Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Unknown Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Art Deco Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1960s American Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Retro Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s French Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
People Also Browsed
Late 20th Century Mexican Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Contemporary Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold
2010s Turkish Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Garnet, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Platinum
1960s American Native American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver
2010s Thai Edwardian Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s French Contemporary Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s French Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
2010s Italian Neoclassical Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
1950s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Late 19th Century Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Diamond, Gold, Silver
1960s French Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Carnelian, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Contemporary Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recent Sales
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Mid-20th Century American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
20th Century American Victorian Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Art Deco Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Retro Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Base Metal
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gilt Metal
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1960s American Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Retro Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1970s American Art Deco Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gilt Metal
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Silver Plate
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century Unknown Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s Unknown Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Silver Plate, Base Metal
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1970s American Modernist Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Base Metal
1960s American Modernist Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Silver Plate
1970s American Retro Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Mixed Metal
1970s American Retro Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gilt Metal
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Metal
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold Plate
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Brass, Gilt Metal
1980s Unknown Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Gold
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1960s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1980s American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
1970s Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Base Metal
20th Century American Victorian Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century American Modern Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century Hong Kong Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
20th Century American Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Metal, Gold
1970s American Egyptian Revival Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage
Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Whiting Davis Necklace Vintage?
Whiting & Davis for sale on 1stDibs
You might not expect chain-mesh bags to predate sliced bread by three decades, but it’s true. The very first mesh purse was created by Charles Whiting (1864–1940) in 1892 while working for the jewelry manufacturer Wade Davis & Company in Plainville, Massachusetts. Whiting joined the company at the age of 16, and by 1896 he formed a partnership to purchase it, renaming it the Whiting & Davis Company.
While the original Whiting & Davis mesh purse was made entirely by hand — artisans hammered out the links and wove them together — the company developed a machine to automate fabrication in 1912. With the ability to produce more rapidly and prolifically, Whiting & Davis became a veritable mesh empire, creating handbags and purses in all shapes, styles and colors, including ones made from precious metals, painted with Art Deco designs and silk-screened with Impressionistic images. The purses became status icons for the stylish elite, particularly with the flappers of the 1920s.
Over the years, Whiting & Davis struck up partnerships with some of the most talented designers of the time, including Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli and Elsa Peretti, who used their mesh in elegant pieces for Tiffany & Co., propelling their popularity even further. After a brief hiatus during World War II, when Whiting & Davis produced radar equipment rather than handbags, the brand continued to develop an ever-expanding line of products that included clothing.
In the 1970s, Whiting & Davis accessories and clothing were the rage of the disco scene. By the early 2000s, everyone from Paris Hilton to Lady Gaga donned the brand’s mesh handbags.
Recent innovations to their offerings include color mesh and fine mesh, with the brand refocusing on fashion jewelry with the launch of a new collection in 2013 featuring a revamped vintage snake-bracelet design. The company has been based in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, since 1995, also supplying its renowned chain mesh for industrial uses like work gloves and protective applications such as shark suits for divers.
Find vintage Whiting & Davis mesh handbags, necklaces and other accessories on 1stDibs.