Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia has revamped its Rosalie K. and Sydney Shaftman Gallery that houses its permanent collection of Judith Leiber handbags.
The original custom-designed stand in the gallery was shaped like an abstracted tree. Some of the larger handbags did not fit on the display. The rack has been replaced with more traditional stands that enable the handbags to be better showcased. The museum’s curators hope to create a more classic presentation to showcase the bags as works of art and to display some pieces that have not previously been shown to the public.
Rosalie and Sydney Shaftman began collecting Leiber handbags in the early 1970s. They donated over 130 handbags and pillboxes to the museum between 2005 and 2008. The Taubman Museum has one of the largest collections of Leiber handbags in the United States.
Rosalie Shaftman said she collected the handbags because she thought they were beautiful. Sydney Shaftman commissioned two of the purses for his wife. They were custom-made by Leiber. One of the custom clutches has a star and the word “Roanoke” in white crystal on a background of black beads.
Judith Leiber was born in Hungary in 1921. She wanted to be a scientist but could not attend college due to anti-Jewish policies in the 1930s. She studied handbag design instead. Leiber married an American soldier and immigrated to the United States in 1946.
Her big break came in 1953, when she designed a purse for Mamie Eisenhower to wear to her husband’s inauguration. A decade later, she opened her own business designing small handbags. She became popular for her small metal purses decorated with rhinestones. Her purses have long been popular choices for first ladies and celebrities. She retired from the fashion industry in 1998.
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