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Professor Irma G. Bowen began collecting items in 1920 as a hands-on teaching tool for students in the Home Economics department at the University of New Hampshire. The collection was named in Bowen’s honor after her death in 1947, and by the time it transitioned to the University Museum in 1969, the Bowen Collection had gained new significance. With most of the objects donated by local colleagues and families, the preserved items were recognized as an unexpected archive of New Hampshire heritage on a personal scale, a glimpse of lives otherwise invisible to the historical record.

This digital catalog continues the Bowen Collection's mission to teach while expanding its reach by making it more widely accessible to those interested in the design, technique, artistry, and historical relevance of clothing.

Suit, green tweed, with hip-length jacket and ankle-length skirt, c. 1912, front view
Suit, green tweed, with hip-length jacket and ankle-length skirt, c. 1912
Suit, white linen, cutaway jacket and ankle-length skirt, c. 1912, front view
Suit, white linen, cutaway jacket and ankle-length skirt, c. 1912
Boots, white canvas high-buttoned, 1915, side and front view
Boots, white canvas high-buttoned, 1915
Suit, black ottoman silk trimmed with Maltese crosses and tassels of silk-wrapped beads, 1915-1917, front view
Suit, black ottoman silk trimmed with Maltese crosses and tassels of silk-wrapped beads, 1915-1917
Dress, black silk satin and point d’esprit bobbinet with organdy and cord appliqué, c. 1915-1918, front view
Dress, black silk satin and point d’esprit bobbinet with organdy and cord appliqué, c. 1915-1918
Boots, purple leather high-laced, 1915-1920, side and front view
Boots, purple leather high-laced, 1915-1920
Dress, black silk with dropped waist and scalloped pleated panels, 1920s, front view
Dress, black silk with dropped waist and scalloped pleated panels, 1920s
Cloche, black velvet, embroidered, 1920s, front view
Cloche, black velvet, embroidered, 1920s
Dress, dark gold charmeuse with reverse of fabric as contrasting trim, 1920s, quarter view
Dress, dark gold charmeuse with reverse of fabric as contrasting trim, 1920s
Cloche, rust velvet with embossed flowers, 1920s, front view
Cloche, rust velvet with embossed flowers, 1920s
Dress, emerald green silk crepe with steel beads in Art Nouveau patterns, 1920s, front view
Dress, emerald green silk crepe with steel beads in Art Nouveau patterns, 1920s
Cloche, salmon raffia, 1920s, front view
Cloche, salmon raffia, 1920s
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