(4) Vintage Art Deco Whiting & Davis Dresden Mesh Purses Or Evening Bags

Lot description

(lot of 4) Vintage Art Deco lady's baby mesh purses/ evening bags, c.1930s, (three) marked Whiting & Davis Company, all with gilt metal frames, polychrome stencil-painted designs, including: (1) butterfly and flower, (1) large flowers with satin lining, (1) peacock with worn satin lining, (1) feather design with pair of birds, retaining pocket mirror, frame only marked soldered mesh, torn satin lining; largest: approx 6.5"l, 5 3/8"w Provenance: From the estate of Dorothy Jean McPhaul, whose small East Austin antique shop, Johnnie’s Antiques, has survived for generations despite rapid city expansion. McPhaul, a true lover of all things antique and a retired educator with a 40-year tenure at the LaGrange Public School system, personally collected African American memorabilia, jewelry, glassware, pottery, amongst other rare and fine antiques. Established by McPhaul’s grandfather, Simon Sidle, in 1918, Johnnie’s Antiques is among the last vintage properties on East 6th Street, and notable as one of the first black-owned businesses in Austin. After assuming proprietorship in 1999, Dorothy followed in the family tradition as a fixture of the Texas antique sale circuit.