Taupe bonnet with cross-stitched brim worn by the enslaved woman Martha Barnes

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.

A taupe-colored bonnet with cross-stitched brim and chin straps believed to have been worn by Martha Miller Barnes while she was enslaved as a field laborer by E.A.J. Miller on his plantation near Waterproof, Louisiana. The bonnet is a linen and cotton blend plain weave fabric. It has a short skirt that is cinched on the underside with a tied string. There is a decorative flap over the gathered portion that buttons on one side with a mother-of-pearl button. There are self-fabric short ties sewn at each interior side. The front of the bonnet has three layers, the brown linen/cotton blend is used as the facing and the lining, and there is an additional layer of plain undyed muslin that is peeking out on the underside of the seam. The front is heavily stitched with off-white thread to make it stiff. It is machine sewn.

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