Customer Reviews

A Passion for Purses: 1600-2005

5 star:		(8)
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For those of us mere mortals who can love from afar and have a "Passion for Purses" and.. the collectors among us, WOW. This book is a consumate collection of the incredible history and workmanship of this much needed and desired personal item. The descriptions and photographs of each purse made me feel as though I was almost visiting them in person. The depth and breadth of the collections plus the amazing amount of detail & photos given on the handpicked items for this book made me feel as though I got a real education and my money's worth for sure. I still cannot figure out how these authors gained so much knowledge and still have lives other than their immersion in purses...do they, I ask? This book was written by people who LOVE what they do. I have read and reread this book too many times already. My husband actually was impressed. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable as I was an antique dealer for years, but I have seen things in this book that I never even knew existed. A "Passion for Purses" - my compliments. This is the first book I have ever bothered to review but - it is just that FABULOUS.

'Passion for Purses' is a beautiful, quality reference book for all purse lovers & collectors; from novice to the serious collector. The book has special emphasis on very early antique purses by one of the most knowledgeable persons around today. Contains previously unseen purses from private collections that have never before been published. Hundreds of pictures on quality paper, excellent information on the many catagories of purses that are included. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for purses. Great book for study or pleasure.A Passion for Purses, 1600-2005

This book has helped me immensely to make smarter additions to my own purse collection because there are so many clear examples of each genre. As a reference book, this is the go-to volume when you need to be SURE of a time period, the correct name for a style, etc... Yet it is such a beautiful book, my mother purchased one for her bookshelf and she has no interest in purses!

Accessories, even more than complete costumes, rarely get scholarly attention. This book is one of the few to address the subject in a systematic, historical way. Much needed.

What a wonderful accomplishment for Paula and Lori! The information pertaining to early purses such as misers, pockets, chatelaines, textiles and needlework purses! I especially enjoyed the chapter on purse restoration. The photos of the figural & scenic purses are absolutely amazing. The celluloid and compact purse examples were also a delight.
For everyone who knows these two lovely ladies, they know that they truly have a passion for purses. Many times I have heard of Paula donating her time to deliver public presentations, printing and passing out breakthrough information on early purses and donating them to interested parties, as well as contributing to other books including mine. If anyone deserves a pat on the back for this groundbreaking book, it is these two ladies, Paula Higgins and Lori Blaser. Congratulations ladies! Well done!

What a beautiful book; filled with glorious bags of the past, historical information and current values. There are hundreds of bags, created using techniqes such as beading, embroidery, tapestry, netting, crochet, knitting, tambour, loom, petit point and various stitchery. Gorgeous bags are displayed - eye-smacking delicious- that I have not seen in other collectible publications; a real plus for collectors. There is a chapter dedicated to restoration of vintage bags, with instructions for repair and cleaning, plus photos; tips when purchasing bags; and choosing the right purse frames. At the back of the book, page 256, I was delighted to see the two contemporary bags by Katerina Musetti, an artist and established opera singler; the bags are exquisite. It is obvious this book is a culmination of Paula and Lori's purse obsession, historical studies and labor. I highly recommend this inspiring book for collectors, as well as, bag enthusiasts; a book not to be missed. Review by Lydia F. Borin, The Beadwrangler

Excellent choice to have in your library a must for the serious collector , or to just have as a conversation work of art, I really enjoy this AAAAA***

This book is fabulous! It is loaded with the most beautiful photos of vintage purses I have ever seen (272 pages of them)! The clear crisp photos, captions, the detailed overview chapter gives any vintage purse collector all they need to assist in putting together a wonderful collection. I have shown this book to several friends that collect purses & they too were amazed with this book! Highly recommend this 5 star book!!!