Rogers Series 1: Sewing cases

It became common by the middle of the 19th century for women to have a small sewing case intended as a portable substitute for their workbox. These cases contained a few basic needlework tools like scissors, a thimble, and a needle container. They were often of French manufacture, having evolved from the French étui, the small case that an 18th-century (or earlier) woman would carry with her to transport sewing tools as well as tweezers, pencils, and other everyday objects. Highly decorated sewing cases could even be held as a piece of hand jewelry, marking a transition between the 18th century objet de vertu and the 19th century flat sewing case, although many sewing cases were more practical than decorative and carried in a separate bag. 

The sewing cases in this series are mostly of French or English manufacture and were made from or covered in a variety of materials. Leather was most common for a sewing case, but other materials, such as shagreen, walnut, ivory, and plush are also represented in this series. One particular highlight of this series is the French leather sewing case with silver tools which originally belonged to Ellen Browning Scripps (1836-1932). Some cases in this series were made to order and so are monogrammed with initials or feature tools chosen to fit the former owner’s hands or style preferences. All of the cases in this series contain their original delicate and usually decorated sewing tools, fashioned from materials such as gold, steel, or ivory.