MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1934, Page 8

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

AMUSING COLLECTION

The best hats women were wearing when war: broke out in 1914 have become museum exhibits (writes " Margaret Lane in the-"Daily Mail,).- -. ■ Big as shields and magnificent witK white, wing feathers and velvet they are. poised behind glass ?in "a new exhibit at the London Museum, and women stop in front of them with little squeals of recognition and. dismay. Just fancy! I remember wearing one of those!" .. . . Do look, Blanche! Here's a pink straw with daisies,' like the one I wore when: I:was Eleanors bridesmaid. ; .'- ." : ."

They are the: hats'of the Lily.Elsie period,; and. already look as romantic, ; as improbable as the fantastic little bonnets in the upper part of the ease. • Nearly three feet across, with a froth. of wired lace billowing up one: side i of the : crown—how did'our mothers i keep them balanced On their elegant I heads? - ; ... - = '."■- . .',. PILES OF HAIR. The secret, of course, is the hair, '- eombea up over a-band,land coiled ; round and round on theitopin a shining •= pile. You tilted the huge hat da'shing-.. Iy on this foundation and ■ ran it' through and through with pins. : "'"■ A ' Then, with your "hobble, skirt, : high! 5 lace ''neck" supported'on little bones,; and big flat muff hanging to your knees, ':- you drew admiring glances: '(or--- felt V you did) wherever you--went; ■: - Milliners for some /undiscovered -rea-I son always describe their latest confee- ' tions as being the very- epitome of "sophisticated simplicity." Without'a sdoubt that was how the milliner who': designed it described the tiny yellow ; velvet bonnet .(le derner cri de 1865) in the same exhibit, which—since it; shows the highlights of hat fashions from 1812 to 191^-might be called a-r Century of Bonnets. . .. .■-; . ■:. Oh, that yellow velvet-bonnetl Not i much; bigger than a teacup,' it would perch on. the very back of your head, ' where your long hair was piled up in. \ shining coils. * , PREPOSTEROUS HEADGEAR. ; ;• It is far too sophisticated for m-• "young person," and must surely have v been worn by-va'midTYictbiiani -' married," or even a member of the-; elegant fast. set.. Note what it has > onit: Two stuffed humming-birds.-An. ■ imitation butterfly. An irridescent ■ dragon-fly. ~-Ai wreath -of .purple-Tel- i vet pansies. And a quivering hand- i ful of dyed grasses! . .-• ■ ... ,::V\ '■ I wonder if the London .Museum :, is already collecting some of our own preposterous headgear, saving-it up to -. pxhibit in glass, cases-' to another in-' credulous public1 in 1954? ?

I "suspect some of the stocking-topi hats, fezes,, microscopic berets,; and! other fancies will be harder to believe ; than even the quivering dyed \ grasses;; and the, bottle-green humming birds! -;