Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - April 8, 1984
By LaVonne Waldron
Vigo County Historical Society

Birds, feathers, plumes adorned yesterday's hats

" Where did you get that hat?"

Even in the midst of a collection of extravagant millinery, today's treasure attracts attention, just as it must have for its original owner.

An old photograph album, preserved by the donor of the hat, Louis Froeb offers two photographs of his Aunt Elizabeth Mueller Herzog (Mrs. Bernard Herzog) wearing this fashionable creation.

The answer to the question of where the hat came from is sewn to the fine silk lining. The label reads: "Frances J. Light, Fine Millinery, Terre Haute, Indiana."

This elegant establishment employed a designer and, during the busy spring season, as many as three or four trimmers.

The designer created the hat, suggesting a basic buckram form flattering to Mrs. Herzog and taking note of her preferences for the shape and the fabric and trimming. When the perfect design had been agreed upon by the customer and the designer, the hat was completed by the trimmers.

The hat was probably designed for Mrs. Herzog about 1913 in the shop at 713 Wabash Avenue. One is left to wonder about the cost, but millinery of this quality was not inexpensive.

The hat is a fine black silk velvet. The artistically draped crown features a handsome 12 inch black bird on the right side. Black ostrich feather tips curl around the elegant brim and a pink velvet rose and green sateen leaves add a touch of color. A flowing black ostrich plume completes the design.

During this era, there was am enormous demand for hats trimmed with birds, bird feathers and plumes. A gathering of ladies often resembled a "flock of birds."

Albert Light, the nephew of Frances J. Light, recalls a memorable hat from his Aunt Fanny's shop was designed for a customer using a full bird of paradise. The hat sold for $125.00. Another source reports a hat of this period that caused much comment featured a rooster perched on the crown with tail feathers drooping over the brim in the back.

The cost of these ornaments in terms of bird life turned the tide of public opinion against such trimmings and the fashion fell from favor.

Sears and Roebuck catalogs and other advertisements from the years just following the turn of the century illustrate the fantastic hats worn during the period prior to World War I. Mrs. Herzog's photograph album contains many delightful photographs of herself, her family and friends, as well as pictures of the destruction of the 1912 tornado and flood. The lovely hats the ladies wear in the photographs help us understand the listing of 21 milliners in the 1912-1913 City Directory.

Several hats are on display in the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.