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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.

  • Dress, black silk charmeuse with cream silk yoke and sleeves, 1928, front view
    Dress, black silk charmeuse with cream silk yoke and sleeves, 1928
  • Dress, black silk chiffon with sequined allover lace, c. 1928, front view
    Dress, black silk chiffon with sequined allover lace, c. 1928
  • Dress, cream taffeta with a diagonal double-flounced skirt, 1928-1930, front view
    Dress, cream taffeta with a diagonal double-flounced skirt, 1928-1930
  • Evening dress, cream panne velvet with rhinestones and embroidery, 1929, front view
    Evening dress, cream panne velvet with rhinestones and embroidery, 1929
  • Dress, burgundy velvet with a standing collar and sleeve flounces, c. 1930, front view
    Dress, burgundy velvet with a standing collar and sleeve flounces, c. 1930
  • Evening gown, floor-length red and pink ombre chiffon with a train, 1930s, front view
    Evening gown, floor-length red and pink ombre chiffon with a train, 1930s
  • Evening gown, sleeveless, pin-tucked black crepe with long black cord tassels, 1930s, front view
    Evening gown, sleeveless, pin-tucked black crepe with long black cord tassels, 1930s
  • Opera coat, black silk velvet with dolman sleeves, 1930s, front view
    Opera coat, black silk velvet with dolman sleeves, 1930s
  • Shoes, white ribbed silk Oxford, 1930s, side and front view
    Shoes, white ribbed silk Oxford, 1930s
  • Shoes, tan suede Oxfords, 1930s, side and front view
    Shoes, tan suede Oxfords, 1930s
  • Shoes, white canvas Oxfords, 1930s, side and front view
    Shoes, white canvas Oxfords, 1930s
  • Shoes, black faille with strap, 1930s, side and front view
    Shoes, black faille with strap, 1930s
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