Feather Winged Hat - 1900-1920 Women's Fashion - Cabinet Gem Card Unique Size - Liegel Cooper Photo

This confident lady is ready to take off with a plethora of white wings on her hat. A widespread fad in the Victorian era and even into the Edwardian era, bird feathers from egrets, herons, and even ostriches adorned these fanciful ladies' hats. One ornithologist in 1886 remarked that three-quarters of the ladies he saw on the streets of New York adorned their hats with feathers! Not until legislation banned feather importations in 1918 did the U.S. see a decline in the excess of feathers on headgear. 

This photo was taken by Liegel Cooper in the Chicago Portrait Company studio. Cooper was a prolific photographer in New York and Chicago and took photos of many socialites in the big cities!

Height: 5 1/4"
Width: 3 3/8"

Condition: Small stains and foxing due to previous storage conditions.