Bonnet
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Mrs. Nellie Palmer
1817 - 1912
MillinerMade by
Unknown
Dateabout 1870
MediumMachine-stitched and hand-stitched braided straw with silk ribbon trims, net lace, wire, velvet, and lining of glazed cotton fabrics and heavy paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 7 x 6 x 4in. (17.8 x 15.2 x 10.2cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of Grace Bigelow Churchill
DescriptionWoman's bonnet, entirely black, made from narrow braided straw. The bonnet is trimmed with satin and net lace bows, with a brim lined with velvet. The brim, two inches wide at the center top, flares up and away from the face. It is edged with covered wire for shape. The sides of the brim curve smoothly down the sides to join the side of the crown. The brim and crown are not separate pieces, rather, the straw is sewn together by machine in a continuous spiral from the center back. Two additional lines of braided straw arer sewn a scant 5/8 inch away from the edge for decoration. Two bows of satin, stiffened with wire and ties with net lace, are stitched to the center top of the bonnet on the brim. A rosette of lace, and a wing of lace stiffened with wire, are part of the decoration. The crown is two inches wide at the side, with a flat back five inches wide and approximately 5 1/2 inches high. The back is flat across the back of the neck, trimmed with two-inch-wide satin ribbon stitched along the bottom edge, extending out to become the ties (22 inches long and angled at the end). A satin ribbon bow is stitched at the back of the neck, over the bottom of the crown. Wire is also attached at the inner angle of the brim, where the glazed cotton lining is stitched around the edge. This lining is drawn in at the back with gathering stitches, with a small bow of grosgrain ribbon sewn to the top. A second piece of cotton can be seen beneath, with an inner lining of heavy black paper.
Object number1998.15.4
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