Bags: Inside and Out

Disappointing exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum on bags.

I say disappointing because I’d been really looking forward to this show but I did it at the end of a long day at the museum and I don’t think I did it justice. I want to try to go back and give it another go. I usually love their shows like this so I suspect it was more me that it.

The show was roughly themed but quite slow to go round as the labels were very low down and you had to match the silhouette of the bag to the object to find out any details. The main labels described a theme then the actual description of the object was in even smaller writing. Some people were resorting to reading them out to their friends which made things even slower.

My patience went in the section on status and identity which seemed to be all about designers, celebrities and influencers. Again I’m sure I was just tired and had worn my mask too long. On another day a Margaret Thatcher handbag would have intrigued me and a Sex in the City one would have excited  but somehow it all felt a bit hollow.

Upstairs seemed to be more about the manufacture, structure and decoration of bags but I’m afraid I had run out of steam.

Having said all that there were some stunning items. I think my favourite was the attaché case which had belonged to Vivienne Leigh and I loved a 18th century decorated military pouch for musket balls. Also who fail to be moved by an evacuees suitcase in the travel section.

Closes 6 January 2022


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