1950s Volupte Sophisti-case

I mentioned last week that I would show my 1950s version of the vanity evening bag.   My mother of pearl and goldtone over-sized compact came with a faille carrier.  So it could have been carried either as a clutch or as a handbag.

Depending on which sources you want to believe, Volupté was founded in either 1920 or 1926, and was located in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  They were mainly a maker of compacts and vanities, and during the 1950s they were a leading maker of the carry all vanity.  In old ads I’ve sometimes seen this type of Volupté case and carrier called the Sophisti-case.

It opens to a dividing mirror.  On one side you could carry papers or tickets or a twenty dollar bill.

On the other side of the mirror is a space for powder, a little pouch, and a lipstick holder.

I’ve seen ads for these cases starting in the early 1950s.  One book on vintage handbags has one pictured, and the caption says it is from the 1930s.  This is definitely not my area of knowledge, so I can’t say that the book is wrong, just that I’ve never seen these advertised until the 1950s.