Woman's Ostrich Feather Hat

Description:

Dating from 1910-1912, this woman's hat is trimmed with ostrich plumes. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was an ever increasing demand by hat makers for plumes, especially ostrich, to decorate women's millinery. With new legislative restrictions on hunting wild birds for fashion, ostrich farming became a successful enterprise in California, Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida in the 1880s so that feathers could be clipped from the farmed birds to satisfy the American demands for hat making using ostrich feathers.

This hat is made of ivory silk and trimmed with plumes of a pale ivory shade. The underside of the hat brim is covered with black silk velvet. The ostrich plumes were extended by tying on barbs cut from other ostrich plumes. It measures 8.9 inches by 18.3 inches by 15.9 inches overall.

Date Made: 1910-1912

Location: Currently not on view

Used: Feathers

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Costume, Government, Politics, and Reform, Clothing & Accessories, National Treasures exhibit

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Web Publication: http://americanhistory.si.edu/treasures

Related Publication: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History, National Museum of American History. Treasures of American History online exhibition

Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Alice Matthew Terry Love

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1972.299884.008Accession Number: 299884Catalog Number: 299884.8

Object Name: hat

Physical Description: silk (part material)feathers (part material)Measurements: overall: 225 mm x 465 mm x 405 mm; 8 7/8 in x 18 5/16 in x 15 15/16 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a1-3238-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_334166

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