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, blue felt capote with blue velvet, blue feather trim, and velvet ribbon in blue and burgundy, 1880s
Bonnet, brown velvet capote with jet trim and teal, brown, and orange satin ribbons, 1880s
Bonnet, black straw capote trimmed with blue velvet, silk ribbons in blue and dark orange, and artificial flowers, 1880s
Bonnet, gray felt capote with burgundy velvet and ribbon, and jet beads on a net, 1880s
Bonnet, natural straw woven into lace with pink roses and plaid ribbon ties, 1880s
Bonnet, straw with brown velvet, brown grosgrain ribbons, and velvet chrysanthemums, 1880s
Wax orange blossoms, 1880-1890
Stockings, black silk with openwork, 1880-1900
Boots, purple faille high-button, 1880s-1900s
Dress, brown and tan silk taffeta with cuirass bodice and bustle, c. 1883
Shirtwaist, white embroidered cotton with ruffles flanking the buttoned front, 1884
