Image 1022 – Whiting & Davis regular flat mesh purse with silk-cord handle, attached enamel medallion, mesh tassel, and envelope-style opening, 4 x 3 ¼ not including tassel.
W&D named this purse “The Dinner Dance”. It was featured in the 1925 Ziegfeld Broadway production “Louie the 14th”.
I learn so much from your website. I never knew that these folding bags were called Dinner Dance. I own three. I’ll send you photo. Arlene
We’re pleased that you enjoy the site. Not all envelope-style mesh bags were called “Dinner Dance”. The “Dinner Dance” has a very short body that terminates just barely below the bottom of the frame. Another very similar bag that has a longer body was named “Starlight”. Another painted flat mesh bag with an envelope flap and tassel, but no medallion was called “Princess Mary”. And still other envelope-style bags were unnamed.
I just received one in black that was my husband’s grandmothers! Beautiful!
We encourage you to investigate the possibility that someone in your husband’s family has a photograph of his grandmother. Perhaps there is even a photo of her carrying the purse. If you could get a copy of a photo and document the purse’s provenance what a wonderful heirloom the three items would make for the lucky heir in a future generation!
We have a photograph of her hanging on our wall and also one of her and her husband (my husbands grandfather) on their wedding day. It definitely belonged to her but we don’t have a picture of her with the purse.