item details
NameWoman's hat trimmed with ostrich feathers
ProductionUnknown; Circa 1919; New Zealand
Classificationhats
Materialsfeather, velvet
Materials Summaryhand sewn velvet hat with ostrich feather trim
Techniqueshand sewing
DimensionsOverall: 390mm (width), 70mm (height)
Registration NumberGH017583
Credit lineGift of the McCredie family, 2012
Overview
This wedding hat is trimmed by ostrich feathers purchased by the bride's fiancé when he was in Cape Town on his way to the Western Front in 1916.
He arrived back in New Zealand in May 1918, and when the couple married the bride chose to wear a plain navy blue suit, instead of a white dress. This was out of respect for her brother, William Robert Cranstoun, who had been captured by the Germans in in April 1918 and was not released until a few months after the Armistice.