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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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