Child's cotton sun hat

Date1890s

Object number00018349

NameHat

MediumCotton

DimensionsOverall: 790 x 440 mm, 0.1 kg

ClassificationsClothing and personal items

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThis white cotton 'mob cap style' child's sun hat is decorated with layers of decorative lace. The brim is covered in cloth buttons and has several circles of ribbing on the underside to create stiffness. Two wide lengths of cotton tie in a bow at the chin.HistoryBy the early 1900s a thriving tourist industry had become well established around the seaside towns of Australia. The beach had become a place for rest and recreation. Men, women and children took up the fashionable pursuit of promenading along the seashore. Wearing the 'uniform' of a white sundress, decorated and accessorised with hats and pinafores, usually white, to protect precious clothes and complexions from the harsh Australian climate, girls enjoyed playing beside the sea. White, cream, or ivory dresses were seen as a symbol of wealth during the Edwardian era. Wearing white or cream-coloured clothing meant you either had a maid at home or you could afford to pay another to wash your clothes. SignificanceThis is a rare surviving example of a late Victorian child's sun hat.