Woman's Hat
Subject
Accessories
Title
Woman's Hat
Date
1870
Format
8 1/2 inches long (21.5 cm long)
Description
This rust-colored velvet bonnet is trimmed with black jet beads, small ostrich plumes, and fabric flowers. It was part of a going away outfit of rust brown silk worn by Arabella Rodman who married John Robinson Nichols on June 16, 1870.
The mid-19th century was a revolutionary time in fashion, which caused women to adapt quickly to changing styles. Skirts reached their widest proportions with the help of cage crinolines in the mid-1860s before shifting to a bustle silhouette later in the decade. Bonnets also changed from big to small, sitting closer to the back of the head and exposing the forehead. Bonnets were considered to be the correct attire for formal occasions while hats were reserved for the countryside or seaside.
References
Severa, Joan L. 1995. “The 1870s.” In Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900, 311–13. Kent: Kent State Univ. Press.
The mid-19th century was a revolutionary time in fashion, which caused women to adapt quickly to changing styles. Skirts reached their widest proportions with the help of cage crinolines in the mid-1860s before shifting to a bustle silhouette later in the decade. Bonnets also changed from big to small, sitting closer to the back of the head and exposing the forehead. Bonnets were considered to be the correct attire for formal occasions while hats were reserved for the countryside or seaside.
References
Severa, Joan L. 1995. “The 1870s.” In Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900, 311–13. Kent: Kent State Univ. Press.
Source
Donor: Samuel Tourjee
Samuel Tourjee inherited this hat, along with other items, from Maude Bixby Nichols (11/30/1884 - 04/13/1975), daughter of Arabella Rodman Nichols (08/16/1847 - 11/21/1923) and John Robinson Rodman (11/26/1845 - 02/15/1921).
Samuel Tourjee inherited this hat, along with other items, from Maude Bixby Nichols (11/30/1884 - 04/13/1975), daughter of Arabella Rodman Nichols (08/16/1847 - 11/21/1923) and John Robinson Rodman (11/26/1845 - 02/15/1921).
Identifier
URI 1974.24.02
Contributor
Hannah Wood
Collection
Citation
“Woman's Hat,” Historic Textile and Costume Collection, accessed May 5, 2024, https://uritextilecollection.omeka.net/items/show/425.