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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.

  • Shoes, white kidskin with strap, 1934, side and front view
    Shoes, white kidskin with strap, 1934
  • Dress, blue velvet with smocked waist and shoulders, 1938, front view
    Dress, blue velvet with smocked waist and shoulders, 1938
  • Shoe brochure, 1938, side 1
    Shoe brochure, 1938
  • Shoes, blue satin sandals, 1938, side and front view
    Shoes, blue satin sandals, 1938
  • Cocktail dress, black point d’esprit with lace over black rayon lining, 1950s, front view
    Cocktail dress, black point d’esprit with lace over black rayon lining, 1950s
  • Shirtdress, Anne Fogarty pale green faille, 1954, front view
    Shirtdress, Anne Fogarty pale green faille, 1954
  • Shoes, blue satin dress pumps, 1958, side and front view
    Shoes, blue satin dress pumps, 1958
  • Cocktail dress, sleeveless A-line with black crepe and black chiffon overlay, with a rhinestone collar, 1960s, front view
    Cocktail dress, sleeveless A-line with black crepe and black chiffon overlay, with a rhinestone collar, 1960s
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