Fur cap belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a fur cap worn by Etta Moten Barnett. The fur, possibly leopard, has a tan background with dark circles with a brown center creating a ‘rosette’ look. These rosettes are scattered over the surface of the fur, along with occasional small black spots. The cap is rounded in shape with no brim. It is lined in black fabric. Sewn to the interior black grosgrain sweatband is a pale gold tag with dark gold text that reads “Marshall Field Company.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1955
• Designed by: Marshall Field & Company, American, 1852 - 2006
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: hats
• Medium: fur and cloth
• Dimensions: H x W: 5 9/16 × 7 7/8 in. (14.2 × 20 cm)
• Place used: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Broadway Theatre
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Fashion
• Topic: Millinery
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: A2022.13.1.23
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown – Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.