Pictured here is a “leghorn” bonnet, a popular style in the early 19th century. It is probably made of rye straw. Women in New England could work at home braiding rye straw for hats as part of the “putting out system”. This was at a time when it was not proper for a married woman to have a job outside of the home.
Bonnet. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/mh-d-235/. Accessed on December 7, 2024.
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