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Location June 1949:

Lewis Purses, Inc.
135 Madison Ave.
New York 16, NY

Lewis Purses
607 South Hill Street,
Los Angeles, California

This ensemble was a collaborative effort for Fall 1936! The shape is great, but how is this bag standing?? Luggage and Leather Goods August 1936, page 36

Vogue ad from 1938 features a Lewis bag for Holiday giving in the lower right corner.

Retailers in the 30's and 40's promoted monograms to personalize handbags and luggage. Monocraft was a major maker of these metal trims and often claimed the front cover of Luggage & Leather Goods, featuring bags by various manufacturers, embellished with thier monograms. This Lewis leather bag was one such example, included on the cover of the June 1942 issue of Luggage & Leather Goods.

Luggage & Leather Goods June 1942

Lewis bag with Monocraft Initials graced the cover of the February 1942 issue of Luggage and Leather Goods.

"Handbag Buyer" June 1949, page 29, gave "Autumn Hints" for 1949: "Horizontal lines ... slim or boxy ... small soft reptiles . . . outside pockets ... leather linings convertible shoulder straps for basic stock." This bag was designed to retail at $18.50 by Lewis Purses. That's equivalent to $139 in inflation adjusted 2006 dollars.

A classified ad in the January 3, 1944 New York Times, pg. 34, sought women and girls for the Nat Lewis factory.

"Girls, bright, light general work, air conditioned factory. Good pay, overtime Nat Lewis Purses 27 East 31st. Apply all day."

"Rounded satchel, a spring success, repeated for fall in calf, suede, Kashmir or broadcloth. Horseshoe shaped boxy gussets are indented. Plenty of detail inside."


The 1950s

Bags for Spring 1956 were presented on January 3, 1956 by agreement as a member of the National Authority for the Ladies Handbag Industry. 1956NationalAuthorityMembers

Handbag and Engineering are not often seen in the same sentence. But these amazing functional sculptures didn't just happen! Designers for improved materials like Onco to insure quality lasting construction. This full page ad features an innovative Lewis suede bags, double sides with a fixed rigid lucite handle. "Handbags & Accessories" August 1956, page 9.

SHAPE OF THINGS...IN HANDBAG

FASHIONEERING!
"ONCE AGAIN ONCO HELPS US 'FASHIONEER' EXCITING NEW IDEAS IN OUR HANDBAGS." So says Mr. Elliott Frankcl, President of Lewis Purses, whose designer has added couturiere touches to this elegant new "two-in-one" handbag created around ONCO. Its long slim lines will stay in line. Its rich sucdc that's butter-soft — won't "melt."
Fashioneering handbags with ONCO has become an accepted custom of many leading manufacturers, to the delight of retailers and milady herself. ONCO gives enduring support to any contour — springs back into shape when distorted. ONCO is made from Brown Company's highly purified Solka® fibre. It's almost tcatherlight. I landbags with tops, bottoms, bodies, gussets and collars iashioneered with ONCO maintain either their gentle curves ... or sharp corners . . . and always their beauty of line.
It's a wonder-worker for preserving the charm and beauty of suede and other lovely but soft materials.
Try ONCO! It's the standard of quality in the handbag and shoe industries, alike. Fashioneer your next line with it. Write today for samples and information. Dcpt. EC-8, Brown Company, 150 Causeway St., Boston 14, Mass. (Mills: Berlin and Corham, N. H.; Corvallis, Ore.)

ONCO gives you these big advantages for better handbags:
• Superior adhesive and stitching qualities
• Controlled flexibility in many thicknesses
• Reduced needle burning . .. practically to zero
• Maximum cutting yield provides economy in processing

''"A LEWIS PURSE on your counter is a prophet of profit. Lewis gives you extra styling know-how, extra craftsmanship, and extra-popular pricing. See the complete line and stock Lewis now—you'll find good fortune, not in the cards, but in your cash register. LEWIS PURSES, Inc. • 135 MADISON AVE., N.Y.C. LOS ANGELES, CALIF.: 607 SO. HILL ST."'' (Handbags & Accessories December 1959, page 53)


The 1960s

The "Out of the Bag" column in the June 1961 issue of "Handbags & Accessories" included this tidbit. (page 55)

"Lewis Purses, Inc., 135 Madison Avenue, has remodeled their showrooms in anticipation of the fall market season."


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Page last modified on November 09, 2011, at 03:51 PM