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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.

  • Bonnet, gray silk drawn over cane ribs, c. 1840s-1850s, front view
    Bonnet, gray silk drawn over cane ribs, c. 1840s-1850s
  • Man’s vest, black silk velvet woven with copper and navy dots, 1840-1860, front view
    Man’s vest, black silk velvet woven with copper and navy dots, 1840-1860
  • Engageantes, white cotton mull with Vandyke edge, 1845-1865
    Engageantes, white cotton mull with Vandyke edge, 1845-1865
  • Engageantes, white cotton mull with pointed cuffs, 1845-1865
    Engageantes, white cotton mull with pointed cuffs, 1845-1865
  • Dress, blue and copper shot silk with whitework collar, c. 1848 altered c. 1858, front view
    Dress, blue and copper shot silk with whitework collar, c. 1848 altered c. 1858
  • Bonnet, deep purple velvet with a peaked brim and purple silk ribbons, mid-1880s, front view
    Bonnet, deep purple velvet with a peaked brim and purple silk ribbons, mid-1880s
  • Dress, red and cream striped printed cotton, c. 1850s, front view
    Dress, red and cream striped printed cotton, c. 1850s
  • Bonnet, brown and tan raffia spoon bonnet with fabric flowers, c. 1850s-1860s, front view
    Bonnet, brown and tan raffia spoon bonnet with fabric flowers, c. 1850s-1860s
  • Dress, brown silk with black and white vertical woven stripes, 1850s, front view
    Dress, brown silk with black and white vertical woven stripes, 1850s
  • Dress, green silk plaid, 1850s, front view
    Dress, green silk plaid, 1850s
  • Dress, fan-front bodice and tiered skirt, of printed barege, 1850s, front view
    Dress, fan-front bodice and tiered skirt, of printed barege, 1850s
  • Housedress, white cotton printed with lavender, 1850-1860, front view
    Housedress, white cotton printed with lavender, 1850-1860
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