WATSONVILLE—For decades the Pajaro Valley Historical Association (PVHA) has been collecting clothing, shoes, hats and other accessories to include in its extensive historical archive.
Volunteers work to preserve, research and document every item that comes through the organization’s historic headquarters on East Beach Street, each bringing their own knowledge and expertise to the project. From wedding dresses and men’s clothing to children’s dolls and Watsonville High School memorabilia, the collection tells the story of the Pajaro Valley through its residents’ former possessions.
Recently, PVHA unveiled a component of the collection it has not yet highlighted: More than 100 purses, handbags and train cases belonging to former Watsonville residents and their families. Purses range from the 1700s to just under 20 years ago, in all shapes and sizes, made of everything from metal and leather to crocodile skin and other fabrics.
House volunteer Gerry Martin said that figuring out the owners of each purse has been challenging. Often they go off of items found inside the purses, such as handwritten letters and notes.
“We try to trace back everything … it’s been kind of a genealogical nightmare, because so many people were named Charlotte, Priscilla or Belle, and there were so many of them,” she said through a laugh. “There are a lot of mystery items here … Every time we come in, we find more things we don’t know about. It’s a lot of guessing.”
Some purses are crocheted, others are beaded. A unique “beggar’s bag” features an accordion-style opening at the top. Another smaller purse is attached to a set of rings that can slip onto fingers. Martin believes the ring purse belonged to a “flapper” dancer in the 1920s, while her fellow volunteer Mimi Crumpton guesses it was made much earlier than that.
Many of the purses were owned by prominent Pajaro Valley families. The oldest one, made in the 1700s, was previously owned by Charlotte Snyder Bockius, a descendent of Frank Orr, former editor of the Pajaronian. (PVHA resides in the Bockius-Orr house, built in 1870 by Godfrey M. Bockius.)
One purse included in the collection belonged to Perky Hyde, wife of Harold Hyde, and another to Diane Porter Cooley, a conservation pioneer who died last week at the age of 93.
It was Cooley’s mother, Bernice Porter, who first brought items to the PVHA to start what Martin calls their “costume” collection, now held in a special annex building on the property.
“[Bernice] was invested in getting this project started,” Martin said. “When we opened this annex a few years ago, it absolutely tickled Diane … she was so happy we were continuing it.”
Volunteers recently took a small sampling of the purses, usually stored inside the annex in a vintage dresser, into the main house to display for everyday visitors. But if people are interested in seeing the full archive, they are welcome to call and make an appointment.
“We don’t generally bring people into the annex, but if anyone wanted to see our collections and what we had, they could certainly reach out,” Martin said. “It’s one thing to have all these items, but unless we can share them with the community, then there’s no reason for us to be here. We want people to be involved.”
PVHA is located at 332 East Beach St. It is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11am-3pm, and by special appointment for individuals and group tours. Learn more at pajarovalleyhistory.org.
