Woman reunited with purse lost at her high school 65 years ago

Handbags. — (Image credit: Chaloner Woods/Getty Images)

Workers demolishing the old Jeffersonville High School in Indiana discovered an accidental time capsule from the 1950s.

While ripping out cabinets in a science classroom, the crew found a simple black purse. Inside it was a blast from the past: the 1953-54 basketball team's schedule, a lipstick, a ribbon for coming in first in the mile relay at a track and field event, ID cards, and a letter asking the purse's owner, Martha Ina Ingham, to prom. Ingham was a 1955 graduate of Jeffersonville High School.

Greater Clark County Schools wanted to reunite the purse with its rightful owner, and last week it posted a photo and message on Facebook. Two of Ingham's children reached out, and because the family no longer lives in the area, the purse will be packed up and mailed. "I hope this little piece of history brings back fond memories of her year at Jeffersonville High School," Erin Bojorquez, public information officer for Greater Clark County Schools, told the News and Tribune. "I also hope to answer the community's burning question about who took Marty to prom."

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.