Bonnet
1840s (Date manufactured/created)
Straw bonnet on view in the Strong-Howard House Store un 2012. From Nancy Rexford's 1994 Costume Survey: "And the next one is #5000, and this is another mid-1840's bonnet. Maybe even early forties. This is sort of interesting because it seems very clearly -- well I don't know -- No I guess it is, but it's a mid-40s bonnet anyway and it still has some of its trimming. It originally had this net which was pleated over the pink silk, and the flowers - I do not know that they are original, but the ribbon probably is. The ribbon looks okay to me. Rosette on the side and the bavolet - most people who would retrim bonnets would not know how to do it right. And they did sometimes put flowers on the inside of this spot so it is possible that those are original flowers and I would not remove them anyway. I would definitely keep them in--that's a definite keep. Whereas one of the preceding two plain straws you could deaccessing. In fact you could put the bavolet with the one in the better condition, whichever one you decide is in better condition."
2016.001.019