Hello 19th century experts! I'm trying to date a bonnet which was donated to the museum where I work -- but 19th century bonnets are not my area of expertise. The donors called this a "pumpkin" bonnet from "early 1800s" but I have doubts about that, and the only similar examples I found in a quick internet search were American Civil War era. I'm inclined to go with a "circa 1860" date but I'd be delighted to hear from someone who actually knows something! :-)
The bonnet is made of brown silk, constructed in concentric rows of thick ruching, with tiny bows at the top center of each row, and a short bavolet. It's softer and more spherical in shape than this one (because the back is less defined and the bavolet is not as heavily gathered): http://darlinganddash.com/bonnetcardboard.html I don't yet have a picture of our bonnet -- but go ahead and make suggestions anyway. No matter what, I'll learn something! Thanks, Suzanne _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
