Gold and white Vera Whistler hat with hatbox belonging to Etta Moten Barnett

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This is a Vera Whistler gold and white fabric hat (.1) and hatbox (.2ab). The hat (.1) has a gold-colored crown. The gold fabric around the forehead is sewn in tight horizontal gathers. The rest of the crown material is smooth. A brim composed of white fabric flares out and up from the crown. It reaches a high peak in the front of the hat and gradually slopes down on both sides to meet at a lower point at the back of the hat. The interior is lined in dark red shiny fabric. There is a fabric tag sewn to the interior of the grosgrain sweatband. The tag is white with red text that reads “VERA WHISTLER / ORIGINALS.” There is a small white paper sales tag attached to the interior by a string. The hatbox (.

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