A 1970s Black Vinyl Handbag With a Gold Clasp and a Matching Mirror

This black faux leather handbag from the 1970s comes with its own mirror. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture lists the maker as Michels-Drew, Canadian, and connects the bag to the Black Fashion Museum, which it dates from 1979 to 2007.

The bag (a)

• Body: four vinyl panels, one for the front, one for the back and one for each side. The front and back panels are joined at the bottom with felled seams, and four brass "feet" sit on the bottom's corners.
• Frame and clasp: all the panels are tucked into a metal frame covered with a thin layer of vinyl, most likely glued in place, with a three-quarter-inch metal clasp at the center top.
• Strap: a 13-inch purse strap, also covered in thin black vinyl, is attached with brass hardware and D-rings.
• Lining and pockets: four panels of red vinyl line the inside. At the back is a metal zippered pocket 5.5 inches wide, lined with black synthetic plain weave fabric. Above it is a smaller, unlined open pocket 5.25 inches wide, and on its lower left side is a white fabric label that reads "A / MICHELS - DREW / BAG" in black. A layer of stiffener, possibly cardboard, sits between the lining and the outer fabric.

The mirror (b)

The mirror is glass, with its back covered in gold paint. "BY MICHELS - DREW" is written in gold on the front left corner.

Sources

• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Black faux leather handbag with gold clasp and mirror, object record, released under CC0 through Smithsonian Open Access; rewritten in hubnx's own words.