Purse Masterpieces: Identification & Value Guide (Hardcover)

by Lynell Schwartz (Author) "Imagine a beautiful painted scene with its intricate detail and multitude of shades by Raphael or Fragonard..." (more)
Key Phrases: glass beaded purse, scenic purse, vanity purse, The Curiosity Shop, Irene Clarke, Paula Higgins (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Never before has a book examined the intimate link between the fine art of purse making and the fashion history of purses - until now.The volume expands upon recognizing purses as art, the delicate art of purse making, architecture as inspiration, the manufacture of mesh, a look at fabric, rare and unusual pieces, vanity bags and compact purses, frames, and works of celluloid. The book traces the transformation of fine art masterpieces into vintage beaded and petit point purses identifying those taken from the paintings of Raphael, Millet, and Fragonard, among others. Along with detailed photographs, there are vintage advertisements and catalogs, original design sketches, purse-making instructions, and rare assembly photographs, which provide fascinating peeks behind the production scene. 2004 values. AUTHORBIO: Lynell Schwartz is owner of The Curiosity Shop in Chesire, Connecticut, for more than a decade. Her articles and antiques have appeared in many national magazines and newspapers. She is nationally recognized as an authority on ladies' vintage accessories and is the publisher of the purse collector's newsletter and author of Purse Masterpieces, Vintage Purses At Their Best, and Vintage Compacts and Beauty Accessories. REVIEW: This book expands upon recognizing purses as art by taking a closer look at the breathtaking array of fabric, the manufacture of mesh, the elaborate frames, and intriguing works of celluloid. Some of the rarest and most unusual pieces are highlighted. In addition to exquisite bags, there are vintage advertisements and catalogs, original design sketches, purse-making instructions, and rare assembly photographs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574323636
• ISBN-13: 978-1574323634
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #944,209 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where are the Masterpieces?, January 21, 2006

By	California Collectors Group (California, New York, Chicago) - See all my reviews

This is quite possibly the most self-serving book I have ever seen published. The misleading title, Purse Masterpieces, suggests that it will feature the very best extant examples of vintage and antique purses. Disappointingly, what we are given instead is a virtual catalog of the author's own collection, regardless of rarity, condition, noteworthiness or "masterpiece" status. Commonplace and unremarkable purses are included alongside finer examples. There are important categories of purses poorly represented or ignored entirely, presumably because the author either had none in her personal collection or had no interest in the type. The overwhelming majority of the purses included in the book are listed as being from the author's retail store or the author's personal collection. While the author did scatter here and there a limited number of purses from a few select other sources, the book reads like a photographic documentation of the author's retail store. To add insult to injury, the values placed by the author on her own purses appear much inflated, thereby rendering the book's worth as a price guide suspect at best and a disservice to the collectible purse market at worst. The text breaks no new ground and reveals little that hasn't been published elsewhere in other more comprehensive and more fairly written collector books on purses.

The end result is that a book ostensibly purporting to document and value only the finest "masterpiece" examples of purses instead comes off like a means for the author to market all of her own purses by establishing "book" prices and published status of her collection.

The author describes herself as "collecting, researching and writing about vintage purses for over a decade," and while she appears reasonably knowledgeable on the subject commensurate with her limited time in the field, I would humbly suggest a more accurate title for her book. She has a lovely collection deserving of cataloging, and my colleagues and I would certainly help her value them more accurately.

There are many well-researched books and price-guides available on vintage, antique and collectible purses written by professionals with a wealth of time and experience in the field. In my opinion, this book does not add to the fund of knowledge or documentation on the subject previously published. The premise of a book solely focusing on masterpieces is a good one, and I will await the publication. ... This just isn't that book.

A real disappointment.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, April 10, 2007

By	Paula Higgins "Paula Higgins" (Marietta, Ga.) - See all my reviews

Purse Masterpieces is a wonderful addition to the literature on antique and vintage purses. Many examples pictured in this book have never been seen before, some of them dating to the 18th century. Seven other individual collectors contributed to this book. The sections on beaded, mesh and dance purses has some lovely examples, which any collector would be proud to add to her collection. Another section on frames shows some beautiful jeweled pieces that have not been seen in the exisitng literature. In her first chapter, Ms. Schwartz discusses the relationship of purse designs with the more traditional art form of painting, archeology (Egyptian) and literature. She makes a connection that has not been made in the past in other books on purses, which adds to the literature and makes for a very interesting read. Her value guide is just that, a guide. As all purse collectors know, prices vary from one end of the country to the other, from venue to venue, and year to year. I highly recommend this book to all antique and vintage purse collectors.