Documenting Hats at the Museums Resource Centre.

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Sam van de Geer

Women's Straw hat, early 20th century, worn on Langley Farm Leafield. OXCMS:1979.111.5

A few weeks ago the improvements to the documentation of hats at the Museums Resource Centre began.  Twenty Five hats were moved into the textile store photographed from specific angles and measured.  All information has now been added to the modes database.

The movement of the hats has sparked the imagination of staff and volunteers a like, “What was that hat worn for?” they ask, “I wonder who would have worn that” and then the conversation progressed “I used to wear hats all the time I don’t do that anymore, I should start wearing a hat again” Lots of sighing and excitement has been generated, bodes well for the future exhibitions.

 This week the rest of the hats arrived inside the Textile Store.

Cloche straw hat with purple silk ribbon decoaration.

Cloche straw hat with purple silk ribbon decoration, 20th century. OXCMS:1964.5599

 

About Sam van de Geer

I am a social history conservator and have worked at the Museums Resource Centre for 13 years. I'm appointed on this project as the Organic Conservator and responsible for training, web presence of the collections and conservation for the exhibition at The Oxfordshire Museum. This project is an exciting oppurtunity to focus on a specifc area of the collection that relates to oxfordshire and to forge links with all the partnership museums and historical institutions involved. My expertise with the Oxfordshire County Council textile collection has developed during this time and with the help of 11 volunteers the textile collections care has improved greatly.
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