HANDBAG

The handle of this large evening bag is made from an early form of plastic known as Bakelite, which was invented by the Belgian chemist Dr. Baekeland in 1907. It was one of the first plastics to be made synthetically, and was used to make many household objects, including radios and decorative jewellery. This bag would have been sewn together at home and stitched to a shop-bought frame.