Vera Whistler hat and hat box with lid belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a Vera Whistler hat and hatbox with accompanying lid. The hat (.1) is made of a light silky fabric in a cloche style with a rolled brim. The fabric has a large paisley pattern in dark blues and greens with pink accents against a yellow background. There are pink, yellow and dark blue beads sewed at intervals around the hat. On the inside of the hat is a white Vera Whistler label sewn to the inside of the sweatband. The hatbox (.2a) is a circular cardboard box with vertical stripes along its sides in alternating shades of cream. There is handwritten text in black ink that reads “BEADED CLOCHE” along the side. It has a cream-colored cord to fasten down the lid threaded into the body of the box to create a second loop as a carrying handle. The box lid (.2b) is a shallow circle in white with a cream edge. On the top surface is pale pink cursive writing that reads “VERA / WHISTLER / ORIGINALS / JULIUS LEWIS / MEMPHIS.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca.1965
• Designed by: Vera Whistler, American
• Manufactured by: Julius Lewis, American, founded 1900
• Owned by: Etta Moten Barnett, American, 1901 - 2004
• Type: cloches
• Type: hatboxes
• Medium: .1) cloth with thread and beads
• Medium: .2ab) cardboard with cord (fiber product)
• Dimensions: H x W (.1): 5 7/16 × 24 7/16 in. (13.8 × 62 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (.2a): 18 × 32 1/2 in. (45.7 × 82.6 cm)
• Dimensions: Diameter (.2b): 33 in. (83.8 cm)
• Place purchased: Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
• 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: Fashion design
• Topic: Millinery
• Object number: A2022.13.1.7.1-.2ab
• 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.