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THE BUY E R S GUIDE COL L ECT ING LUCI T E HANDBAGS


Though today plastics are typically associated with cheap, mass produced products, during the boom years that followed World War II plastics designed for the war effort carried a cachet of glitz and glamour.


Created in 1931 by the American chemical company DuPont, Lucite was a durable acrylic material which became a successful replace- ment for earlier plastics like Bakelite because of its low density and high strength.


It was just a matter of time until this radical new plastic worked its way into the accessories market. When it did, stylish women everywhere were reaching for the latest accessories manufactured from this most affordable and functional of materials. Soon began a post-war craze for a mind-bending array of ladies fashionable bags in a myriad of fanciful shapes.


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Will Farmer is our antiques & collectors expert, he is well known for his resident work on the Antiques Roadshow, he has also written for the popular ‘Miller’s Antique Guide’. Those in the know will have also come across him at ‘Fieldings Auctioneers’. We are delighted that Will writes for Live 24-Seven, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise.


It’s clear the original owners of these bags had no clue collectors would one day covet these most stylish statements which were the fashion forward accessory back in the day. Now more than 60 years later these bags are definitely hot collectibles.


In the late 1940s, various New York handbag including Llewelyn, Maxim, Charles Foster and Arnold Originals hopped on the plastics bandwagon and released lines of Lucite purses. By 1950 Miami Beach had become the happening spot for- wealthy American vacationers and its sunshine, holiday appeal made it the perfect spot to sell Lucite bags. Many Florida based manufacturers sprung up in the early '50s including Myles Originals, Charles S. Kahn, Patricia of Miami and Florida Handbags.


One of the distinguishing factors of these now iconic purses was the modern look reflecting the taste of the times. Architecture, interior design and even cars tried to capture a slice of the highly fashionable space age look and manufacturers of these bags were no different. These futuristic bags ranged from barrels and cylinders to perfectly square boxes. More fanciful creations included stylised picnic baskets or beehives picked out in an appropriate colour or pattern. On the very extreme of the trend some were created in the most outrageous of shapes including even a birdcage!


Lucite purses were typically unlined and sold in solid or transparent hues. More ostentatious bags came in imitation mother of pearl and the trendy ‘shell’ which imitated tortoise shell. Purses were also formed from Lucite laminates filled with glitter, raffia, ribbons, silk flowers, and even real butterflies while their exteriors were embellished with rhinestones, beads, precious metals, and faux pearls. Some of the most stunning Lucite bags were simply designed to emphasize the extraordinary clean lines of their magical plastic materials. Many handbags also included matching compacts or cigarette cases often


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BUYERS GUIDE COL L ECT ING LUCI T E HANDBAGS


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