Icons and Eye Candy

What does a handbag say about a woman's personality and the time she lived in? The Museum of History and Industry is running an exhibit called "Clutch It! The Purse and the Person." It displays over 3,000 purses which reveal daily life and society through this accessory. The collection of bags goes back a century, from Edwardian ladies to hippies and beyond to the superwomen of today. And there was the very same suede purse with fringe and beads I thought was so cool back in 1968!

To get to the library on the lower museum level, a visitor passes through the "Hall of Icon's and Eye Candy." Most of the objects and signs are instantly recognizable if you've lived in the Northwest:

Remember the "Wild Ranier" beer advertisements?
How about the sign from behind the counter of the campy and beloved "Dog House" Restaurant?
If you've ever seen a Northwest parade, you'll recognize Lincoln's Toe Truck...
And the "Kidd Valley Burger Babe" sign, gazed at by untold numbers of teenage boys.

The clever, racy sayings advertising the Lusty Lady peep-shows were a downtown icon for decades. When the Lusty Lady finally closed, the museum scored their sign and I got a good laugh when I walked by this the other day. You have to love historians with a sense of humor!