HAT BLOCKS

My great grandmother was a hat milliner in France in the 1800’s. My mother had a great respect for this family history and began to collect hat blocks, and I inherited her collection. The beautiful shape of these hat blocks has always interested me as a sculptural form. In photographing them it was my intention to capture their unique shapes and print them in the photogravure process that brings alive the texture and character of each hat block onto the prints. These vintage wooden hat blocks are carved in the shape of a particular hat that was used to shape and stiffen wool, silk, or straw into a hat shape. Once dried and removed the hats were often decorated with a variety of materials including ribbons, lace, flowers, and feathers. Hat block making and the milliner craft in the 1800’s were considered very highly skilled trades, and milliners diligently kept their designs a secret from competitors. Despite the general simplicity of hats today, they still often indicate social status or denote one’s job as part of a uniform; worn for warmth, everyday wear, or special occasions. I only wish my great grandmother’s creations were still in the family for me to admire and try on.