About Exhibits Events Collections Education Giving Cummings Center

Twittercover_IHSCulture_BotD.png

A bag each day, every day in 2022

2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the first time the Bloomingdale's Department Store printed a message to their customers on a brown paper bag. In recognition of this anniversary, the Institute for Human Science and Culture has launched a #BagOfTheDay project on Twitter. Every day throughout 2022, we will tweet a bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags and highlight the unique history, art, and fun facts of the world of bags. From Bloomingdale's bags to bag-themed wristwatches, each day brings a new highlight from the Forman Collection.

Below you will find an archive of the #BagOfTheDay project, updated weekly. Click on the images to read the associated tweet. For the most recent posts, follow @IHSCulture on Twitter.


1/365: In 1922 Bloomingdale's printed a message to their customers for the first time on a brown paper bag. In recognition of this centennial anniversary, we are launching a new project for 2022: every day we will tweet a bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags using #BagOfTheDay. The 1922 bag was printed for Bloomingdale's Golden (50th) Anniversary. It thanked customers for their patronage and reasserted their store values. The event represents the first time the company used the bags its products were carried in as a statement tool.
2/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags began with the paper Bloomingdale's bags. Forman began collecting in 1971 while she was a student at American University. Today the collection contains 12,000 bags & bag-related ephemera from a variety of merchants and designers. This paper bag is painted with a portrait of Lee L. Forman. Forman was a graphic designer who viewed bags as works of art deserving of the same admiration as any artwork. In 2002, she and husband Howard Forman founded the Museum of Bags to house the growing collection. In the years following her death in 2009, the Forman family continued to expand the bag collection, donating it in Lee's name to the Institute for Human Science and Culture at The University of Akron in 2019. It is today used for research, teaching, education, and exhibition.
3/365: Brothers Lyman and Joseph Bloomingdale opened their first store on April 17, 1872. Located at 938 Third Avenue in New York City, Bloomingdale's 'Great East Side Bazaar' was located further uptoward then other department stores of the day.
4/365: The oldest American department store represented in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is Lord & Taylor. The company's first store was opened in Manhattan in 1826. The flagship store on Fifth Avenue was in operation until 2019.
5/365: Lee L. Forman was 21 when she first began collecting bags, initially focusing on Bloomingdale's bags. The oldest among these is a 1950s-era brown paper sleeve featuring a large script
6/365: Among the ephemera in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is a patent model of a machine for making paper bags that was patented in 1867 by Gustav L. Jaeger. Our friends at the National Museum of American History hold a unique patent model for a machine that would fold and glue the square bases to make paper bags. Invented by Margaret Knight, the 1879 patent is one of only a few patents held by women in this era. Knight held 27+ patents during her life.
7/365: The iconic 'big brown bag' from Bloomingdale's first appeared in 1973. The bags were originally requested by the linen department to accommodate their large pillows and blankets. It was designed by the Italian graphic and industrial designer Massimo Vignelli. Vignelli designed both the Bloomingdale's 'brown bag' series as well as the company's contemporary logo. But he is perhaps best known for the 1970 New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual and the subsequent map of the New York subway system.
8/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags features a number of iconic designs, including the 'I (heart) NY' logo by graphic designer Milton Glaser in 1976. It was first drawn with red crayon in the back of a taxi; the original sketch is held by the Museum of Modern Art.
9/365: Some bags combine iconic design with original artwork. This bag features both the Nike swoosh designed by Carolyn Davidson and an original sketch of a face in profile drawn and signed by Hong Kong artist and toy figure designer Michael Lau.
10/365: The popularity of Bloomingdale's 'big brown bag' by Vignelli led to the release of the 'little brown bag' in 1974. It was originally sized to hold cosmetics and other accessories. The text has since appeared on bags of different (small) sizes and materials.
11/365: Just how small can they get? This silver handbag pin is only 1 inch wide and features the American flag in red, white, and blue stones.
12/365: Vignelli's 'brown bag' series has graced more than paper and plastic bags. This brown wristwatch features a metal handbag charm inscribed with the words 'little brown bag.' A second inscription appears on the back of the watch face: 'bloomies.'
13/365: We've *bags of time* to go in our 2022 Bag Of The Day Twitter project! (Who can resist when there are so many bag-themed clocks, watches, and timepieces in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags?)
14/365: Dedicated Bloomingdale's shoppers identify today as 'bloomies.' It was a term that first appear in 1973 across the backside of a line of women's bikini underwear (a clever nod to the 19th century 'bloomer', of course) and today can be found on all sorts of ephemera.
15/365: It's the weekend: time to slow down and savor that extra cup of coffee.
16/365: Did you know? The original Cafe du Monde coffee stand in New Orleans was first opened in 1862. The famous coffee is traditionally served in a mug filled half with hot coffee and half with hot milk. We imagine this bag might have held a few beignets at one time.
17/365: In 1998, Lee L. Forman was quoted in the Washington Post: 'Who would imagine that anything as simple as a paper bag could be made to look so beautiful?' Today the collections she started in 1971 is filled with beauty - like this bag by artist David Lee Csicsko.
18/365: Many of items in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags highlight works of art, including this bag with an image of 'Broadway and Beyond,' a silkscreen and 3D collage by artist Charles Fazzino.
19/365: Bush Hollyhead worked with Equitable Bag Co. to release this fanciful design to Bloomingdale's customers in 1991. Hollyhead's illustrations can be found on magazine, book, and album covers - in 1981 his cover for The Undertones was nominated for a Grammy.
20/365: Andy Warhol's cow series is among his most recognized work. Pink Cow on Yellow Background (1966) was reproduced on this bag for Andy Warhol: A Retrospective, organized by the Museum of Modern Art. This particular bag promoted the exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago.
21/365: Mark Weakley is the illustrator behind this 1989 Bloomingdales bag featuring a globe wrapped in a patterned scarf. A gold chain wraps around the bag and features charms of world landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, and the Eiffel Tower.
22/365: In this reproduction of Picasso's Woman with a Book, Marie-Thérèse Walter is featured sitting in a bright armchair with a book opened on her lap. Behind her, a mirror reflects an undefined profile.
23/365: Not all bags reveal the artists behind their creation: this unsigned bag features an abstract design of a watercolor ombre pattern reminiscent of a sandy beach with deep blue sky that is overlayed with patterns of dots.
24/365: The American-founded cosmetics company, Avon, sells products in more than 100 countries. International markets surpassed US sales in 2010, with Brazil currently serving as the company's largest market.
25/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags includes a number of bags collected during international travels. This bag was acquired in Perchtoldsdorf, a suburb of Vienna, Austria. Metzger & Söhne dates to 1685 and is known for their gingerbread and candles.
26/365: Featuring the customized lettering of Tim Girvin, this sunburst bag was designed by Japanese printmaker and graphic artist Kazumasa Nagai. The bag was featured in a Bloomingdale's campaign in 1985.
27/365: Did you know that you can visit a roadside diner dedicated to all things Elvis Presley in Neve Ilan, a small town outside of Jerusalem, Israel? They hold more than 700 items of Elvis memorabilia and host Elvis impersonators during the year.
28/365: More beautiful customized lettering from Tim Girvin. This bag featured the coastline of Portugal for Bloomingdale's The Discoveries of Portugal campaign The bag was manufactured for the retailer by Champion International Corporation.
29/365: This vintage paper bag for Malka garden vegetable soup mixes Hebrew and English text. The instructions indicate that the contents should be mixed with 5 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes, followed by a 6th minute of simmering before consuming.
30/365: EDEKA is a supermarket corporation with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. It was originally founded in Berlin in 1898 as E.D.K. before adopting a phonetic expansions of its original name in 1911.
31/365: A plastic variation on the classic design! This light brown plastic tote bag reads, in classic Bloomingdale's fashion, 'little brown bag.'
32/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags contains bags every U.S. Presidential Election dating back to 1948. This bag features President Barack Obama sitting with the First Family. Obama was the 44th President & the 1st African American elected to the Presidency.
33/365: Today's bag calls for a side view: this Bloomies bag from Bloomingdale's features a nutritional label with a serving size of 'one bag' and 100% of a person's daily Style, Wit, It-Factor, Originality, Attitude, and 'Je Ne Sais Quoi' needs. None too shabby!
34/365: Among the bag-related ephemera in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is this adorable pair of ceramic salt and pepper shakers styled in the shape of burlap sacks tied with ropes.
35/365: In 1975, Bloomingdale's opened its signature café, Forty Carrots. The chain was opened at stores across the world and features a menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches originally intended to appeal to health-conscious shoppers. Bag art by Franco Moschino, 1991.
36/365: Have you ever cooked using a paper bag? This 1911 recipe book by Grace Mathews Hopkins featured instructions for making everything from seafood and meats to vegetables and desserts. The text claimed that cooking with paper bags used less coal / gas.
37/365: There are many bags we take for granted in our day-to-day, including food storage bags. This box of 25 'Cut-Rite' plastic bags on a roll from 1963 was made by the Scott Paper Company based in Chester, PA. This variety came complete with tags to tie each bag.
38/365: This classic bag was designed by Julian Tomchin who served as the Senior VP and Design Director at Bloomingdale's from 1979-1989. His reflections on the experience were recorded in a 1986 oral history interview held by the Library at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
39/365: This bag of Grandmother's Brand Table Salt was distributed by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), an American chain of grocery stores that operated from 1859-2015. The bag was found in an antique store near Altoona, PA by the Forman family in 2006.
40/365: This Bloomingdale's bag is one of the many variations of Massimo Vignelli's original design that have been produced since the 'big brown bag' first appeared in 1973.
41/365: This ceramic container was designed to look like a brown paper bag. Labelled with multi-color letters, the bag reads 'Jelly Beans.' A yellow ceramic knob on the lid takes the shape of a jelly bean to finish off the design. The container is signed by H. Shfug.
42/365: For the start of New York Fashion Week, we bring you this ca. 1978 Bloomingdale's bag designed by American fashion designer Michaele Vollbracht. Vollbracht designed both under his own name and as the head designer for Bill Blass Limited.
43/365: DYK that Gucci was founded over 100 years ago in Florence, Italy by Guccio Gucci? Three decades later, the Italian fashion house opened its first store in the U.S. at 5th Avenue and 58th Street in New York.
44/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of bags includes both literal bags and bag-themed items. This silk dress was designed for the Anne Crimmins for Umi Collection and features a repeated pattern of bags. It is completed with a series of gold handbag buttons.
45/365: Do you send Valentine’s Day cards? This bag of vintage cards was sold by American Greetings. The company was founded in Cleveland, OH in 1906 by Jacob Sapirstein - he started the business by selling postcards from his family’s horse-drawn cart.
46/365: American fashion designer Donna Karan began her career working with Anne Klein in the late 1960s before launching her own label. She released her first women's collection in 1985; 3 years later she expanded to launch Donna Karan New York.
47/365: Today's bag features the image of a white paper bag (talk about being meta!). The paper bag has several inventors and patent owners dating back to the mid-19th century but the strong, flat-bottomed bag we know today is credited to Margaret Knight in 1871.
48/365: This bold bag features the number 7 on one side and an 8 on the other. It was designed for Bloomingdale's by Swedish-born, NY-based illustrator Anders Wenngren under the direction of the Equitable Bag Co.
49/365: It’s London Fashion Week, so today’s bag is from London fashion house Burberry. The company was founded in 1856 and became known for its rainwear, even outfitting British troops in WWI. The iconic check was introduced in the 1920s initially as a coat lining.
50/365: The Italian-based clothing brand intimissimi was founded in 1996 in Dossobuono di Villafranca di Verona by the fashion group Calzedonia. The brand specializes in intimates and sleepwear.
51/365: Romanian-born Mario Badescu founded his namesake skincare brand in 1967. He initially created products in the kitchen of his two-room Manhattan apartment before opening his own salon on East 52nd street in New York.
52/365: This ornament features a Bloomingdale's shopper in fashionable attire holding the store's iconic Massimo Vignelli-designed big brown bags. It was part of a series of ornaments of Bloomie's shoppers. Originally purchased by the Forman family for $20.
53/365: The first Smythson boutique was opened on Bond Street in London in 1887 by Frank Smythson. Within only a few years the company would be commissioned to produce Queen Victoria's stationery. Nearly a century later they were granted their first Royal Warrants.
54/365: Milan Fashion Week has started so we're bringing you this Bloomingdale's bag featuring a Missoni pattern reminiscent of the Italian fashion house's colorful knitwear designs. The first Missoni collection was presented in Milan in 1958.
55/365: This attractive bag from Bloomingdale's hides a secret detail in the small print on its underside: it is made with stone paper. Stone paper is a tree-free paper alternative made up primarily of calcium carbonate (found in rocks). Plus, it's biodegradeable!
56/365: Today's bag is made from a bright green recycled plastic fiber. It features white block letters spelling out 'PEACE' alongside a dove holding a yellow wheat sheaf.
57/365: Today's bag features a white dove carrying an olive branch against a winter sky above the word 'peace.'
58/365: Today's bag is a triangular-shaped white paper bag with confetti detailing and the words 'joy, peace, beauty' printed in calligraphy.
59/365: A large segment of the Bloomingdale's bags in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags were designed through the Equitable Bag Co. The company was founded in 1921 by Maurice Rosenfeld and manufactures plastic and paper bags for retailers.
60/365: Johann Baptist Drechsler (1766-1811) was an Austrian painter. He captured intricately detailed still-life paintings, primarily of flowers. In 1787 he became a professor at the Manufacture Sign School of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.
61/365: The artist behind this c. 1792 painting of Mount Vernon is unknown. The scene depicts the west front of the mansion and is one of a pair of paintings held in the Mount Vernon Collection.
62/365: This contemporary paper bag features an historic fashion ad. The side panels provide close-ups and written descriptions of various types of winter bonnets featuring felt, plush, and velvet fabrics with feather accents.
63/365: Today's bag features Vincent van Gogh's Irises, painted in 1890, one of a collection of flower studies completed in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. His mother owned the original under her death in 1907; it now hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
64/365: Ringing in the weekend with a bag featuring work by American artist and illustrator Bessie Pease Gutmann. Her artwork was featured regularly in books and magazines in the early 1900s, including the 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
65/365: American artist Frank Stella is best known for his geometric patterns and shapes. He designed this bag with an abstract pattern for Dayton's department store (the parent company of Target) in 1984.
66/365: Tiger stripes and other animal prints first entered into popularity in American fashion in the 1930s following the release of the film 'Tarzan the Apeman' in 1932. Since that time, animals prints have seen cycles of popularity within the fashion industry.
67/365: Today's patterned Bloomingdale's bag features a Missoni design from the early 1970s. The Italian fashion house known for its patterned knitwear was co-founded by Rosita Missoni and was later headed by her daughter, Angela.
68/365: The Windy City takes prominence in the image on this Bloomingdale's bag. The Sears Tower and Lake Michigan are placed within a bowled hat illustrated by Kelly Stribling. The bag was produced under the art direction of Robert Valentine for the Equitable Bag Co.
69/365: In 1988, Bloomingdale's held a 'Hooray for Hollywood' themed dinner for 1,100 guests at their Lexington Avenue store. Movie stars and fashion designers were in attendance at the event that raised $450,000 for the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
70/365: Al Hirschfeld is the artist behind these caricatures of Broadway featuring performers Andrea Marcovicci, Tommy Tune, Chita Rivera, Carol Channing, and Debbie Allen. The bag was originally marketed for Bloomingdale's in 1990.
71/365: The French designer Sonia Rykiel, creator of the 'Poor Boy Sweater,' is behind this Bloomingdale's bag (Equitable Bag Co.). Rykiel founded a fashion label under her name in 1968 and is known as the 'Queen of Knits' for her knit designs and fashion techniques.
72/365: The original Bloomingdale's store opened by Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale in 1872 focused on women’s clothing; the brothers previously worked for their father in his women’s clothing store. Stock expanded as the store grew, eventually including men’s wear.
73/365: This striking Bloomingdale's bag from the spring of 1976 features a design from fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez (1943-1987). As was typical of his work, the bag features his first name only in the signature.
74/365: American pop artist Andy Warhol designed this bag for the September 27, 1977 launch party for the Rolling Stones' double live album 'Love You Live.' The party was held at the New York club Trax.
75/365: Today's bag features the The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album cover was designed by pop artists Peter Blake & Jann Haworth; it features 57 photos & 9 waxworks - including the bands' own figures from Madame Tussauds.
76/365: It seems only fitting to feature Bloomingdale's 1980 'Ireland: That Special Place' campaign today for St. Patrick's Day. It also represents the first campaign Tim Girvin worked on for Bloomingdale's, alongside Art Director John Jay.
77/365: Today's bag is a flat-bottomed paper bag from Disley's Grocers in the UK, located in the Rawtenstall Market. Rawtenstall is located in the borough of Rossendale, Lancashire, England and its market dates to 1906.
78/365: This Coca Cola paper bag is actually a sleeve or 'protector' designed with two open ends so it could slide over a glass bottle and absorb the condensation. This particular version dates to a 1927 patent by James A. Pipkin of the No Drip Company in Chicago.
79/365: Has a vending machine ever failed after you already paid? This refund envelope for the Coca Cola company allowed customers to recoup their losses. Vending machines for pop and soda bottles date to 1930 - and Coca-Cola was the first company to use them.
80/365: Carr's Stationers and Printers was founded in 1962 by Ed and Gloria Carr in North Reading, Massachusetts. The Hallmark franchise remained family-operated until its closure in 2021.
81/365: This July 1874 price list for Henry Staples & Co.'s patent machine paper bags was printed on the back of a US postal card sent to an address in Connecticut. The prices (listed per thousand!) are divided between wrapping, white, and manilla bags.
82/365: The Muskegon Chronicle is a daily newspaper in Muskegon, Michigan that has been in publication since 1857. This green canvas bag was originally used by paper carriers to collect money on their routes. The reverse side includes a belt loop.
83/365: David H. McConnell founded the California Perfume Company in 1886. Although the company would use the name 'Avon' on cosmetic packaging in 1929, they would not officially rebrand until 1939. The logo on this bag was used between 1947-1954.
84/365: Did you know that the famous slogan of Maxwell House coffee supposedly comes from an event in 1907 when President Teddy Roosevelt visited the Maxwell House hotel in Nashville and declared their namesake coffee to be 'good to the last drop'?
85/365: There are seven copies of this bag in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags. Their French instructions ('Eat fruits') and overall style are similar to mid-twentieth century shopping bags from France but the bags feature no manufacturer information to confirm.
86/365: The back of this bag features a hand drawn map with a note indicating the 'Lex store' - could it be pointing to the U.S. Paper Bag Co. that was based in Brooklyn and manufactured the bag? Or perhaps another destination was the plan? Mysteries in the archives!
87/365: Some people just don't know when to give up. A.O. Leonard was fined $250 in 1918 by the NYC Department of Health after they analyzed his 'Ear Oil' that he claimed cured deafness. He later moved his operations to Cleveland where he was again ordered to desist.
88/365: The First National Bank was founded in 1864 in Mercer County, PA. This coin deposit bag features the Great Seal and notes the bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. It was acquired by the Forman family near Altoona, PA in 2006.
89/365: The collection and trade of pearls has a very long and international history. In the United States, longer strands were particularly iconic during the Roaring 20s when it was fashionable to wear either single or layered strands of pearls.
90/365: Today's bag features 'Designs from a Victorian Scrapbook, circa 1895' from The Gifted Line. The Gifted Line was founded by John & Carolyn Grossman in 1985. Today, their extensive collection of Victorian & Edwardian ephemera is archived at the Winterthur Museum.
91/365: Designed by artist Susan Zulauf, this beautifully illustrated bag has us thinking we need to start germinating some seeds to get ready for planting! What do you plan to grow this year?
92/365: The Gulf States Paper Co. of Tuscaloosa opened Alabama's first paper mill in April of 1929; founder Herbert Westervelt entered the paper industry in 1884 in Illinois. 'The News Bag' was the company's magazine. The edition in our collection dates to 1937.
93/365: Known for his still life paintings, Flemish-born Dutch artist Ambrosius Bosschaert was one of the first to specialize in flower painting as a dedicated subject. His three sons would later follow in his footsteps, becoming flower painters in their own right.
94/365: Josef Breuer and Sigmund Freud's famous 1895 book 'Studien über Hysterie' (Studies on Hysteria) is featured on this bag from Freud Museum. The text would prove to be a defining moment in the establishment of psychoanalysis.
95/365: We think Smithsonian Traveling Exhibits put it just perfectly: The shopping bag is indeed 'Portable Graphic Art.' We agree so strongly that we've embarked on a year-long mission to tweet a bag a day from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags.
96/365: This gouache, oil, and ink poster was originally created by Joan Miró to promote an exhibit of his work at Galerie Maeght in Paris in 1953. Today it resides in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. This bag dates to a Miró exhibit the MOMA held in 2019.
97/365: This painting by Cézanne was produced on a bag for the 2005-2006 'Pioneering Modern Painting: Cézanne and Pissarro 1865-1885' exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The other side promotes the 'Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs' exhibit that ran at the same time.
98/365: In 2001, the Met Costume Institute created a touring exhibit featuring 80 outfits and accessories from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, marking the 40th anniversary of when she became First Lady. This bag is from the Field Museum in Chicago, which hosted the exhibit in 2004-2005.
99/365: The Art of the Motorcycle was an exhibit hosted by the Guggenheim Museum in 1998 that explored the historic evolution of the motorcycle both in terms of their technology and design. It featured 114 motorcycles spanning 100 years of motorcycle production.
100/365: In 1992 the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted the first major retrospective of paintings by Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte in 25 years. The show featured 150 of Magritte's works, including paintings, drawings, bronzes, and painted wine bottles.
101/365: From carrying groceries to holding packed lunches or concealing bottles of liquor, 'brown-bagging' holds many meanings. The term has also been used to convey frugality in general. In the mid-20th century it was a slang term for married naval officers.
102/365: What reminds you of past travels? This British Bear in a paper bag with a magnet on the back was sold as a memento tourists could take home and place on a magnetic surface (traditionally, the fridge door) to remind them of their visit to Great Britain.
103/365: Does food ever remind you of past travels? This miniature magnet is designed to remind the viewer of delicious breads eaten during travel to Israel, including challah, bagels, and baguettes.
104/365: This friendly miniature magnet bag with its pair of googly eyes and pipe cleaner handle is filled with a mix of craft supplies and a message proclaiming that 'I love crafts.' Adding to its sentiment of crafting joy, the arrangement appears to be handmade.
105/365: This 1960s-inspired design comes from Bloomingdale's and harkens back to a special era in their bag history. It was in 1961 that Bloomingdale's first starting issuing designer shopping bags. The decision would lead to many bags becoming collector's items.
106/365: Today's bag was part of Bloomingdale's 'Spain: Europe's Rising Star' campaign that launched in September 1990 under the art direction of Robert Valentine. The featured image presents a photograph of an easel holding a painting by artist Sigfrido Martin Begué.
107/365: In 1982 Bloomingdale's launched its Philippines, Land of Friends campaign. The seven-week promotion included cultural displays and Filipino-made products.
108/365: In 1978 Bloomingdale's ran its 'India, the Ultimate Fantasy' campaign. The six-week campaign aimed to sell more than $7.5 million in merchandise from India to American consumers.
109/365: At 2.9 million square feet, the King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania is the largest retail space in the U.S. and the largest shopping mall on the east coast. Bloomingdale's is one of seven department stores among another 450+ stores, boutiques, and restaurants.
110/365: In 1986 Bloomingdale's marked 100 years since the opening of their 59th Street and Lexington Avenue store in New York City. The seven-week promotional event was self-named 'The World of Bloomingdale's' and was celebrated at Bloomingdale locations nationwide.
111/365: This pink plastic tote from Bloomingdale's was acquired by the Forman family in 2005. It is one of 168 Bloomingdales bags within the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags. The collection as a whole counts 12,000 bags and bag-related items.
112/365: The original owner of this record sleeve asked The Beatles for their signatures when they visited the record store she worked at in Exeter, England in 1963. The band was looking for copies of their 1st album that had been released only 6 days earlier.
113/365: This hamburger bag signed by Elvis Presley was originally collected by Elvis Super Fan Robin Rosaaen who holds about 40,000 rare items and 80,000 photographs in her collection. She saw Elvis in concert 72 times, earning her the nickname 'Rockin' Robin.'
114/365: The 'little brown bag' has been well-known since 1973, but it was not Bloomingdale's first iconic slogan. In the early 1900s they boasted 'All Cars Transfer to Bloomingdale's' (in reference to the elevated train in NYC) on billboards, umbrellas, and comic strips alike.
115/365: In 1961 Bloomingdale's released its first designer shopping bag. The bag promoted their 'Esprit de France' exhibit and featured a design based on French tarot cards by artist Jonah Kinigstein.
116/365: One of the earliest handled paper bags for consumers was patented by Walter Deubener of St. Paul, Minnesota on May 27, 1929. Strings exit the bottom of the bag and extend around the exterior of the base to reinforce the weight of the contents.
117/365: A fantastical scene featuring a mountain range of books covers this Barnes & Noble bag. Barnes & Noble traces their history back to 1873 when Charles M. Barnes launched a book business from his home in Wheaton, Illinois.
118/365: The surreal scene on today's bag comes from Aeropostale. The retailer was founded by Macys and opened their first store in Thousand Oaks, California in 1987.
119/365: The logo of the Fruit Trades Federation appears on the top corner of today's bag with their slogan calling for people to 'Eat More Fruit.' They lobbied the British in the early 1900s, resulting in an increase of £1,000,000 on fruit spending from 1923 to 1924.
120/365: The traditional paper bag is made from Kraft paper, a manufacturing innovation that dates to 1879. German chemist Carl F. Dahl first discovered the process of heating wood chips to break them down into pulp. The pulp is then screened & bleached to form paper.
121/365: Happy May Day! This festival has an ancient history that spans multiple regions and is a celebration of the beginning of summer. In 1889 the date was also selected as International Workers Day, an annual event that recognizes the work and rights of laborers.
122/365: Paper bag innovation began in 1852 when Francis Wolle invented the mass-producing machine for envelope-styled bags. Margaret Knight invented a square-bottom in 1868. Charles Stillwell added pleated sides in 1883, & the Duebeners added string handles in 1918.
123/365: Since May of 1984 the first week of May has been celebrated as National Post Card Week. The annual event was started in the US but has since spread to an international audience who use the week to promote the excitement of postcards.
124/365: Do you send snail mail for certain holidays? Before greeting cards, postcards were sent for different holidays during the year. Christmas was the most popular for mailing but today Halloween postcards are more popular with collectors.
125/365: This creative bag holds within its folds a postcard featuring the 1961 pulp 'Lost City of the Damned' published under the name Alec Rivere (Charles Nuetzell). The cover art was created by the author's father, Albert Nuetzel.
126/365: Did you know that the classic 'Greetings from' postcards were created by Curt Teich in 1931? Teich was a German immigrant who founded one of the largest postcard publishing companies in the world in Chicago, Illinois.
127/365: This postcard highlights the new fire prevention construction of the Davenport Bag & Paper Co. in Davenport, Iowa. The build came after a 1901 fire destroyed 8 city blocks. The company produced paper bags, wrapping paper, & flour sacks.
128/365: The Kennedy Car Liner & Bag Co. was founded by Fred W. Kennedy in Shelbyville, Indiana in 1912. A billboard within the image on this postcard proclaims it to be the 'largest producer of hand made paper bags in the world.'
129/365: The Union Bag & Paper Corporation was an American pulp and paper company founded as part of a 1956 merger between the Union Paper Bag Machine Company (est. 1881) and the Camp Manufacturing Company (est. 1887). It was acquired by International Paper Company in 1999.
130/365: The St. Lawrence Paper Bag Co. was a bag manufacturer founded in Quebec City, Canada around 1905. This 1912 receipt features its original address on rue Sault-au-Matelot. The company would move three times within the city over the course of their history.
131/365: The Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines have a long tradition of creating woven baskets. This contemporary variation on the handicraft substitutes the traditional bamboo, palm, or vine with newspaper. It was made in Alcoy, a municipality of Cebu.
132/365: This bag is made from the Times of India Chennai, an edition of the Times Of India that launched in 2008. The TOI was first published in 1838 as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. Today it is the highest selling English-language daily newspaper in the world.
133/365: The art & tradition of basketweaving has a global history that dates back thousands of years. The oldest woven basket was found in 2021 in Israel and is estimated to be 10,500 years old. Today, basketweaving remains popular with new materials regularly used.
134/365: This 1970s Bloomingdale's bag was designed by American fashion designer and illustrator Michael Vollbracht. It was one of two iconic bags that Bloomingdale's commissioned from Vollbracht; at the time they paid him $500 per sketch.
135/365: This abstract bag was designed by Italian / Argentinian fashion designer Giorgio di Sant'Angelo for Bloomingdale's. His prints, tie-dye, and suede fringe were inspired by Indigenous styles and became popular within hippie culture beginning in the late 1960s.
136/365: The Balenciaga fashion house dates to 1918 when Cristóbal Balenciaga opened his first boutique in San Sebastián, Spain. Balenciaga initially expanded to Madrid and Barcelona but was forced to relocate to Paris during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.
137/365: Today's bag is from Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City. The bakery is perhaps best known for Chef Ansel's pastry creation known as the Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid that Time Magazine named one of the '25 Best Inventions of 2013.'
138/365: This Limoges box was hand-painted to look like the iconic Bloomingdale's 'Big Brown Bag.' Limoges are small, hard-paste porcelain boxes with a hinged edge that are produced near the city of Limoges, France. Their history dates to the mid-18th century.
139/365: This Bloomingdale's bag was designed by Robert Valentine and features the artwork of Katsu Kimura and K. Tejima. A poem wraps around the top of the bag, across all four sides.
140/365: Gift cards are common today but did you know they only date to 1994? Neiman Marcus was first to sell gift cards but Blockbuster was first to put them on display in store. This gift card from Bloomingdale's uses a play on the 'big brown bag' design.
141/365: The 1952 Summer Olympics were held in Helsinki, Finland. There were 69 nations who participated in what remains the northernmost city to host a Summer Olympic Games. This pin and matching envelope bag feature the stadium that was constructed for the event.
142/365: Eastern Air Lines operated in the U.S. from 1926-1991. 'Moonlight Specials' were offers of passenger seats on overnight cargo flights that Eastern began offering in 1985 between 18 different cities.
143/365: Trans World Airlines operated from 1930 to 2001. Originally founded as Transcontinental & Western Air, it ran routes within the continental United States until being acquired by Howard Hughes in 1939 and expanding to international routes.
144/365: This bag from the Photo Art Co. in Trenton, NJ was pre-printed with all the details needed from a customer. It dates to the first half of the 20th century, since the phone number doesn't yet include an area code (NJ was the first to introduce area codes in 1951).
145/365: Look closely: This multi-color rug was woven from a collection of plastic bags. How many bags do you suppose went into the rug?
146/365: This unique bag look-alike was printed by a Microsoft 3D printer at the Tysons Corner Shopping Center Microsoft Store for the donor of the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags, Howard Forman.
147/365: Who invented the corn dog? German immigrants in Texas may have introduced the dipped sausage, but they didn't serve it on a stick. Carl and Neil Fletcher are often credited with popularizing the 'corny dog' at the State Fair in Texas between 1938-1942.
148/365: This distinct oil painting originally hung at the top of the Forman family's stairs. What do you think the artist is trying to convey with the image?
149/365: This unique wall hanging is made entirely from wood - even the flag! It was carved by Sy Wengrovitz who specializes in carving clothing sculptures. He relayed to the Forman family that he had to redo the finish on this piece due to a spelling mistake.
150/365: This pair of U.S. Army leather saddle bags dates to 1917. At the time, there were 13 U.S. Cavalry regiments patrolling the border with Mexico. Additional regiments were stationed in the Philippines, the Panama Canal Zone, and Arizona.
151/365: Have you ever thought to paint on paper bags? This cake painting uses a collage of paper bags as its canvas. It is part of a series of three similar paintings held within the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags.
152/365: Duct tape as we know it today was developed during WWII by Revolite (part of Johnson & Johnson) to seal ammunition cases. It was a rubber-based adhesive applied to a duck cloth (a heavy woven cotton fabric). However variations of
153/365: This deployed air bag was part of a 2016 rear-underride safety test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The bag is from a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu LS which impacted the rear of a semi-trailer. There is still face paint on the bag that transferred from the dummy.
154/365: In 2004, 150 artist-created giant panda sculptures lined the sidewalks, parks, and office buildings of Washington, DC. 'Pandamania' was organized by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. 'Baggy Bear' was painted by Robert Alston and originally sat at 1666 Connecticut Ave NW.
155/365: Behind the doors of this 4-foot wooden 'bag' is a TV media cabinet! The detailing on the wood - both the finish and carving along the top - are designed to give it that true 'paper bag' look.
156/365: Did you know the first mass-produced toy marbles in the U.S. were made in Akron, Ohio? They were made from clay by S. C. Dyke in the early 1890s. Akron would remain the home of the marble, producing glass and machine-made glass marbles in the early 1900s.
157/365: This oversize bag was designed as the centerpiece of a window decorated by Lee and Howard Forman that contained bags from their collection for the 2002 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. It was 1 of 12 windows in the Woodward & Lothrop store.
158/365: This bag features the familiar smile of Elmo. The Sesame Street character may identify as being 3.5 years old, but they were actually designed by Caroly Wilcox in 1979.
159/365: Today's bag is still filled with vintage toy wooden blocks and pegs. It was manufactured by Paul Bonhop Toys Inc. in the 1940s.
160/365: Chapin & Gore gained fame after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 by rolling barrels of whiskey into Lake Michigan. The saved barrels were sold as 'Lake Whiskey' in the aftermath. The name 'Old Jim Gore' was trademarked in 1904 when they expanded to Kentucky.
161/365: Take a second look: This bag may look like a standard brown paper bag but it's actually made from ceramic! The bottom is signed 'Patrick 1975.'
162/365: Did you know Ziploc bags are the result of international invention? Danish designer Borge Madsen made the plastic zipper, Romanian inventor Steven Ausnit created the press-and-seal, & the Japanese company Seisan Nihon Sha manufactured the zipper on the bag.
163/365: This glass sculpture was designed to look like a Ziploc bag. The re-sealable plastic zipper bag was test marketed by Dow Packaging in 1968 after several decades of development. It gained popularity a few years later and is today manufactured by SC Johnson.
164/365: This clear 'plastic' bag and the little yellow goldfish 'swimming' inside it are both made from glass.
165/365: This pair of salt and pepper shakers have been styled to look like mini designer purses with their clasps and handles along the top. Made from ceramic and painted.
166/365: The umbrella dates back around 4,000 years - although it was used more to protect from the sun than the rain initially. It was in the 16th century that parasols began to be covered in oil and wax to help repel the rain.
167/365: The Federal Civil Defense Authority (a precursor to FEMA) operated from 1972-1979. Established by the U.S. Department of Defense, it coordinated civil defense programs, including fallout shelters, emergency warning systems, & preparedness planning.
168/365: Ever struggle to find the perfect gift? How about this American Greetings card designed as a brown paper bag? 'Tried to find a clever gift That's practical to boot, So here's the perfect thing for you...' Inside: 'A bag to hold your loot! Have a Happy Day.'
169/365: The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio by Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer in 1853. The company initially imported instruments from Germany for sale in the U.S. before beginning to manufacture their own pianos (later, organs, jukeboxes, etc.).
170/365: It's unclear who invented the tea bag. A patent was filed for a 'tea leaf holder' by Roberta C. Lawson and Mary Molaren of Milwaukee in 1901 while in 1908 Thomas Sullivan's samples of tea were sold in silk pouches that some customers put directly in water.
171/365: What can you do with a paper bag? The Amazing Maurice wrote this book in 1967 to explain how a paper bag can be used for vanishes, productions, exchanges, and forces in magic shows, emphasizing that 'Common paper bags do not attract any special attention.'
172/365: Snow globes were created in Austria in the 19th century as a way to create a brighter lightsource for surgical lamps. Their snow-like materials soon made them popular decorations. This globe was sold by Bloomingdale's and features their iconic Big Brown Bag.
173/365: The first patent for a snow globe in the United States was granted in 1929 to Joseph Garaja of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This contemporary snow globe was sold by Bloomingdale's and features a shopper in the globe placed atop a shopping bag ornament.
174/365: This limited edition Bloomingdale's bag was released in 2018 as part of the 'Let's Play' campaign, created in partnership with Nintendo of America. The campaign saw the release of a clothing collection that featured characters from Nintendo video games.
175/365: The colorful candy-coated chocolate, M&Ms, were first introduced to consumers in 1941. Within a decade, the company began to stamp each candy with the now iconic 'm' to distinguish them from imitators.
176/365: The Care Bears were originally designed by Elena Kucharik for use by American Greetings greeting cards in 1981. Two years later the bears would be released as plush toys before landing a TV series that ran from 1985 to 1988.
177/365: In 1996 Bloomingdale's partnered with Barbie to release this 'Barbie at Bloomingdale's' doll. Barbie wears a 'Bloomies' shirt underneath her silk jacket and holds a 'big brown bag.' The doll was one in a series of Bloomingdale's themed Barbies.
178/365: In 1997, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor founded the Juicy Couture clothing company in Los Angeles, California. In 2005, Barbie released these limited edition dolls in their image to recognize the international success of the pair.
179/365: Dick and Mac McDonald founded the now-international McDonald's fast food franchise in California in 1948, offering a 'Speedee Service System' and 15 cent hamburgers. Their success led the brothers to begin franchising the restaurants.
180/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags includes bags of all sorts, including this punching bag on a freestanding base from the Protocol company. This model can be inflated with a bicycle pump.
181/365: This ceramic bag was created by Nicole Miller for Mattel in 1995. It is painted in a collage of Barbie dolls and accessories including clothing, stores, and cars.
182/365: The Italian fashion house Prada was founded in Milain in 1913 by Mario Prada. They initially focused on luxury leather-goods before expanding when Mario's granddaughter Miuccia took the helm in 1978.
183/365: You won't be packing much into this tiny suitcase: it measures only two inches in width!
184/365: Odontorium Products, Inc. - better known as O.P.I. - started as a dental supplier. It was only after being purchased by George Schaeffer in 1981 that the company turned to nail polish and began abbreviating their name.
185/365: Sometimes a bag conceals its history and story. Produced by Carolina Retail Packaging, this plain white bag calls out the name 'fred' in large, bold font but provides no other details. Our research will continue until more information can be found.
186/365: Oceanography applies a variety of sciences to the study of the ocean. Since 1988, The Oceanography Society has worked both to advance this scientific study and to promote a broad understanding of ocean research.
187/365: The Wedgwood company was founded in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood in Burslem, England. They remain known for one of Wedgwood's inventions: An unglazed vitreous fine stoneware known as 'Jasperware.'
188/365: Struggling with seasonal allergies? You might be interested to know that Fexofenadine - known commercially as Allegra - was discovered as an allergy medicine by Raymond Woosley of Georgetown University.
189/365: Did you know that Oral B was the first toothbrush to go to the moon? It was part of an oral hygiene kit designed for NASA astronauts in the 1960s and was along for the Apollo 11 mission in 1969! (Today the space-faring toothbrush is on display at the National Air and Space Museum).
190/365: The Stage Deli was in operation for 75 years on Seventh Avenue in New York City, just two blocks from Carnegie Hall. Known for its Broadway-themed specials, the deli was opened in 1937 by Russian immigrant Max Asnas.
191/365: Since 1966, Balkan Holidays has operated as a specialist travel tour operator to Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Romania. While the company is based today in the UK, this bag comes from their New York office.
192/365: The Alaska Natural History Association is a non-profit organization that runs educational bookstores across Alaska. Incorporated in 1959, the Association is dedicated to public land education.
193/365: Research on the bags in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is an ongoing process. For today's bag we are calling out to you: Do you recognize the font logo on this bag? The bag reveals only the name 'Blush' with a call to recycle printed on the bottom.
194/365: This miniature ceramic beach bag hides a secret inside: A micro ceramic bottle less than half an inch in length painted with the words 'Suntan Lotion.'
195/365: A signature on the bottom of this ceramic mini bag reads 'Artoria' and indicates that it was painted by hand in Limoges, France.
196/365: This miniature ceramic is shaped like a decorative clutch purse and can even be opened like a clamshell. The pattern appears to be hand painted.
197/365: The Ave. des Champs-Elysées runs 1.2 miles between Place de la Concorde and Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, France. The famous street is known both for its luxury shopping as well as for being the finish line of the world's largest cycling race, Le Tour
198/365: The Klein Tool company has been in operation since 1857. Founded by Mathias Klein, a German immigrant who set up a forge in Chicago, they initially manufactured pliers and other hand tools for the burgeoning telecommunications industry.
199/365: This tote bag may be stamped 'paper bag' but it’s actually made from leather.
200/365: This delicately cinched bag with all of its folds and creases requires a second look: it’s made entirely from bronze!
201/365: This bag is more conversation starter than practical carrying device: Made entirely from metal, the top opens only 1.5 inches wide.
202/365: Is it a bag or a lamp? Looks like both to us! This copper-color metal bag forms the base of a table lamp, one of several unique bag-themed lights in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags.
203/365: This Bloomingdale's bag was designed as part of a 'Fête de France' campaign in the fall of 1983. Bloomingdale's locations displayed sculptures and paintings on loan from French museums while French-made inventory was brought in for sale.
204/365: Did you know that the character of Tinkerbell is 118 years old? She first appeared in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan play in 1904! Tinkerbell was a supporting character until becoming a crowd favorite in the 1953 Disney animation adaptation of Peter Pan.
205/365: This bag once held an inflatable balloon model shaped to look like a 1930s-style airship. Instructions reveal that a folded cardboard attachment was included to replicate the passenger cabin at the base of the airship.
206/365: The character of Dagwood Bumstead was created by Chic Young in 1930. He starred in the comic strip Blondie (named for Dagwood’s wife). After Chic passed away in 1973, his son - Dean Young - took over the comic strip which continues to be published today.
207/365: The Flintstone’s was a Hanna Barbera TV cartoon series that originally aired between 1960-1966 and was the first animation to take a prime time slot.
208/365: Have you heard of a peanut cleaning company? This bag of 5 cent peanuts was provided by the Lummis & Co. of Philadelphia - 'cleaners of peanuts.' The company specialized in removing twigs, stones, and dirt from peanuts before they were washed.
209/365: The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair featured 140 pavilions on a 646 acre property in Queens - the same location as the 1939 World’s Fair.
210/365: The United Paper Company originally operated a factory in Richmond, Virginia. Today, the building has been converted to residential units.
211/365: Beginning in 1954, Woolworth's worked with Oriole Records to introduce an exclusive record label into their stores that featured covers of popular songs. The recordings were originally sold in paper sleeves as 78RPMs before adopting 45RPMs in the late 1950s.
212/365: The 45 RPM record was first made available in 1949. Created by RCA Victor, it quickly surpassed the larger 78 RPM shellac records in popularity due to its portability and lower cost.
213/365: The Atlanta Paper Company produced paper, bags, and boxes at their factory in Atlanta, Georgia. The original seller dates this printed announcement from the company to 1904 in which they announce newly acquired machinery for making paper trays.
214/365: Do you have an historical bag hidden away in the corner of your home? This collection of lunch bags were found still in their paper wrapper by the original seller at their great-grandmother's home before being acquired by Lee L. Forman for her collection.
215/365: This bag from S. H. Knox & Co. features a handwritten poem on the back signed by Mr. J. I. Black. The poem advises that 'If you don't feel all right' and 'If you cant sleep all night' then 'Why in H-- don't you marry the girl' (censorship in original).
216/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags includes more than just bags! It is also filled with bag-related ephemera such as this pre-printed envelope from the National Paper Bag Co. which likely originally contained advertising and order information.
217/365: David Greig was a grocery store chain based in the United Kingdom that was founded by the Greig family in 1870. The chain was eventually sold in the late 1960s to Fitch Lovell, owner of a competitor: Key Markets.
218/365: Christiane Celle grew Calypso from the resort-wear boutique that she founded in St. Barths in 1992 into an international luxury fashion brand.
219/365: Established formally as a national park in 1890, Yosemite National Park measures nearly 1,200 square miles. It was designated as a world heritage site in 1984.
220/365: Hemisfair was the World’s Fair held in San Antonio, TX from April 6 to October 6, 1968. It coincided with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the city.
221/365: Nine different British cleaning companies are listed on this envelope-style bag with bright, bold font, all grouped under the title of 'Cleaners of Outstanding Merit.'
222/365: The New York World’s Fair was held in 1939. Food was a big feature: The Food Building included an exhibit of 150 years of food science and inovation in addition to the various food kiosks visitors could choose from.
223/365: Do you have a secret cake ingredient? The advertisement on this bag claims that Davis Baking Powder makes the best cakes. The company dates to the 1880s, founded by R. B. Davis in New York.
224/365: You may not have heard the term 'millinery' recently: It specifies a store that specializes in women’s hats and headwear (in contrast to 'hatters' which sell men’s hats).
225/365: The Brillo scouring pad was patented in 1913. Made from steel wool infused with soap, they are primarily used to scrub dish pans.
226/365: This specialized bag once held freshly laundered tennis clothing, cleaned by the ambiguously described 'special process.'
227/365: In 1900 Harvey Firestone founded Firestone Tires here in Akron, OH. Through Firestone’s personal friendship with Henry Ford, Firestone was selected as the original tire of the Ford Motor Company.
228/365: With text and an image providing road safety advice, we didn’t expect this bag to be from a furniture and appliance company.
229/365: Betty Boop made her debut in August of 1930 in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes. Aimed at an adult audience, her portrayal as an animated sex symbol caused problems with censors resulting in edits to her appearance and character over the years.
230/365: L. S. Ayres & Company was a department store based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1872 by Lyman S. Ayres, it remained in operation until 2006.
231/365: Founded in 1929 by Arthur J. Olsen, Fidelitone manufactured phonograph needles in Chicago, IL. The company expanded their musical manufacturing into the 1960s before transitioning to logistics, shipping, and supply chain management.
232/365: Victor Records was established in 1900 by Eldridge L. Johnson. It merged with Radio Corporation of America to form the RCA-Victor Company in 1929. Victor label records could be found until 1946, after which time they were named RCA Victor.
233/365: Cadwalader Washburn founded Gold Medal Flour in 1866, opening a flour mill on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN. His flour won the top 3 prizes at the First Millers Int'l Exhibition in Cincinnati, OH in 1880 and he began using the 'gold medal' name.
234/365: Brothers Arthur and Charles Libby and friend Archibald McNeil founded Libby's Veggies in 1868 in Chicago, IL. They originally specialized in canned meat packaged in triangular metal tins before expanding to canned vegetables and juices.
235/365: In 1921 Pep Boys Auto was founded by Emanual 'Manny' Rosenfeld, Maurice 'Moe' Strauss, Moe Radavitz, and W. Graham 'Jack' Jackson. The auto parts store operated in West Philadelphia; the 'Pep' name would come later in 1924.
236/365: There's a special message for someone sweet on this brown paper bag. Can you decipher it? The bag folds to form a Hallmark card featuring a series of camping tents with a stick figure soldier, a heart, and the message 'A Valentine from Camp.'
237/365: Talk about versatile! The 'Super Kart' could be used to take baby along to the grocery store, for feeding time, and for walks - all of which are helpfully illustrated on this Toodles bag.
238/365: During WWI, the Pennsylvania Railroad actively recruited African Americans from the South to work as porters, chefs, and waiters - as represented on this sandwich bag. Position were, however, limited with white unions blocking the more skilled positions.
239/365: Here's a fun local story: Life Savers were invented in Cleveland, OH in 1912. They were created by Clarence A. Crane who wanted a candy more suited to hot weather days. The characteristic hole was created due to a malfunction with the manufacturing machine!
240/365: What character did you have on your lunch bag as a kid? Mr. T was a popular choice, known in the 1980s for his role as B. A Baracus on The A-Team television series and later as Clubber Lang in Rocky III.
241/365: The National Wheatmeal Loaf was introduced by the Federation of Bakers to Britain in 1942. Its ingredients were a response to WWII rations, using wholemeal flour with added calcium and vitamins instead of white flour and sugar.
242/365: Did you know the classic popsicle on a stick that we all love was invented by accident? In 1905, Frank Epperson - 11-years-old at the time - left a glass with water, powdered pop mix, and a wooden stick out overnight. It froze and he found he had a fun treat!
243/365: The history of Arnott's Biscuits dates back to 1865 when William Arnott opened a bakery in New South Wales. Today, the company is the largest producer of biscuits and second largest supplier of snack food in Australia!
244/365: Do you collection sports memorabilia? How about athlete autographs? The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags contains this golf bag signed by many members of the 1994 Washington Commanders!
245/365: The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad - abbreviated as The New Haven - operated from 1872 until 1968 in the New England region.
246/365: This bag harkens back to the Second World War when widespread recycling was essential to the war effort. In this case, civilians were urged to save cooking fats to make glycerine, a key ingredient in explosives.
247/365: Fairies Starch was a vegetable-based powdered product based in Chicago, Illinois. Descriptions on its packaging proclaimed multiple uses ranging from laundry starch to face powder.
248/365: The British War Relief Society was a U.S.-based humanitarian organisation that operated during the Second World War. They supplied food, clothes, and medical supplies to British citizens.
249/365: In 1953 the General Telephone Company of Illinois was the fifth largest independent telephone company in the United States. It served more than 165,000 company-owned telephones and 222 exchanges in the State.
250/365: The Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags contains several commemorative bags from Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953. The event took place at Westminster Abbey, a year after she acceded to the throne.
251/365: Self-rising flour was patented in 1845 by Henry Jones. The added ingredients - baking powder and salt - serve as a leavening agent, making the product more airy.
252/365: This beautiful, mirrored illustration on a Bloomingdale's bag was designed by Michael Graves in 1984.
253/365: This vintage bag was designed for Bloomingdale's. One side features an abstract '19' design and the opposite side an abstract '83.'
254/365: This wonderfully bright Bloomingdale's bag was designed by Laurie Rosenwald in 1981.
255/365: Have you ever noticed the number of speciality bags you encounter in your day-to-day? This bag from the Midwest Fastener Corporation is specific to buying individual screws and bolts, complete with a fillable table to record each small item placed in the bag.
256/365: Page Wood illustrated this Bloomingdale's bag in 1981 with a tiger on one side and three cranes on the opposite side.
257/365: Waxed paper was first introduced for photographic negatives by Gustave Le Gray in 1851 but it didn’t enter the home kitchen until 1927 when Roswell Rausch developed Cut-Rite Wax Paper.
258/365: China: Heralding the Dawn of a New Era was a campaign by Bloomingdale's in which the Royal Family robes were displayed outside of the country for the first time. Under the leadership of Marvin Taub, $500,000 was raised to transport the robes.
259/365: This abstract Bloomingdale's bag was designed in 1987 by Jose Ortega under the art direction of Robert Valentine.
260/365: How deep is the pool? The illustration around this 1986 Bloomingdale's bag lists depths ranging from 4.5 feet to 15 feet. It was created under the design direction of John Jay.
261/365: This 1986 Bloomingdale's bag by Robert Goldstrom was inspired by the Indian Mughan court painting style, an artistic style largely confined to miniatures and book illustrations that date to the Mughal emperors of the 16th-18th centuries.
262/365: What do you see when you look at this abstracted Bloomingdale's design? We see food: an apple, a piece of cake, perhaps some strawberries - or maybe they're flowers? The reverse side features a similar design with a table and chairs.
263/365: This bright red lip collection was created by Marc Jacobs for Bloomingdales for their 2005 annual holiday shopping bag.
264/365: This advertisement bag for A. Gsell’s store in Clearspring, MD dates back to approx. 1870-1880. And according to the long list of items printed across the bag, it seems they sold one of everything!
265/365: Among the more unique bags in the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is this brown hunting bag that is made from woven bush rope and decorated with insect cocoons and shells. The bag was field collected in 1998 in Highlands, West Papua New Guinea.
266/365: 'Campbell's Soup Can on Shopping Bag' by Andy Warhol debuted at Ben Birillo's American Supermarket show in 1964 at the Bianchini Gallery. The bags were sold as an advertisement for the show at $12 a piece but became one of the most popular items featured.
267/365: 'Turkey Shopping Bag' was created by Roy Lichtenstein as promo for Ben Birillo's American Supermarket exhibit at the Bianchini Gallery in 1964. It was sold for $12 alongside Warhol's 'Campbell's Soup Can on Shopping Bag.' The bag is signed by Lichtenstein.
268/365: This dapper Bloomingdale's bag featuring a herringbone tweed jacket and polka dot tie was designed by the American fashion designer and illustrator Michaele Vollbracht, one of several he designed for the department store chain.
269/365: Do you read Vietnamese? Your skills could help us translate and interpret this large plastic bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags.
270/365: This bag was designed by Laurie Rosenwald for Bloomingdale's. Text along the side panels announces the arrival of the New York-based store in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1990.
271/365: This detailed 1970's Bloomingdale's bag was illustrated by Helen Vucovic for their Christmas campaign. Text at the bottom of the bag reads 'come, let us believe in magic again.'
272/365: Did you know that the San Diego Zoo is over a century old? It was founded in 1916! This bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is a throwback to when they were celebrating their 70th anniversary back in 1986.
273/365: Today's bag comes from Paradores, a Spanish tourism company that has been in operation since 1910. In their early history they were involved with setting up the hotel industry and contributed to marketing Spain as an international travel destination.
274/365: This cleverly designed plastic bag is a German advertisement for a product that discourages nail biting.
275/365: This beautiful view of a street in Vail, Colorado on this bag serves as advertising for a series of local stores. The photo is credited to Peter Runyon.
276/365: The Aquarium in San Sebastian, Spain began as the Gipuzkoa Oceanographic Society in 1908 with the Aquarium opening in 1928.
277/365: This envelope is from the original 1915 copyright sheet music of the World War I hit song, 'Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smille, Smile!' The song was written by George Asaf with music by Felix Powell.
278/365: The Bloomingdale's font was created by Herb Lubalin. He used a sans-serif font in all lowercase that is similar to Avant Garde Gothic Extra Light, adding also the overlapping O's to form an infinity sign.
279/365: This woven plastic Bloomingdale's roller bag has wheels along the bottom and a wooden platform inside to reinforce the base. Wheels were first added to suitcases by Bernard D. Sadow in 1970; a style he patented two years later.
280/365: This fantastical illustration from Bloomingdale's dates to the 1980s. It was designed under the direction of the Equitable Bag Company.
281/365: This illustration was designed by American artist Mark Kostabi for Bloomingdale's in 1986. The shadowed image features his characteristic faceless figures.
282/365: Did you know that according to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon comes once every 12 years? To mark the occasion in 1988, Alan Kikuchi designed this bag for Bloomingdale's.
283/365: This 1989 Bloomingdale's bag was designed by photographer Geof Kern for the Vice la France campaign.
284/365: Do you have a bag for your BBQ utensils? How about storing them in a miniature golf bag like this gem from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags?
285/365: This orange-brown bag features a painted design in earth-colors that repeats on both sides. The bag is formed of metal panels with copper handles.
286/365: Bags aren't only used for storage, sometimes they protect us. This plastic zippered specimen bag is used to protect users from inadvertent exposure to leakage or contamination when transporting bodily fluids for medical testing.
287/365: October was a big month for the T. H. Hart Company of Philadelphia, PA. They registered their Quaker Pure cigars on October 14, 1912 at 8am (how's that for specific?) and later opened a new factory at 306 New Street on October 12, 1914.
288/365: The Coffee Beanery was founded by JoAnne and Julius Shaw in 1976. Today the company has over 100 locations throughout the U.S. and 20 locations internationally.
289/365: Did you know that in 2012 archaeologists unearthed 6,700-year-old corn cobs with puffed kernels in Peru? That’s some old popcorn!
290/365: This miniature bag features a classic patchwork pattern formed from multicolor leather pieces.
291/365: Did you know that the etymology of 'burlap' is uncertain? It is thought to derive from the Middle English 'borel,' meaning 'coarse cloth,' but may have roots in the French 'burel' or the Dutch 'boeren.'
292/365: This miniature bag appears to be made from recycled or handmade paper. It bears the imperfect texture of the paper making process along with embedded flower petals, creating a 'softer' appearance to the material.
293/365: The changing of the leaves is a symbol of autumn in many parts of the northern hemisphere. It is caused when plants stop producing chlorophyll as a result of the cooler temperatures, causing their leaves to lose their green color.
294/365: This is a bag you don’t want to put anything in! The clear plastic windows of the house design allow the viewer to look through to an illustration from of a living room located on the back interior panel of the bag.
295/365: A beautiful fall scene for a beautiful time of year.
296/365: This bright yellow ceramic bag harkens back to childhood memories with the elephant, clown, and truck poking out at the top.
297/365: The top right corner of this ceramic bag features an angled lid that blends into the bag design of the piece.
298/365: This Bloomingdale's bag features a beautifully simplistic Scandinavian design of two houses in bright colors against a blue background.
299/365: Halloween is just around the corner! This black bag comes complete with an inflatable ghost who protrudes from either side of the bag.
300/365: What's bag do you take Trick-or-Treating on Halloween? How about an inflatable purple bat to set the mood? This Halloween classic is originally from the 'Scary Carries' series.
301/365: Be careful or this inflatable 'Scary Carries' bag just might fly away from you!
302/365: This 2004 bag features a retro reprint of a classic Beistle Company image. Since the 1920s, the company’s designs have helped to popularize many of the images associated with Halloween in the United States today.
303/365: The black cat has had a long association with 'Halloween' that dates back to the Celtic celebrations of Samhain.
304/365: The history of carving a jack-o-lanterns dates to Ireland when people used to carve faces in turnips to scare away the soul of 'Stingy Jack,' a character from Irish myth who tried to trick the devil and was forced to roam the earth for eternity.
305/365: Did you know that the oldest pumpkin seeds were found in Mexico and date to somewhere between 7,000-5,550 B.C.? Today there are over 45 varieties of the classic fall squash.
306/365: This plush cat bag could easily double as a stuffed toy! It was purchased by Lee Forman at The Hecht Co. department store in Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Virginia in 2004.
307/365: This envelope-style bag from Gwaltney Quality in Virginia is pre-printed with a fill line. What do you think it was intended to be filled with?
308/365: This paper bag features a recipe for Virginia Waffles from the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Key notes specify to boil the cornmeal ahead of mixing the ingredients + to beat the egg yolks and whites separately. Full recipe reads: 1.5 cups boiling water, 0.5 cup white cornmeal, 1.5 cups milk, 3 level teaspoons Calumet Baking Powder, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 2 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately. Cook meal in boiling water 20 minutes. Add milk, then flour, sugar, baking powder and slat sifted together, yolks of eggs beaten until thick; butter and whites of eggs beaten together until stiff. Cook as waffles.
309/365: This bag by the Ellenor Art Co. features nine US presidents in the facial hair hall of fame and one honorable mention. Which one is your favorite?
310/365: U.S. Savings Bonds are what financed federal programs throughout the Great Depression and World War II, and remained a popular investing method during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, when this bag was made.
311/365: Did you know that George H. W. Bush's inauguration in 1989 set a single-day record of 604,089 trips on the Washington Metro that wasn't beat until the end of the Gulf War in 1991?
312/365: This paper bag puppet is one of four puppets created by The Urban Press for the 1984 presidential campaign with users encouraged to 'stage their own debates!'
313/365: The Reagan Library is an archive and museum with memorabilia from President Ronald Reagan's time in office, as well as where Nancy Reagan is buried. It even includes a piece of the Berlin Wall!
314/365: Ballot bags are used to transport paper ballots from one place to another. While security features of these bags have developed over time, they started with bags like this, from Missouri in 1934.
315/365: No newspaper? No problem! This canvas bag has a New York News front page printed onto it announcing Jimmy Carter's presidential win.
316/365: This bag is from George W. Bush's second inauguration in 2005 when the infamous
317/365: Woodrow Wilson ran for president in 1912--over 100 years ago! We have to wonder what he might have been carrying around with him in this large canvas bag stamped with his name.
318/365: Bill Clinton's 2nd inauguration in 1997 was the 1st inauguration to be live streamed on the internet! The event included the singing of the national anthem by Santita Jackson, daughter of Civil Rights activist Jesse Jackson and Michelle Obama's maid of honor.
319/365: This bag isn't just any campaign tote bag--John McCain signed this canvas bag during his 2008 presidential campaign.
320/365: Before Jimmy Carter's presidency, he owned a family peanut farm. Even though he put the farm into trust when he was elected, that did not stop his name--or in this case, his image--from being seen as synonymous with peanuts.
321/365: This canvas tote bag is a souvenir from George H. W. Bush's and Dan Quayle's inauguration in 1989. Bags like this are made for most inaugurations, and often feature the president's name, the vice president's name, and the year.
322/365: Back in 1992, Bill Clinton said that while he had experimented with marijuana, he 'didn't inhale.' Poking fun at the incident, this bag advertises the drug with the claim, 'No need to inhale!'
323/365: Political apathy is nothing new: This bank bag from the 1992 presidential election sympathizes with the voter who wished there were a third option.
324/365: Dwight 'Ike' Eisenhower was president from 1953 to 1961. This rhyming slogan was a key part of his 1952 campaign - and a hard one to forget!
325/365: Keep your car clean and promote your favorite candidate! Litter bags were once popular campaign items on both sides of the aisle.
326/365: In 1993, randomly selected visitors were welcomed into the White House to greet the new President and Vice President--and left with this bag as a souvenir!
327/365: This paper bag features a painting of the Statue of Liberty by Peter Max, a German-American Jewish artist who experimented with bright colors in his artwork in the 1980s.
328/365: The 2005 inauguration was the first to take place after 9/11, leading to an extreme increase in security, including 13,000 police and soldiers. Even so, George and Laura Bush, signaling strength, both walked outside the bulletproof car during the parade.
329/365: Who needs a voter's guide when you have a brown paper bag? This bag from 1964 features the names of all of the Republican candidates running for office in Morris County, New Jersey.
330/365: Feeling patriotic? So is
331/365: Today in history, this bag was used to collect and transport ballots in a Springfield special election in 1956.
332/365: This Polaroid carrying case from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags still contains the camera it was designed to hold along with different sizes of flash bulbs. The company dates to 1937 and was founded by Edwin H. Land.
333/365: This unique bag is a World War II BG-164 waterproof bag made by the U.S. Rubber Company and used by the US Army. The bag was designed to carry water-sensitive items - this one still holds a metal cylinder with a ream of Kodak photo paper.
334/365: This beautifully illustrated bag uses shades of turquoise, purple, and white to bring to life a snowy forest scene.
335/365: French artist and print maker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec produced this poster of La Goulue, a cancan dancer, for the famous Moulin Rouge in December of 1891. The 3,000+ copies displayed throughout the streets of Paris made him an overnight success.
336/365: This conservation science bag from the National Zoo Pandas shares info about how the National Zoo works to protect species like the Giant Panda. Today there are as few as 1,864 Giant Pandas living in their native habitat.
337/365: This bag comes from the Narukawa Art Museum, a private museum by Lake Ashi in Hakone, Japan that features Japanese-style paintings collected by Minoru Narukawa. It was opened to the public in 1988.
338/365: This bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags is from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum building opened in 1939 in Cooperstown, NY. Today it holds more than 40,000 artifacts donated by players and fans.
339/365: The tradition of decorating gingerbread cookies with faces using icing is often credited to Queen Elizabeth I who had cookies made to resemble dignitaries visiting her court.
340/365: The word 'wreath' is derived from 'writhen,' an old English word that means 'to twist.' Hanging wreaths is part of many ancient traditions. At times, wreaths were associated with status and victory before becoming a part of Christmas traditions.
341/365: Holly is known as 'christdorn' in German, meaning 'Christ thorn.' The plant was adopted by Christians as a symbol during Christmas: the sharp leaves of the plant symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus and the red berries are representative of his blood.
342/365: Did you know the earliest known photograph of a snowman was taken by Mary Dillwyn, a Welsh photographer, in (approximately) 1853? The photo is today held within the collections of the National Library of Wales.
343/365: This Bloomingdale's holiday bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags dates to 2001. It features a penguin tying a ribbon on a wrapped box held between its feet underneath the store's slogan: 'Where the best gifts come true.'
344/365: This 1985 Bloomingdale's bag from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags features an abstracted winter illustration by John Priman.
345/365: Folk painter Karen Jakobsen was commissioned for the illustration of the Lexington Avenue Bloomingdale's store that appears on this 1982 bag. The image was also sold in poster format and was one of two holiday store designs completed by Jakobsen.
346/365: The names of Santa's hard working reindeer were first shared by Clement Clarke when he wrote 'The Night Before Christmas' in 1822.
347/365: This holiday Bloomingdale's bag features an original painting of the store by Tony Bennett created in 2008 as part of the 'Oh what fun' campaign. Look closely at who accompanies Santa in the taxi cab: The dog is based on Bennett's own Maltese.
348/365: The look of the now-classic red suit with white trim and black belt worn by Santa Claus in North America is typically attributed to drawings by Thomas Nast in the 1870s. While there are international differences in Santa's outfit, red is a consistent theme.
349/365: Have you mailed your letter to Santa Claus yet? Each year, Santa receives millions of letters from children around the world - but did you know the tradition originated with Santa being the one to leave letters?
350/365: The character of the Grinch first appeared in the 1955 illustrated poem 'The Hoobub and the Grinch' published in Redbook Magazine by Dr. Seuss. The Grinch returned in his famous role of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' in 1957.
351/365: This 1983 Neiman Marcus Christmas bag features a prancing Santa Claus illustrated by American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The name 'Nina' is hidden within the swirling lines, a tradition of Hirschfeld's in the years following his daughter's birth.
352/365: The first day of Hanukkah begins today at sundown. Among the traditions observed during the eight nights of the Jewish holiday is the dreidel game which involves a four-sided spinning top inscribed with letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
353/365: The chorus of the Christmas carol 'Angels We Have Heard on High' features the line 'Gloria in excelsis Deo.' When sung, the 'o' of 'Gloria' is sustained by the singer(s) through 16 notes of a rising and falling melody.
354/365: Standing under the mistletoe is a Christian tradition in which two individuals are expected to kiss. Although the tradition has a long history, the 1952 song 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus' is one of the earliest popular music references to the practice.
355/365: A popular Christmas tradition in medieval courts was the Lord of Misrule in which a jester would be named mayor of the city for the holiday season. As part of their role, the jester would make humorous proclamations for residents to do.
356/365: The character of Maxine was created by Hallmark artist John Wagner in 1986 for a Shoebox Greetings card line. The character was based on several generations of women who helped to raise him.
357/365: Did you know that Bing Crosby's 1942 recording of White Christmas holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling Christmas single world-wide?
358/365: This 1979 bag from Bloomingdales 'Christmas at the Dawn of a Decade' campaign features Santa Claus delivering gifts while wearing a jet pack in space. The design is signed by Bob Alcorn.
359/365: Some people attribute the tradition of hanging a stocking to legends surrounding the life of Saint Nicholas - which explains why stockings were originally hung on Saint Nicholas Day. Their association with Christmas Eve / Day began in the early 1800s.
360/365: The menorah at Hanukkah has space for nine candles: one for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah and a ninth to light the others. Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are traditionally lit from left to right.
361/365: The popular winter song 'Frosty the Snowman' was first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. It was written by Walter
362/365: Do use wrapping paper when giving a gift? It was first used in 1917 by Rollie and Joyce Hall after they ran out of tissue paper at their stationery store in Kansas City, Missouri. The brothers would rename their store Hallmark in 1928.
363/365: Coniferous trees are often referred to as 'evergreens' because they do not typically lose their leaves in winter, therefore staying 'ever green' throughout the colder season.
364/365: Capracotta, Italy holds the record for the greatest snowfall in a 24-hour period. On March 5, 2015 the city recorded 100.8 inches of snow!
365/365: Dec 31st is the 365th and final day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It also marks the end of our 2022 #BagOfTheDay project in which we highlighted a bag a day from the Lee L. Forman Collection of Bags.