The
Whiting and Davis
Company, located
in Plainville,
Massachusetts
is the oldest
purse company
in the US and
is responsible
for a great variety
of exceptional
mesh purses as
well as other
accessories. Although
Whiting & Davis
started as a jewelry
firm in 1876,
they made the
first mesh bag
in 1892. Because
of the immense
popularity of
the mesh handbag,
other companies
began manufacturing
them, including
the Mandalian
Manufacturing
Co. of North
Attleboro, Mass.
By the early 1940's,
Mandalian closed
it's doors and
Whiting & Davis
acquired their
mesh making machines.By
the 1920's mesh
bags were offered
in a large spectrum
of colors and
fashionable designs,
including enameled,
Dresden and pearlized
enamel finishes.
Fabulous enameled
flat mesh purses,
known as armored
mesh, were offered
in varied colors
and a constant
parade of unusual
patterns. Most
of the bags made
from 1929 to 1932
were patterned
by silk screening
where the baby
ring mesh took
on a soft, hazy,
romantic appearance
much like a blurred
water color. This
technique was
done by hand over
several days by
applying one color
at a time and
allowing 24 hours
of drying between
colors.
Additional
styles made popular
by the Whiting & Davis
Co. were the Princess
Mary which had an
envelope-shaped
body and an interesting
flap-over top, the
Princess Mary Dansant
with it's exterior
coin purse attached
to a bag with a
strap |