Hats

Hats fascinate me. I love hats but on other people - not on me.

I wish I could wear hats. I still buy them hoping that "this one" will be different - that it will "suit" me - but so far no luck. So they gather dust on my closet shelf.

Now here's a hat for you.

This hat was part of the costume one of the readers wore for the Candlelight in Gettysburg the other week-end.

The hat was a wonder and reminded me of my great grand aunt and god mother, Annie Grose. Annie Grose was my daddy's great aunt and also his god-mother. Aunt Annie was 68 years old when I was born and was always the oldest person I knew.

Born in 1868 Annie would have seen many hats like this one when she was growing up. She must have loved them because she became a milliner and spent her working career making hats. She worked for Ivey's Department Store in Charlotte. NC. Funny, I don't remember ever seeing her wear at hat.

The White Plume Hat is my all-time- favorite vintage hat. It is worn by my grand-mother
Ellie Hall Keasler Baer.

Ellie Hall was probably about 18 when she stood for this picture - draped with furs and wearing the white plume hat. Since Ellie worked at Ivey's too I have often wondered if Aunt Annie had a hand in creating that hat.

Ellie Hall married Gus Keasler and they were my mother's parents.
I knew her as Granny - and she was a very important woman in my life.