It can be difficult to imagine what everyday life was like for teenagers before cell phones and social media. While we may share some similarities with the past, there are even more differences that are worth exploring. Fortunately, found objects from past time periods offer a glimpse into what it was like to grow up in other eras. The most recent discovery was a purse dating back to 1959.
The old artifact was uncovered underneath League City School, an old Texas school building, that was in the process of being torn down and turned into a new community center. The small handbag contained numerous personal items which reveal parts of the owner’s life. Among them were a diary, a comb, a nail file, and a mini calendar filled with notes until April 1959—the presumed date when the purse was lost.
Also buried inside the purse were floral handkerchiefs, pencils, and a collection of small photographs depicting the teenager’s family and perhaps also some of her male crushes. The name of the owner was even found on a handwritten note tucked inside the bag, leading historians to believe these objects used to belong to Beverly Williams.
City officials and Clear Creek ISD scoured yearbooks to pinpoint Williams, who would have been about 76 years old at the time of the purse’s discovery. They eventually located her and found out that she had passed away in 2016. However, they were able to notify William’s daughter, who cried when she learned of the discovery of her mother’s purse. Though small, these mementos offer a valuable window into the past.
The purse of a teenager in the 1950s was discovered under a Texas school.
The contents inside offer a glimpse into the lives of young girls from decades ago.
The purse contained photos of the teenager’s family, a nail file, a comb, and a diary.
It is believed to have belonged to a girl named Beverly Williams.
The daughter of the late Beverly Williams cried after learning about her mother’s purse.
“She was blown away with what we told her,” Richard Lewis, vice president of the League City Historical Society, told the Chronicle in an email. https://t.co/gKRelNtpEC
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) October 8, 2022
h/t: [Houston Chronicle]
All images via Clear Creek ISD.
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