Vintage Black Mesh WHITING DAVIS Hand Bag Purse

This bag is GORGEOUS!!! Vintage WHITING & DAVIS black mesh shoulder hand bag. In excellent vintage condition. It looks brand new and unused. Interior slip pockets. One is zippered. Whiting & Davis has been known for its high quality and striking handbags since the 1890s. Their patented metal mesh has been supplied to the very best of the fashion industry and has been spotted on the runway in dresses, gloves, and shoes. The company was founded when Charles W. Whiting went to work for a chain manufacturing company owned by Edward P. Davis. By 1907 Whiting was a partner in the business, and the company was making chain mesh bags from silver, gold and gun metal. In 1912, a process for machine made mesh was developed and Whiting and Davis purchased the patent. This process cut the cost of a bag dramatically, so that mesh bags were available to the mass market. By the 1920s, the bags were being decorated with enamel. Production of metal mesh halted during WWII to assist with the war effort. Keep this in mind when attempting to precisely date Whiting & Davis handbags.