Historic Garment District Museum founder explores designer hats from the 1920s to the 1960s.Kansas City, MO –
Since the beginnings of history, people have been using some sort of head covering to protect themselves from the elements. Over time, head coverings have changed shape and material, from crowns worn by royalty to protective helmets. Fashionable hats have been documented for eons, and after 1700, were firmly established as haute couture.
In an upcoming presentation, Historic Garment District Museum founder Ann Brownfield will explore beautiful examples from Kansas City Museum's historic hat collection and discuss how the styles and materials of hats have evolved through the decades.
Explore the high fashions of hats in Kansas City from the Roaring Twenties to the 1960s at a Community Curator Lecture at 6 p.m. May 25 at Union Station.
The Community Curator Lecture is Free and open to the public.
Visit www.kcmuseum100.org to preregister.
About Ann Brownfield and the Historic Garment District Museum:
Ann Brownfield, Historic Garment District Museum founder and curator has been in the fashion industry since the 1950s. She attended the fashion design programs at Stephens College in Columbia and Washington University in St. Louis from 1947-1952.
The Historic Garment District museum is located at 801 Broadway in the heart of the old garment district of Kansas City, MO, between 6th and 11th streets and Washington and Wyandotte streets. Many of these buildings date back to the 1870's and are on the National Register of Historic Places. (Bronze plaques are located near the entrances of these buildings).
The manufacturing of coats, suits, dresses, hats, and children's wear started on the upper floors of the wholesale dry goods buildings in the early 1920's.
After World War I and through the 1940's the area employed over 4,000 persons and boasted that 1 out of every 7 women in the U.S. purchased a KC made garment. Manufacturing of garments was the second largest employer of any industry in KC.
About the Community Curator Lecture Series:
The Kansas City Museum's Community Curator Lecture Series invites historians, history educators and noteworthy Kansas Citians to share their perspectives on artifacts of their choice from the Museum collection. This provides fresh insight about particular artifacts from the collections of Kansas City Museum and Union Station, and welcomes diverse input from members of the Kansas City history community.