Head-Gear, Antique and Modern

In Short

This book is a curated compendium of head-gear spanning from ancient Egypt to 1879 Boston. It attempts to catalog the shifting whims of fashion through historical anecdotes, poetic quotations, and visual illustrations of bonnets, caps, and traditional head-coverings. While ostensibly a historical study, the work functions as a sophisticated, context-rich advertisement for a specific millinery shop. It has endured as a curious relic of Victorian-era consumer culture, capturing how the aspirations of the past were repackaged for the fashionable society women of late nineteenth-century America.

The Story

The narrative begins with a grand, historical ambition: to trace the evolution of the human head-dress from the tower-like tiaras of ancient kings to the refined bonnets of contemporary Paris. The author frames this journey as a search for “knowledge and light,” suggesting that as a civilization matures, so does its interest in its own appearance. The early chapters establish a foundation in antiquity, noting the simplicity of Roman styles and the structural complexity of Chinese headdresses—specifically the vibrating, bird-shaped ornaments that captured the imagination of the era.

As the text progresses through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the tone shifts from observational to moralistic. The author catalogs the rise of increasingly absurd heights in women’s fashion, pointing toward the "steeple" headdress as a prime example of vanity pushed to its absolute limit. This segment of the book highlights the tension between social trends and religious or practical opposition, exemplified by the preaching of monks who sought to curb such extravagance. Through these accounts, the author argues that fashion is a "tyrant" that cycles through periods of excess and relative restraint, yet never truly loses its grip on the public imagination.

Moving into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the story narrows its focus to the specific mechanics of style. The text navigates the transition from the "ridiculous" trends of the late 1700s to the more "becoming" caps of the late 1800s. Here, the narrative arc completes its move from the abstract and historical to the immediate and commercial. The author introduces contemporary designs, such as the "Langtry" breakfast cap and the "Turban," directly linking the reader’s newfound historical knowledge to the specific wares available at the author’s own Boston store.

The conclusion reflects on the nature of change itself. Fashion is presented as an unstoppable force, a reflection of the "eternal law" that nothing in a society stands still. The final pages offer a pragmatic guide for the reader: how to select a bonnet based on one’s own stature and complexion. The book ends not with a definitive historical summary, but with a confession that the industry moves too quickly for any volume to remain current for long. Fashion, the author laments, is a relentless race toward a perfection it can never quite reach, leaving the reader with the impression that while the history is interesting, the only truly important bonnet is the one that has just arrived in the shop.

How It Unfolds

The ancient foundation The author establishes the scope by looking back six thousand years, examining the tiaras of Homeric heroes and the netting of ancient cauls. These early chapters establish the idea that human beings—regardless of civilization—have always been "animals that delight in finery."

The rise of extravagance The narrative shifts to the Middle Ages, documenting the height of the "steeple" headdress and the subsequent public backlash against such displays. This section highlights the recurring struggle between societal vanity and the efforts of authorities to enforce a more modest appearance.

The cycle of refinement The text tracks the erratic progress of fashion through the centuries, noting that many modern styles are simply echoes of Roman or Greek antiquity. The author observes that while some periods produced "ridiculous" shapes, others were marked by a return to chivalry and more graceful, rounded forms.

The commercial destination The final chapters pivot away from history to present the "latest" innovations in millinery from Paris and Boston. The author provides specific descriptions of materials, such as Bretonne lace and Sultan silk, to demonstrate how the lessons of the past inform current trends.

The practical finality The book concludes with professional advice on selecting the right head-gear for one's individual features. It closes with the acknowledgment that fashion is an ever-accelerating force, rendering the printed word obsolete as soon as a new style arrives.

The People

The book features a cast of historical and contemporary figures, though they appear more as archetypes than individuals. The "Ancient Kings and Queens," such as Rameses I and his queen, serve as the baseline for tradition, representing a time when head-gear was tied to status and historical identity. The "Monk Thomas Conects" acts as the primary antagonist to the trends of his time; his zeal in attacking the "steeple" head-dress provides the book’s most dramatic conflict, representing the voice of austerity and religious rebuke against the whims of the fashionable.

The "Modern Modistes," including the Parisian Madame Magnièr, represent the pinnacle of the craft. They are the authorities whom the reader is encouraged to trust. Finally, the "Lady of Fashion" is the intended reader herself. She is depicted as a person of potential, someone who often struggles to select the right style for her complexion and stature but who is ultimately empowered to make better choices by consulting with experienced experts. She stands between the history she has just read and the showroom floor where her choices will define her social presence.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the ancient love for decoration:

Woman is defined by an ancient writer to be an “animal that delights in finery”; and it is to be feared the annals of dress in every land, the most savage as well as the most civilized, will but prove the truth of the assertion.

Regarding the constant pressure of changing trends:

Fashion is the only tyrant against whom modern civilization has not carried on a crusade with success, and its power is still as unlimited and despotic as ever.

Regarding the necessity of expert guidance in current choices:

It has often been remarked by some of our leading modistes, that only one lady in twenty has the head becomingly dressed, showing that in selecting they have not studied their complexion, stature, and general style.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book explores the tension between the transient nature of fashion and the enduring human desire to project status through appearance. It argues that there is an objective "correctness" to style that can be discovered through the study of history and the application of artistic judgment. By framing contemporary bonnets as the latest chapter in a millennia-long human narrative, the author elevates the act of millinery from mere commerce to a form of cultural literacy. The underlying question is whether an individual can successfully navigate the "despotic" power of fashion to find a style that is both historically informed and personally becoming, or if one is destined to be a victim of changing trends.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in the history of material culture will find this volume deeply charming. It is a rare artifact that captures the precise moment when historical scholarship was used to bolster the reputation of a retail business. You will encounter a voice that is both scholarly—quoting Virgil and Homer—and pointedly commercial, with a keen eye for the textures of silk and the delicacy of lace.

The book is not a seamless historical narrative, but rather a hybrid of trivia, poetic reflection, and catalog copy. Modern readers should be prepared for the author’s occasionally patronizing tone regarding "the fair face" and "the animal that delights in finery," which reflects the gendered attitudes of 1879. The language is formal and slightly weary, as if the author is exhausted by the rapid pace of his own industry. Despite these period eccentricities, the book rewards those who enjoy the "oddities, the whimsies, and the absurdities" of history. It leaves you with a heightened awareness of how much effort human societies have poured into the simple act of covering their heads, and perhaps a smile at the realization that our own modern obsession with being "in style" is merely the latest, fastest, and most ephemeral version of a very old, very human game.