Bonnet
MillinerMade by
Unknown
Dateabout 1837-1847
MediumHand-stitched cotton satinet, silk lining, plain weave linings, cardboard and paper inner linings, and unidentified stiffeners
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (length x width x depth): 10 x 7 x 11 1/2in. (25.4 x 17.8 x 29.2cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
DescriptionWoman's bonnet of taupe cotton satinet. The bonnet brim appears to extend at the top directly from an oval-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, flat crown. There are seven casings in the brim into which a flat stiffener, approximately 1/2-inch-wide, has been drawn. The satinet fabric is lightly gathered over the stiffening material. The casings continue at the back of the bonnet, two being gathered on the back of the crown in an oval or teardrop shape. The edge of the brim is rounded at the corners, extending back approximately 7 1/2 inches to where the crown drops down around the back of the neck. The edge is trimmed with a 1 1/8-inch-wide box-pleated ruffle that continues around the corners to where the curtain is stitched around the back of the neck. The curtain is lined with a loose-weave fabric. The ruffle is stitched lengthwise down the center, creating a double layer. The brim is lined with a white silk. A 1 1/4-inch-strip of fabric lines the beginning of the crown. The rest has been replaced by muslin. Examination of the interior of the bonnet by opening this modern muslin reveals inner linings of cardboard and printed paper, including references to States, the Ohio Penitentiary system, and November 30, 1830. The ties are made with a continuous ribbon, 2 7/8-inches-wide, that is attached under the ends of the curtain and run around the back of the bonnet. The total length is about 63 inches, the ends of the ties cut in swallowtail. Half the taupe-colored ribbon is a satin weave, the other a moire taffeta.
Object number1988.181.0
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