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Hatpins reached a peak of popularity between the 1890s and 1920s, as music hall actresses like Lillian Russell and Lillian Langtry fueled the popularity of large elaborate hats without bonnet strings. Having originated in the 1850s to secure straw hats, hatpins became longer and more ornate over time (1910 was the height of hatpin length, with the stems alone reaching 10 to 12 inches).
The mass produced white or black bead on a pin was the basic 'working girl' hatpin, but many high end hatpins were made by jewelers of brass, copper, sterling silver, gold, or gold or silver wash. Other materials included Carnival glass, rhinestones, hand blown molded glass, micro mosaic, or hand painted or transferred porcelain like the Japanese Satsuma. There were also hatpins made with ivory, emeralds, stone, amber, tortoise shell, jet, celluloid and other plastics, mother of pearl, and coral...
Key hatpin manufacturers included Unger Brothers, Lincoln, William Kerr, Alvin Manufacturing, R. Blackington and Company, Day and Clarke, and The Sterling Company. Notable hatpin designers included Charles Horner, Louis Tiffany, William Codman, James T. Wooley, Barton Jenks, and George Gebelein.
Hatpins spanned many styles including Baroque, Etruscan Revival, Greek Revival, Egyptian Revival, Oriental influence, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and even Art Deco, before waning around WW1 when metals became scarce and hats got smaller.
Collectors also seek specialized hatpins, including hallmarked hatpins, hatpins that serve vanities, opera hatpins, and compact hatpins that have a mirror and a powder puff. Amethyst and pearls are popular, as well as Plique-a-Jour enamel. Hatpin holders are also sought after.
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How did I get started collecting Victorian Furniture? Antiques is in my genes, my mother's family were longti… [more]
How did I start collecting Victorian trade cards? In the late 60s I was a bottle collector, early American bo… [more]
Malcolm Warrington is based 12 miles to the west of Central London. He is a council member of the UK Ephemera… [more]
Who knew there was so much to hatpin collecting? This site is all about great hatpin images - from recent hatpin co… [read review or visit site]
John Werry's in-depth blog on rare Victorian Furniture, with detailed, informative and often humorous posts on doze… [read review or visit site]
This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful and comprehensive. S… [read review or visit site]
Although not actually a university, this website has a lot of great educational information about antique, vintage,… [read review or visit site]
Attention paper collectors: don't miss Malcolm Warrington's exquisitely designed tribute to Victorian scraps (stamp… [read review or visit site]
Jewelry collectors, feast your eyes on this internet gem! It's a goldmine of jewelry information featuring all styl… [read review or visit site]
Ben Crane's excellent reference site on Victorian trade cards. Includes a scrapbook containing hundreds of beautifu… [read review or visit site]
Paul Somerson's incredible reference on handwrought metalwork from the American Arts and Crafts movement of the ear… [read review or visit site]
Malcolm Roebuck's tribute to the ornate silk picture bookmarks and postcards ('Stevengraphs') produced by Thomas St… [read review or visit site]
With its vast galleries featuring clear images of jewelry and style, this site really covers it all! Divided up by … [read review or visit site]
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The Sun
Hail, hail, the rock and rail
The Sun
This gave rise to the ladies hatpin defence. As soon as the carriage entered the darkness a woman would place a large hatpin between her teeth. ...
77 Square
Decked out in bright pink and brandishing a deadly looking hatpin, Julia is a jealous woman on a rampage. She wheedles. She whines. She claims to be mad. ...
guardian.co.uk
They didn't go round stabbing people with hatpins, or imagining they were Winston Churchill. Except Churchill, who didn't imagine he was Napoleon. ...
Examiner.com
Museum Mondays: Greeley History Museum
Examiner.com
While looking through news and events for the week, an exhibit at the Greeley History Museum caught my eye – Headwear and Hatpins. Vintage hats? ...
Examiner.com
Lost Arts: The history of Millinery- part two
Examiner.com
The ties on these bonnets were decorative- the hat itself was held on by hat pins and the tightly coiled hair underneath that the hatpins went through. ...
The Birmingham News - al.com
Good Neighbors: Regarding AJG's request for an egg piercer, I wanted to let her know that for years, I've used either a clean hatpin or a good-size needle ...
Waxahachie Daily Light
On the final leg of our flight we had a roll call and presented all of our veterans with a World War II Veterans lapel/hat pin with the thanks of a grateful ...
San Jose Mercury News
He secures his swashbuckling hat with a dagger-length hat pin — even pirates need haberdashery assistance in high winds — and his metamorphosis into Captain ...
WIFR
You wouldn't believe what they found - fine china, hat pins, ink bottles, even a glass eye. The Lucius Read House located on the property is listed on the ...
Atlanta Journal Constitution
There, they would learn about carvings dating to the 1800s and a half-dozen rare plants, including the Black-spored Quillwort and Dwarf Hatpins, ...