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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, blue, yellow, and black plaid silk, with both day and evening bodices, 1860s, front-side view
Dress, blue, yellow, and black plaid silk, with both day and evening bodices, 1860s
Dress, printed cotton with lavender and black, 1860s, front view
Dress, printed cotton with lavender and black, 1860s
Bonnet, black silk, possibly for mourning, c. 1860s, front view
Bonnet, black silk, possibly for mourning, c. 1860s
Dress, green damask silk with integral Swiss waist over a cotton blouse, 1860-1863, front view
Dress, green damask silk with integral Swiss waist over a cotton blouse, 1860-1863
Shoes, white kidskin slippers with ribbon bow, 1860s-1870s, side and front view
Shoes, white kidskin slippers with ribbon bow, 1860s-1870s
Shoes, white satin evening slippers, 1860-1870, side and front view
Shoes, white satin evening slippers, 1860-1870
Children's shoes, red kidskin boots, 1860s-1890s, front view
Children's shoes, red kidskin boots, 1860s-1890s
Dress, paisley-printed mull with fan-front bodice and tiered skirt, 1863, front view
Dress, paisley-printed mull with fan-front bodice and tiered skirt, 1863
Dress, purple silk with silver, black, and pink stripes, c. 1865, front view
Dress, purple silk with silver, black, and pink stripes, c. 1865
Dress, printed wool challis, c. 1865, front view
Dress, printed wool challis, c. 1865
Dress, green, pink, and brown silk plaid, c. 1865, front view
Dress, green, pink, and brown silk plaid, c. 1865
Man’s vest, black silk satin, 1865-1867, front view
Man’s vest, black silk satin, 1865-1867
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