Hats were made from felt, fur and straw, depending on the season, and then trimmed accordingly with flowers, fruits, feathers, ostrich plumes, birds, silk ribbons, and veiling.

An interesting note: on two different afternoons in New York City during the late 1800s, a gentleman walking from his Manhattan office to the fashion district downtown counted 174 birds and 40 different species adorning the women's hats. As soon as this was made known, several ladies of Boston society invited friends to afternoon teas where they pledged a boycott of bird hats. This spread rapidly, forming Audubon Societies nationwide. The Audubon Society celebrated its centennial in November and December of 2004.

A comparison of prices from the 1908 Sears Roebuck catalogue gives a glimpse of how hats were valued: hand tailored hats were offered for $1.19, $1.88, $2.95, and $3.69. Elsewhere in the same catalog, Sears sold wood chairs for 79 cents each.

If a lady was particularly talented she might consider making her own hat. Sears also offered the latest styles in "body hats" along with all sorts of trimmings: flowers, ribbons, veiling, feathers, silk, velvet, foliage and ostrich plumes.

During the time of Laura Schank's marriage to Dr. John Taylor, there were two millinery shops located on Milwaukee Avenue across the street from the Ansel B. Cook home. All in all, Laura had many options for selecting her lovely hat of straw, trimmed with blue flowers, a wide brown taffeta ribbon and brown ostrich plumes. The original creator or manufacturer of Laura's hat is unknown, as there is no identifying label to be found.

-written by Bev Schar