Hand Bag 1935 - 1942

Editor: We're looking at Albert Allen's "Hand Bag," a watercolor and drawing from sometime between 1935 and 1942. It has a very nostalgic feel, like a treasured object. What stands out to you when you look at this, in terms of how we might understand it from today’s vantage point? Curator: The choice of such an everyday object as the subject begs the question, doesn't it? Especially during that era, right between the Depression and the start of World War II. It’s rendered with such meticulous detail; it's more than just a bag. I think we need to consider it in the context of class and labor. What do you see? Who might have owned this bag? What sort of work might it be associated with? Editor: Hmm, I hadn't thought about the social context like that. It feels sturdy, so maybe someone in a profession, like a doctor? Curator: Precisely! And how might their position as a care provider intersect with social hierarchies, especially if this doctor were, say, a woman or a person of color, groups that were historically excluded from that profession? Think about the realities of access and opportunity during the time it was made, and it transforms from a simple still life to a statement. It becomes a symbol of potential social mobility, doesn’t it? What sort of stories can it tell? Editor: It really does open up a whole new way of seeing the painting! I appreciate you helping me to think about it. Curator: My pleasure! Seeing art as a part of a broader cultural story adds so many new dimensions to it.