Object ID
F2013.47
Object Name
Bag, Tagari
Object Collection
Object Entities
Topping, Nick (owned by)
Topping, Nicholas (is related to)
Object Description
This tagari bag is made up of a long rectangular purse with a long red and white braided strap. The bag has a series of five horizontal designs. The central band is large than the others and is flanked by two bands on top and bottom that mirror each other.

The base color of the bag is a light coral. The two outermost bands have a design of blue ovals in two close and slightly overlapping rows so that it appears to be one undulating line. The soft blue is on a black backround. The next bands are plain white strips with a very thin dashed line of the background pink. The large central band has a geometric wave pattern in bright purple. Both sides of the baga re identical.

The skinny braided cord creates a pattern of red and white that runs along the long sides of the purse (or at least they would if it wa still attached all the way) and ends in two pompoms at the very bottom of the purse. The pompoms include other colors including black, orange, blue, and yellow.
Origin
This item was found in a box marked as having been donated by Nick Topping but does not have any further documentation. The bag was most likley one of the items in his store.

Topping was born Nick Topitzes in 1918, the son of Greek immigrants who operated a grocery store in Milwaukee. Nick Anglicized his last name to avoid the rampant ethnic discrimination facing many Greeks at the time. After graduating with a degree in history and communications, Topping was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, where he served in counterintelligence in the Mediterranean. When Topping returned to Milwaukee after the war, he invested in what he knew best, and opened a general/grocery store, Topping and Co. International House. From then on Topping became a advocate for social peace and activism against the rampant racism of the time. He is also responsible for bringing the Beatles to Milwaukee. (Source: "Topping Brought The Beatles" by Sarah Biondich in the Express Milwaukee)
Rights and Reproduction
The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org
Citation
Bag, Tagari, Nicholas Topping Collection, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/9797. Accessed 03/28/24.