It’s worth a trip to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Museum in downtown Los Angeles. You can see this pristine silk Easter bonnet that never saw Easter.
The bonnet was intended as a Christmas gift in 1852 for then 11-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Craft. She lived in Ireland Parish, Massachusetts (now Holyoke). The Easter bonnet was to be worn by Sarah on the coming Easter. Sadly, Sarah Elizabeth Craft died on December 20 of that year. She never opened the box.
Sarah’s bonnet was locked away in an attic, along with all of her treasures, where they remained for over a century.
The bonnet was purchased by the FIDM Museum in 2009. It is unusual in its bold color combination, particularly for the Victorian era where fashions were more subdued. Also interesting is the intensity of color believed to be available only with the invention of synthetic dyes.
Wear your finest clothes today. Pull out your finest China and Silver. There’s no time like the present to enjoy what we have.
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