provenance:

Presented to Mrs. Betsey Edson by her friend, Alice Sophia Wetherbe.

Collected by the donor's sister, Marion L. Cass (1894-1963). Miss Cass developed the collection around a core of the personal possessions of her mother, Lillie M. (Wilson) Cass (1867-1951) and added objects passed down in neighboring Haverhill, NH, families. Later, while living and working in Littleton, NH, she devoted her spare time to expanding her collection, eventually representing over a century of changes in clothing and accessory styles.

Credit Line:

Gift of Merwin P. Cass

People:

Wetherbe, Alice, Edson, Betsey, Cass, Marion L. (1894-1963), Cass, Merwin P. (1904-1969)