COSMETIC BAG

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c. 1955

Overview

The bag and purse come from the Lipfert home, 270 York Street, Subiaco. The bag has a round black plastic base, with a round mirror inset within a black plastic rim on exterior of base. Cotton material in a maroon, white, blue and grey geometric design comes from the base and is gathered at the top by a blue cord-like draw-string. Interior is lined with white cotton fabric.
The bag came with a leather purse (1990.101b) inside it but it was removed from the main collection and transferred to the secondary collection.
The small purse made of black leather, machine stitched on 2 sides with black cotton thread. The flap over has curved edge. The purse may have been used for money, or perhaps pills.

Historical information

Miss Gertrude Lipfert lived in the family home at 270 York Street, Subiaco until her death in 1989. Daughter of Otto Lipfert, taxidermist at WA Museum. Otto Lipfert was born in Germany in 1864. He trained and worked there as a furrier, but he developed a keen interest in nature and the animal species that were exciting Europeans in Australia. On hearing there was no taxidermist in Western Australia he migrated in 1892, making the voyage in a British ship so that he could learn English on the way.
In 1894 he became the first taxidermist to work for the Western Australian Museum. He made his first collecting trip—to the Abrolhos Islands—that spring.
Lipfert was naturalised in 1900. In 1902 he married German-born Anna Struck at the German club in Perth. The couple built a house at 270 York St (formerly Gibney Street), Subiaco, where members of the Lipfert family lived until 1989. Two daughters: Gertrude and Elsa.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-43-1990.101

Item type

Material

Keywords

Cancer Foundation Of W.A