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