More than
a place for stuff.
Bags sit where practical needs meet personal expression. Their histories are varied, and there is no single straight line from pouch to handbag.
Before the handbag?
Look at the pockets.
The V&A describes detachable tie-on pockets as a popular accessory for women from the seventeenth century. Worn separately from the garment, they could hold everyday possessions and sentimental objects.
They did not simply vanish when handbags appeared. Pockets and bags coexisted and served different needs—a reminder that the history of carrying is more complicated than one invention replacing another.
Read the tie-on pocket story ↗A bag can say something.
Bags have also carried messages. The V&A’s Bags: Inside Out exhibition included an anti-slavery reticule from 1825 alongside more recent examples of bags used to express beliefs and political positions.
The surface of an everyday object can become a public canvas. A picture, a phrase or an unusual shape may say as much about its wearer as the contents do.
Explore the exhibition story ↗From pieces to a companion.
A bag combines pattern, material, construction and hardware. Looking at a maker’s process helps explain why shape, seams and the way a handle is attached matter.
The V&A’s Making Bags article introduces specialist processes and tools through maker interviews, including Bill Amberg’s discussion of handmade leather work.
Meet the makers ↗A small inventory can tell a big story.
A little bag archaeology.
Think about the things you choose to take out each day: tools for work, a book, a spare pair of glasses, a keepsake. Contents can offer clues to a bag’s function and its owner’s routine.
The V&A’s “What’s in the bag?” invites a closer look at hidden compartments and contents in museum objects.
Look inside the museum bags ↗Sources & further reading
- V&A: Women’s tie-on pockets.
- V&A: About the Bags: Inside Out exhibition.
- V&A: Making bags.
- V&A: What’s in the bag?.
Our summaries are starting points for exploration, not a complete global history. The museum articles give the context for their particular collections and examples.
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