New acquisition: 1860s black horsehair and straw trimmed bonnet
The Center for History recently received a large portion of Fern Brown Graber’s personal collection of ladies’ hats and bonnets, representing 120 years of fashion trends and materials. One such item is a Civil War era bonnet, trimmed in horsehair and straw, and lined in beige silk with black silk ties. The bonnet is rigid but visibly light due to its composition. Horsehair was utilized in the 1800s for many purposes due to its versatility. In addition to its use in men’s shaving brushes and furniture upholstery, horsehair was easily dyed and woven into tight braids or textiles, appearing particularly in hats and structural undergarments. Some horsehair bonnets show horsehair woven in floral designs and later examples reveal the introduction of gold, silver or steel-colored thread accents.
