Mesh handbags made of fine wire metal mesh have been around for a long
time, but they hit their peak at the turn of the last century in the Art Deco era of the 1920's: The overall era
& popularity of metal mesh bags was from about 1910 through the mid 1930's.
This section deals with the Dresden or Baby Fine metal wirework mesh purses. Tiny
rings of wire joined together in chain fashion make up these lovely purses.
Originally, these bags were made entirely by hand and was an expensive, laborious
process.
The invention (patented & developed by A.C. Pratt of Newark, NJ) of
mesh making machines around 1909, was developed in Germany by Dresden & Weiss using Pratt's designs which caused
some legal problems. Whiting & Davis owned the patents to this machinery & eventually acquired all the Dresden
machinery.
The invention of these machines was a boon to manufacturers as the bags could
be mass produced, and they were.
Wire or chain mesh purses became a large part of the 'Roaring Twenties'.
The major producers in the United States were Whiting & Davis and Mandalian Mfg. These bags were also made
in many other countries such as France, England, Germany to name a few.
Dresden bags have a surreal watercolor appearance from a stenciling method of applying
enamel paint.
Production of Dresden mesh purses ceased in the 1940's with the onset of WWII.
Normal production of armor mesh resumed after the war.
See enamel Armor metal mesh purse catagory for more Mandalian & Whiting & Davis metal mesh bags. Link near the bottom of this page or use
the site map at the bottom of the page. 
