That Girl

Anon.

That Girl, mid-1960s 

Woven cigarette boxes

James River Correctional Center, State Farm, Virginia

That Girl is a fold-flap purse rendered in warm, earth tones that evoke the look of tortoise shells and ivory. Its designer used double-borders to establish wider complementary fields that make deft use of a closely related palette with tonal variations. By freeing the double-borders that edge the purse of identifiable references, the lines become abstract linear features of its overall design. The same approach is encountered in the broad areas that abut the borders. A central field in the design, by contrast, make repeated use of the image of image palm trees. The thoughtful use of abstract and concrete elements combined with the careful balance of colors lends the purse a wonderful sophistication.  

The James River Correctional Center was built in 1896 and became fully operational in 1913. It was a medium-security facility housing just over 450 men. Inmates at James River made brick in a foundry located within the premises. Its campus was noted for its handsome clock tower. By report of prisoners and staff, the prison was haunted by a headless ghost. In 1969, major damage was caused by Hurricane Camille, and in 2011, the facility was closed. Today, it is a tourist attraction that is sometimes used as a Hollywood film set.