Those of us who love purses know that a purse is like an additional appendage- you get so used to having it attached to your arm that separation is strange and disorienting. It’s little surprise, then, that we purse fans take careful time to select and utilize the perfect pocketbook for us. A handbag is a window into the lives of many of the women I know: A peek inside will help you understand their daily life and maybe get a sense of what they find stylish.

At the Boulder History Museum, the traveling exhibit Pocketbook Anthropology takes a look at bags from the 1880s onward, giving us a glance into the lives and looks of the ladies at the time.

Paired with quotes from women that would have lived during that purses’s lifetime, the exhibit might just be an ideal look into how fashion and practical toting and philosophy all intermingled for women during each historical handbag period.

Running through Nov. 30, the exhibit sounds like a blast and a chance to reflect on what we’re each carrying today, and why.

So let’s get interactive! In the comments, do respond: What kind of bag to you carry, and what sort of anthropological conclusions can you draw from it? (I totally want that chicken purse in the picture for Xmas.)