Whiting & Davis Ivory Enamel Mesh Handbag w Bakelite Chain and Frame, 1940s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Height: 6 in (15.24 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good condition with light discoloration to touch points on frame and chain handle and extremely gentle exterior surface wear.
- Seller Location:Tucson, AZ
- Reference Number:
Whiting & Davis
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 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Tucson, AZ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Longchamps Paris Ivory Floral Micro Bead Evening Bag w Chain Handle, 1950sBy LongchampsLocated in Tucson, AZA rare Longchamps--not Longchamp--evening purse made even more noteworthy by its swirling micro bead pattern, punctuated by delicate pink and blue pavé flowers. A diminutive but powerful statement accessory. Petite chain handle evening bag with patterned gilt top frame; covered in ivory seed beads and pavé beaded flowers front and back. Open interior compartment; kiss clasp...Category
1950s French Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Brass Etched Openwork Filigree Cube Purse w MOP Lucite Lid and Clear Base, 1950sLocated in Tucson, AZSimultaneously delicate and sturdy, this unusual box purse provides a glimpse of its contents via openwork filigree sides, while a clear Lucite platf...Category
1950s Unknown Novelty Bags
- Modernist Mahogany Gloss Geometric Center Cut Medium Alligator Handbag, 1950sLocated in Tucson, AZGina Lollobrigida. 57 Chevys. Boomerang coffee tables. There was a time in the 50s when round was square and points meant progress. An icon of mid-century style, this classic geometric handbag...Category
1950s American Structured Shoulder Bags
- Art Deco Black Celluloid and Rhinestone Dagger Lipstick Minaudière, 1930sLocated in Tucson, AZA bygone bauble of extreme rarity and beauty, this Celluloid reticule is a brilliant example of Art Deco craftsmanship. Large enough for only a lipstick, a key and some “mad money,” it is nevertheless a statement accessory that can stand up to the most exquisite evening gown. A collectible museum piece that belies its near century of history. Celluloid dagger minaudière with silk bottom tassel and silk rope top handle with caviar bead ball finial. Front face features diagonal row of 15 crystal clear rhinestones surrounded by Art Deco engraving...Category
1930s Unknown Evening Bags and Minaudières
- Burnished Gray and Gold Accordion File Box Purse with Buckle Top Handle, 1950sLocated in Tucson, AZA structured, ladylike handbag for ALL fifty shades of gray, this purse combines polish and geometry with practicality. An extremely hard-to-find color for handbags, this medium gray...Category
1950s American Top Handle Bags
- New Tyrolean Brown Suede Mini Steamer Trunk 24-Karat Gold Plate Filigree, 1940sLocated in Tucson, AZHands-down the most clever, unusual and sculptural evening bag we’ve seen, this extremely collectable handbag resembles a miniature 1930s steamer trunk—if steamer trunks had been surrounded by 24-karat gold plate filigree, that is. This incredible bag’s front face unlatches and lays flat to reveal a mirror on its interior face, an elastic band to hold its original comb and comb sleeve, and a series of padded silk moiré interior drawers and compartments. A handbag worthy of a trip on the Queen Mary...Category
1940s American Novelty Bags
- Fendi Monogram Blue PochetteLocated in New York, NYLength: 11 Inches Height: 6 Inches Material: CanvasCategory
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Moschino vintage black heart bagBy MoschinoLocated in CAPELLE AAN DEN IJSSEL, ZHMoschino 90’s Vintage black leather Heart bag. Designed by Franco Moschino. Vintage Condition; 7/10 Made in Italy. Height-7 Depth- 3" Width- 9" Handle Drop- 3.5"Category
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Hermès Birkin 25cm Noir Lezard Niloticus Lisse PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBAn alluring Hermès Exotic Birkin 25cm handbag. The exterior of this exotic Birkin is in shiny Noir Lezard Niloticus Lisse with tonal stitching. It adorns...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermès Kelly Mini II Tricolore Verso Craie/Mauve Pale/Gold Veau Epsom PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA gorgeous Hermès Kelly Mini II Tricolore Verso handbag. The exterior of this Kelly Mini features Craie, Mauve Pale and Gold Veau Epsom leather and is compl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Hermés Kelly II Sellier 25cm Mauve Pale Veau Epsom PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA gorgeous Hermès 25cm Kelly bag. The exterior of this Kelly features a Sellier style in Mauve Pale Veau Epsom leather. The Mauve Pale Epsom leather is comp...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
- Rare Hermès Birkin 25cm Gris Caillou Grizzly/ Gris Meyer Swift PHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA rare Hermès Birkin 25cm handbag. The Grizzly Birkin is the namesake edition designed to showcase Veau Doblis Suede. The exterior of this Birkin is cra...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags