Purse of Peace

Anon.

Purse of Peace, 1960’s

Woven cigarette packaging

Nevada State Prison, Carson City, Nevada

Peace is a multicolored tote bag with a red lining and working zipper, made with forgotten brands such as Chesterfields, Larks, Viceroy and many others. This piece was made to standout. 

The Nevada Territorial Legislature established the Nevada State Prison or “NSP” in 1862 in Carson City, NV.  In 1903 the prison became the states sole facility to carry out all executions by lynching.  And 7 years later the state pass legislation that gave death row inmates the choice of how
they would like be executed.  The choices where death by a firing squad or lynching, until 1921, when they introduced the gas chamber. 

The Nevada State prison closed in 2012 however all of the states executions were still carried out in the prison’s perfected gas chamber until 2016.