Green beaded evening bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a green beaded evening bag belonging to Etta Moten Barnett. The bag is a square purse with a short, beaded handle. It has a hinged opening. The flap closes with a metal snap closure. The exterior of the bag is covered in tiny dark green beads sewn into swirling patterns. The interior of the bag is lined in cream colored silk. There is a white tag sewn onto the interior pocket on the rear panel of the bag. On the tag is gold text that reads “MAGID / HAND BEADED / IN BELGIUM.” Under the word ‘Magid’ is a winged circle with three vertical lines down the center. The purse has loose beads throughout.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1940-2004
• Manufactured by: Magid Handbags, American, founded 1917
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: purses (bags)
• Medium: cloth and beads , metal
• Dimensions: H x W: 6 7/8 × 7 5/16 in. (17.5 × 18.5 cm)
• Place made: Belgium, Europe
• Place used: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Women
• Object number: A2022.13.1.62
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.