Information produced by the Thames Discovery Programme for a family event at the RSPB Rainham Marshes, June 2011

1. VICTORIAN HATS
Hats were popular throughout the Victorian period.
They were worn much more than they are today. Both
children and adults wore a variety of hats and caps.
Hats were worn for all sorts of
occasions such as:
1) To indicate a person’s job or as part of
a uniform
2) For wearing when in town, or in the
country
3) To indicate the status or importance of
a person.
In Victorian times it was much easier than
today to tell from a person’s dress how
much they earned, what they did for a
living or where they came from.
Practical concerns did influence hat
design, however, in the later years, the
hats became a symbol of style statement
and authority. The kind of hats worn by
women and men were different.
Images from http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

2. Men’s Hats
The top hat (a tall silk hat)
was generally worn for
formal day and evening wear.
A light grey top hat was worn
in the 1860s for racing
parties. In the 1870s, there
was a rise in the number of
hats that were considered
appropriate for informal
wear. The wide-awake, a broad-
brimmed felt hat with a low crown was popular as a
countryman’s hat. Caps of firmly woven wool which were
close-fitting were also worn by the Victorian men.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel

3. "Mad as a hatter"
The Hatter is a character in the story of Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland, written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, who first appears
in Chapter 7 "A Mad Tea Party". The phrase "mad as a hatter" was
common at the time and had been in use since 1837. In 18th and
19th century England mercury was used in the production of
felt, which was used in the manufacturing of hats. People who
worked in these hat factories were exposed daily to trace
amounts of the metal, which accumulated within their bodies
over time, causing some workers to develop dementia caused by
mercury poisoning. So the phrase "Mad as a Hatter" became
popular as a way to refer to someone who was seen as insane.
http://www.exit109.com/~dnn/alice/rackham/rack8.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_as_a_hatter

4. Women’s Hats
In the 1860s, the main
headwear for women was
the bonnet. The sunbonnet
was made from different
fabrics protected a
woman’s face and neck.
Hats were also used by
young women and girls.
Most of the hats used were
trimmed with ribbons,
Feathers, flowers and at
times, veils.
Hats formed an essential
part of a woman’s apparel
and as a result, they would
always wear a hat when
they went out. The hats
were layered on a wire
base covered with straw
braids or twisted fabric and was made from velvet,
satin, cotton and tulle fabrics.
Birds were used as decorating
piece on the hats and this was a
fashion in the last half of the
19th century. The hats were
ornamented by bird parts like
their wings, breasts or at times
the whole bird was used. The
Brazilian blackbird was in
demand for becoming a
showpiece on the hat.
http://www.victorian-era.org/victorian-era-
costume-hats.html
Images from
http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

5. Links to the River Thames and Trade
“Such feathers as those shown above, may well have a
fascination for all womankind, from a duchess to a coster's
sweetheart”.
A good idea of the way in which ostrich feathers were
stored is gained from this view
of a room in the Cutler Street
Warehouses, which were the
property of the London and St.
Katherine's Docks Company. In
these warehouses, which
covered four acres and had a
floor area of 630,000 feet, tea,
silk, cochineal, carpets and
piece goods were stored in
addition to ostrich feathers of
great value. Cutler Street is in Houndsditch, within
easy access of London and St. Katherine's Docks.
http://www.victorianlondon.org/ql/queenslondon325.htm