Malone, Emmie: The Aesthetics of Handbags: The Meaning and Value of Purses

_Aesthetic Investigations_. forthcomingWhile humans have long used bags to transport small items with them on their person, handbags as a modern gendered phenomenon did not emerge until the 18th century, with the rise of the French 'reticule'. This was eventually followed up by the emergence, in England, of more expensive and structured leather purses during the 19th century and the first attempt to explain the (gendered) appeal of bags during the same time. In this case, it was Sigmund Freud wh