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Museum object · Clothing - Fashion and Historical

Gray straw hat with navy hat band

1950s - 1970s

Smithsonian NMAAHC collection

Source image for Gray straw hat with navy hat bandLoading image…
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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.

The hat is composed of woven straw that has been blocked into shape and painted dark gray. There is a wide brim that is around 4.25” deep and the brim’s edges are turned under .5” and machine sewn into place. A navy blue synthetic rayon Petersham ribbon goes around the crown sides and ends in a knot with two tails at the proper right back and safety pinned in place. The proper right tail is 10” long and the proper left tail is 6” long. There are various spots of adhesive where the hat band was once glued into place. The inside of the hat is unlined but there are two patches of plain-woven synthetic navy fabric glued into place to patch over cracked areas of straw. There is no label.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2007.3.960

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