Bid on purses at historical society fundraiser

Get yourself ready for the 2015-16 fall and winter seasons or buy your holiday gifts early when the Mount Prospect Historical Society holds its biennial "Power of the Purse" handbag auction Thursday, Oct. 29, in the community room of the Mount Prospect Village Hall, 50 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect.

The event will feature a variety of new and almost-new designer, vintage, quirky and handmade purses for adults and children, and messenger bags, donated by retailers, members and friends of the society. So far brand names include Coach, Fossil, Dooney and Bourke and more.

Of special interest will be a variety of handmade purses and bags, ranging from quilted purses to a felted wool purse, made by members of the Sew-Bee-It Quilters and the Mount Prospect Historical Society board of directors.

Mayor Arlene Juracek of Mount Prospect has even donated a new purse for inclusion in the bidding.

The evening, which will begin at 7 p.m., will feature a mix of wine, desserts and both silent and live auctions. The event supports the restoration of the one-room 1896 Central School, 103 S. Maple St., on the museum campus.

Reservations, which are limited, are requested by Monday, Oct. 26, and can be made for $10 each at the museum or via PayPal at www.mtphist.org.

Contemporary writer/poet Carrie Teresa Maison said it best when she wrote, "A purse not only serves a functional purpose. It is a symbol of a woman's personality. You can tell a great deal about a lady just by the purse she carries. The impression is just as important as the contents inside."

For information, call (847) 392-9006 or visit www.mtphist.org.

The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect, through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and businesspeople.

On its campus in the heart of the village, the society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum and carriage house and an ADA-accessible education center. The society is also in the midst of an adaptive restoration of the 1896 one-room Central School, which was moved to the museum campus in 2008.

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