Taupe bonnet with cross-stitched brim worn by the enslaved woman Martha Barnes
date: label: Date
content: 1850s - 1860s
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Worn by
content: Martha Miller Barnes, American, ca. 1827 - after 1902
notes: label: Description
content: 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.
label: Description
content: 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. There are some minimal brown spot stains concentrated in a scattered manner on the underside of the brim. The brim is creased at the center from being folded.
place: label: Place made
content: Waterproof, Tensas Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: Women
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift in loving memory of my esteemed ancestor, Martha Barnes, and my grandmother, Ella Lucas
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.58.1
objectType: label: Type
content: bonnets (hats)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cotton, linen, muslin, thread, and mother of pearl
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (flat): 12 × 14 1/2 in. (30.5 × 36.8 cm)