Description:
Woman's large brimmed, deep crowned hat from ca 1910. The construction of a deep, large crown with a corresponding small interior opening for the wearer's head meant that these hats looked even bigger when worn, just perched on the top of the head rather than sitting down lower. Crown is decorated with pale pink silk satin (pleats are arranged in a pinwheel fashion), and a large, sheer white rose with painted petals with a rubbery stem (thorns have deteriorated and fallen out). In a nod to realism, the green rose stems were even painted with detail to resemble water droplets. Inside crown measures 2" deep and 5" across. Brim is 3" on sides, 3.5" front, 2.25", 9" across top (tapering to 11.5"), 4" tall. The top of the hat is covered in a pale pink ribbed silk, while the underside is covered in pale pink velvet. Label inside crown "Deal/ LADIES HATTER/ 104 MAIN ST./ GREENFIELD, MASS."
Label Text:
By 1910, large, wide-brimmed hats frequently crowned the slim, columnar silhouette of women’s gowns. Inside, the actual crown is reduced in size, forcing the hat to perch higher upon the wearer’s head, and thus appear larger. Such a construction meant that long hat pins were essential to anchor these hats to abundant hair (real or enhanced). Local milliners, or hat makers, could be as sophisticated as their urban counterparts. In this example, a nod to realism is achieved with the silk roses’ green stems painted with detail to resemble water droplets.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+95.808 |
