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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.

Comb, tortoise shell, 19th century, front view
Comb, tortoise shell, 19th century
Shoes, red and white kidskin with latchets, 1780-1790, side and front view
Shoes, red and white kidskin with latchets, 1780-1790
Dress, white cotton mull, 1812-1816, front view
Dress, white cotton mull, 1812-1816
Stockings, 1820-1830
Stockings, 1820-1830
Man’s vest, dark brown silk velvet with a gold stripe, 1830-1839, front view
Man’s vest, dark brown silk velvet with a gold stripe, 1830-1839
Shoes, blue velvet boudoir slippers, 1830-1840, side and front view
Shoes, blue velvet boudoir slippers, 1830-1840
Bonnet, cream and ivory silk with deep brim and salmon ribbon, c. 1830s-1840s, side-front view
Bonnet, cream and ivory silk with deep brim and salmon ribbon, c. 1830s-1840s
Man’s vest, brown velveteen embroidered with flowers, 1830-1860, front view
Man’s vest, brown velveteen embroidered with flowers, 1830-1860
Housedress, brown printed cotton, c. 1835-1850, front view
Housedress, brown printed cotton, c. 1835-1850
Dress, fan-front with printed green and lavender barege, 1840s, front view
Dress, fan-front with printed green and lavender barege, 1840s
Hood, steel blue quilted silk, c. 1840s, side-front view
Hood, steel blue quilted silk, c. 1840s
Stockings, cream cotton with red embroidered clocks, 1840s-1850s
Stockings, cream cotton with red embroidered clocks, 1840s-1850s
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