Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Civil War Carpetbag


The carpet bag, originally an inexpensive bag made from remnants of imported Oriental hand-made (Turkish or "turkey") rugs and carpets and later from fabric specifically produced for bag making, lent its name to a group of war-profiteers and scavengers, "carpetbaggers", who rushed to the ravaged south at the close of the American Civil War in order to make a fast and easy profit during reconstruction.

Because they were often cheaply made, and due to their hard use and susceptabilty to moth attack, not many survive in good condition. (from one of our other sites: www.vintageluggage.com)

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