Tag Archives: hats/headcoverings

Mrs. Kate Mike Sets Sail for France, 1933

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Lynn

In my search for images of women on Veterans Day, I quickly discovered that the most common pictures were of Gold Star mothers, women who had lost children in American wars.  The group was founded in 1928 for mothers of … Continue reading →

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Hats with Bows, 1948

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Lynn

The back of this photo says “Simpson Sisters,” and then in another hand gives the date of 1948.  Like many older women, these two happy sisters did not keep up with the latest styles. The one posed in front has … Continue reading →

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Flowers and the Older Women—Violets, Yes; Daisies, No

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Lynn

Did you know that flowers can carry messages far behind the beauty of the blossoms? I was reminded of the language of flowers in an excellent exhibit of vintage clothes at my university. The graduate student curator, Ayrika Johnson, assembled … Continue reading →

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Gold Star Mothers on Memorial Day, 1924

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Lynn

With all the talk of road trips and crowded airports, Memorial Day is mainly known as the official start of the vacation season in the United States.  However, its original purpose was to honor war dead.  Read this fascinating articles … Continue reading →

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Mother’s Day at the First Christian Church, 1973

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Lynn

The First Christian Church of Corpus Christi, Texas decided to honor the oldest and youngest mothers in the congregation on Mother’s Day, 1973.  What a wonderful contrast between the outfits of the very old and still quite young.  We can … Continue reading →

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Unruly Seamstresses in the 1930s

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Lynn

The Works Project Administration (or WPA) is best known for funding murals and highways in the Great Depression. However, it also started programs aimed specifically at women. One was the WPA sewing project, which employed thousands women creating garments for … Continue reading →

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Easter Bonnet Luncheon, 1961

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Lynn

This photo comes from a very large archive of work by Charles “Teenie” Harris, housed at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburg.  Harris was a staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier, a major African American newspaper in the mid … Continue reading →

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Mae Reeves, Queen of Hats

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Lynn

You might know the names of famous black fashion designers—Ann Lowe is having a moment on sewing sites right now.  But how about black milliners?  One the biggest names in that field is Mae Reeves (1912-2016), who ran an extremely … Continue reading →

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An NAACP Meeting in Los Angeles, 1949

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Lynn

If we didn’t have the title, “NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], Los Angeles, 1949,” it would be hard to guess the context of the photo. This looks to be an organizational event taking place in the … Continue reading →

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Christmas in Minidoka, 1943

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Lynn

When Japanese Americans were removed from their homes by presidential order in 1942, they were sent to a number of concentration camps for the duration of World War Two.  One was Minidoka, located near the town of Hunt, Idaho.  Taken … Continue reading →

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