bonnet
Province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch
Tous droits réservés.
| Nom de l'objet : | bonnet |
| Catégorie de l'objet : | personal artifacts |
| Sous-catégorie de l'objet : | clothing-headwear |
| Matériaux : | fur, beaver fibre, silk |
| Numéro d'accession : | NB 984.1.4 |
| Date de fin de production : | 1830 c |
| Description : | Black in colour. Lined with beige silk and beige mesh. Lacy fringe of ovals surrounds the edge of the lining. Long and wide brown-pink ribbons are attached in a bow at the crown. |
| Commentaires : | Local advertisements of the period all suggest the bonnet was purchased for a young woman such as Isabelle Andrews, the youngest daughter of Sheriff Elisha Andrews, around 1830. This date is consistent with the history St. Andrews and the Andrews family, as well as fashion trends of the time. The great commercial era of St. Andrews began in the early 1820s. Not only was St. Andrews the shiretown of the county and a garrison town for British soldiers, after receiving the designation of outport, then "free port," St. Andrews quickly developed into a vibrant merchant community. Sailing ships were built and sold to Great Britain and there was a flourishing trade in fish and lumber with the West Indies. New capital was attracted to the town and by 1830 St. Andrews had become an important shipping port in New Brunswick, second only to Saint John. The first official provincial census, taken in 1824, showed 2,263 inhabitants. It was during this era that Sheriff Andrews moved, with his wife and seven of his nine children, to the newly-built brick house at the corner of King and Queen Streets. Although little is known about their household possessions, government records reveal the Andrews' family ranked among the most highly taxed families in the community, an indication of their standing in the community. At the same time, questions have been raised about whether or not Elisha Andrews was financially prepared to build a new home and the source of funding for the construction of the house at this point in time. This was not unusual for the time as, increasingly, appearances were becoming more and more deceiving. In earlier days, social ranking was evident in the quality of one's clothing. Textiles, trimmings and style of a garment reflected the income of the wearer. Gaily coloured woolens, rustling silks, and elaborate embroideries had been worn by English women for centuries, and the greater their wealth, the richer and more elaborate their dress. Everyone could judge strangers by their clothing and treat them accordingly. By the turn of the nineteenth century, this was becoming increasingly more difficult. The growth of the merchant class was partly responsible. More and more people could afford fancier attire, and even those who could not afford it often spent their money on finery. The changing fashions of the day also played a part, as the trend toward greater simplicity in dress resulted in the titled woman and the servant wearing similar fashions. Changing fashions in hairstyles prompted a change in headwear for women. As women began to wear their hair dressed on top of the head, high-crowned hats and bonnets began to appear. The hair, coiled on top of the head, set the angle for the bonnet. The bonnet reigned supreme and noteworthy is the fact that, from this period, the term has been reserved for the feminine hood-shaped hat which ties under the chin. Hats and bonnets made of beaver, felt, velvet, silk, plush, gros de Naples, leghorn and chip straw came into vogue, especially in the 1820s when the very large hat and the very large poke bonnet vied with each other for first place, reaching an extreme size by 1830 and 1831. The feminine head, both indoors and out, was nearly always enhanced by some form of head attire. There were nightcaps, "rising caps", morning caps and, worn under the large hat, lacy theater caps. When out-of-doors, hats of beaver or straw (depending on the season) would be worn over caps, and demurely tied under the chin. The masculine bandbox of the seventeenth century was returned to use - not for the gentleman's bands or collars but instead for the lady to carry her cap in to a party. Once there, she changed her bonnet for the frivolous lacy cap. It was customary to wear beaver in shades of in fawn, gray and white during the day; black beaver was worn at night. Though the cornet or cap was of all sizes and shapes and adapted to every costume and every occasion, the wearing of caps began to decline in the 1830s. Sometimes the cornet was simulated in lacy frills sewn to bonnet or hat. This bonnet shows evidence of this transition, with its lacy fringe of ovals surrounds the edge of the lining. Also during this time, ribbon was the rage. Hats and bonnets would sport ribbon bowknots and floating ribbon streamers, with the ends cut into points. Shot, damask and watered silk were designed in rich combinations of colors. Broad ribbon of colored gauze was striped with silver or gold and plaid and checked ribbons were inspired by the novels of Sir Walter Scott. It is not surprising that the years between 1815 and 1840 were dubbed "The Romantic Period" by the fashion industry. Thomas Turner took out an advertisement in the local paper on November 30, 1833 announcing the arrival of goods received. The variety and quality of his stock indicates Mr. Turner catered to the needs of every social class: from "Broad Cloths" and "Scotch Homespun" to "Water'd Moreens" and "Damask"; from "China" to "Earthen ware"; from "Slates" to "Ebony ink Stands." Also included among the seasonal items offered are "woolen Gloves and Mitts", as well as "Chinchilla and Squirrel Muffs" and "Womens and childrens Beaver Bonnets." Also operating in St. Andrews in 1833 was a milliner by the name of Mary I. Ross. Polished beaver hats began to appear about 1823 but did not achieve popularity until the 1830s. The sale of beaver decreased gradually to 1844 and 1850; the substitution of silk hats became more marked after 1839. After 1859 beaver ceased to be sold by the pound - conclusive evidence of the disappearance in the consumption of beaver for beaver hats. With marten, production was closely related to expansion in the Mackenzie, the Yukon territories, and remote areas where the Company exercised an effective monopoly control (The Fur Trade in Canada, Harold A. Innis, p. 344-345). By the 1860s, bonnets were no longer in style, but furs were still extremely popular, fashionable, and a symbol of status, according to the following excerpt from a letter dated October 9, 1855 from Dr. Edward DeWolfe. He wrote to his wife Maria, who was at home in St. Andrews, from his room at the Stubbs Hotel in Saint John: I looked at some furs today. The whole comes to œ12.0.0, an enormous sum for such a small quantity of furs - but there it is - 'tis the fashion to pay four times as much for the article as it is really worth. Furs are extremely high in England and monied fools pay for a rare name. The Canadian marten is counted the best here. We must conform to the fashion. You must have the furs and I will purchase them." |
| Établissement : | Province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch |
| Ville de l'établissement : | Fredericton |
| Province de l'établissement : | New Brunswick |
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