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Wade Davis, later to become Whiting & Davis, a silversmith company outside of Boston, first offered handmade ring mesh purses in the United States in 1892. In 1912, Charles Whiting worked with inventor A. C. Pratt to create the first automatic machines for making and joining mesh. Each machine could produce hundreds of thousands of links per day in comparison to about one thousand links previously created by hand in a slow, laborious process. Mesh came in two styles: fine ring and flat armor mesh. Around 1924, Whiting & Davis began applying colorful enameled patterns onto armor mesh bags—from bold Art Deco designs to delicate floral patterns. Around the same period, they began silk-screening colors onto ring mesh bags, which they referred to as Dresden mesh. This gave the bags an impressionistic watercolor appearance. Flappers, movie stars, and fashionable women everywhere sported mesh handbags. “Essential Style” is on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/EssentialPurses #EssentialPurses Scenic Dresden mesh bag c. 1927–30s Whiting & Davis Massachusetts enamel on metal mesh, enamel on metal frame From the Collection of Mary Nunn L2015.2304.007 Dresden mesh bag with pastel flowers c. 1924–30 Whiting & Davis Massachusetts enamel on metal mesh From the Collection of Kathy Gunderson L2015.2309.033
This image was posted on April 26, 2016.