Judith Leiber White Leather Shoulder Bag
Item Details
Judith Leiber (1921-2018) was born in Budapest, Hungary and studied chemistry for the cosmetics industry at King’s College London. She returned to Hungary just prior to World War II and was afforded an apprenticeship at a handbag company where she learned to be a master craftswoman. Judith and her family narrowly avoided the Nazi persecution by fleeing to Switzerland on the schutzpass obtained by her father, the family survived the war with a group of twenty-six people housed in the same flat. In 1946 she married Gerson Leiger, a sergeant in the United States Army and moved to New York City. She had no trouble finding work at a number of handbag manufacturers but felt unfulfilled and started her own business in 1963. In a small loft, Judith designed and supervised the creation of each handbag while her husband handled the business end. Judith Leiber’s iconic and fanciful handbags or “minaudieres” were carried by prestigious client’s to include several first ladies, queens and princesses as well as a host of celebrities. Examples of her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 2011, the Leibers became full-time residents at their property in Springs, New York where they opened the Leiber Museum across the street from their home to display both Judith’s handbags and the work of her artist husband. The Leibers sought to buy back as many handbags as possible to display in the museum; proudly, several were purchased from EBTH.
| Brand | Judith Leiber |
| Period | Vintage, Late 20th Century |
| Includes | Coin Purse |
| Additional Information | Gold tone hardware; dark golden faille lining. |
- Secondhand clothing, handbags and accessories may retain minor imperfections throughout including residual scent from storage and age. May require professional cleaning. Any measurements provided are approximate.
Condition
- stiffening and soiling to strap; soiling and hardware transfer marks to exterior leather; scuffs with corner/edge wear; seam stress at side stitching near the opening; rubbing at base; frame hinges are stiff and do not open and close easily; markings to hardware; spot stains and light debris accretion to lining.
Dimensions
- 15.0" strap drop.
Item #
ITMG603044
