HATS OFF TO YOU: A New Display at the Clayson House Museum
Hats in Victorian times were primarily used for protection from the sun and
to avoid getting injured. However, in later years, hats became a symbol of
authority and a style statement. The Palatine Historical Society will be
featuring a vintage and Victorian hat display on the second floor of the
Clayson House beginning April 1 st . Be sure to come see some of the hats in
our collection. This new display will change three times a year and feature
some of the many and varied items in the PHS collection that there is not
room to display all of the time. Come visit the Clayson House to see some
of the treasures in the Palatine Historical Society collection…Hats Off to
You. And remember, it was polite for men to tip their hat in greeting, and
they always removed their hat when inside. We have a hat rack by the front
door for this purpose. Ladies, on the other hand, would never leave the
house with their heads uncovered and could keep their hats on when they
went inside. A woman’s hair was often styled to accommodate the style of
hat she was wearing. It would have been held on with ribbons, ties, or hat
pins.
Headwear, in one form or another, has persisted throughout history. Hats
are representative of both fashion and social changes during different time
periods. Women’s hats of the late 1800’s generally had tall crowns, wide
brims and were fairly large. Wide-brimmed hats with elaborate decorations
of feathers, flowers, ribbons, and bows were popular in the 1880’s. The
demand for feathers and even entire stuffed birds to adorn hats led to a
decline in over 60 avian species around the turn of the century. It is not a
coincidence that the American Audubon Society was founded in 1886, and
that the English Society for the Preservation of Birds was formed in 1889.
They advocated for the conservation of bird species. Did you know that
baseball umpires originally wore top hats during games? Did you know that
hat pins could be as long as 18 inches???
Be sure to stop by the Clayson House Museum to see these vintage hats
that date from the 1840’s through the 1920’s on display April through July.