Edwardian Ladies Ornate Hats Resort Building Midwest 1908 - Original Photo

USD 30.00

Condition: Not specified

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View Edwardian Ladies Ornate Hats Resort Building Midwest 1908 - Original Photo with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. Within just a few years, the Audubon Society's campaign against the feathered hat trade would lead to legislative reform, and by the mid-1910s, hat styles had begun to shift dramatically toward simpler silhouettes. An original 3x5" antique photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a set of photos from a Midwest family in 1908 that we acquired in a large lot. Likely one of a kind image. Photo Overview A charming antique photograph showing three women seated outdoors on a bench beneath a large tree, posing in front of a substantial multi-story brick building with open verandas and iron fire escapes. The women are dressed in the refined Edwardian fashion of the era, each wearing elaborately decorated wide-brimmed hats - a hallmark of the period around 1908. The center figure sports a particularly impressive floral-laden hat, and all three women are dressed in long-sleeved, high-collared blouses and long skirts typical of the early 1900s Midwest. The building behind them suggests a hotel, resort, sanitarium, or institutional structure of the era. This image comes from a Midwest family photograph collection dating to 1908, and is believed to be a one-of-a-kind image. It offers a wonderful window into everyday Edwardian-era American life, capturing the fashion, leisure habits, and social customs of the period. Historical Notes The years around 1908 represented the height of the Edwardian era in American fashion and social life. Women's hats of this period reached their most elaborate and extravagant designs, loaded with flowers, feathers, and ornamental fruit - a style that was already beginning to draw criticism from conservationists who objected to the use of wild bird plumage. Within just a few years, the Audubon Society's campaign against the feathered hat trade would lead to legislative reform, and by the mid-1910s, hat styles had begun to shift dramatically toward simpler silhouettes. The large resort-style building visible in the background reflects the boom in American resort and sanitarium culture around the turn of the century, when Midwest families often traveled to hotels or health retreats for summer stays. Many such grand resort structures no longer survive today, making photographs like this a rare architectural record as well as a social one. Text Present Back of photo: The back shows heavy black smudging or stamp ink marks - no legible text can be discerned from the markings present. Print analysis This is a small-format (3x5 inch) silver gelatin print consistent with snapshot photography of the 1900s-1910s era. The tonal range and paper stock are consistent with a print made close in time to when the photo was taken, approximately 1908. This is most likely a Type 1 original print, made at or very close to the time the photograph was taken. The sepia toning is characteristic of early 20th century photographic paper. Condition In fair to good vintage condition. Category: Collectibles › Photographic Images › Photographs.