REPORT
to record its location. They use data loggers to record exposure to light, temperature and relative humidity, with pest traps to monitor insects. As the UK’s only museum
of its kind solely dedicated to hats and headwear, Hat Works has a broad collecting remit. “We have a large collection of hat blocks, hatting tools, machines and other objects that help tell ‘hat stories’,” says Bronwen, who is a milliner herself as well a gallery expert. “Our collection is rooted in social history, so I try not to make a value judgment
based purely on my idea of a quality make – sometimes the story the piece tells is more important. And everyone has different ideas around where the value of a hat lies, which is why discussing it with a group is important.” Hat Works does not have a designated
budget for purchases, so they find other ways to develop the collection.
Laurie Williams in STOPM, 2021
In 2020 they ran a project funded by Arts Council England to work with Manchester drag collective the Family Gorgeous, which showed the role hats and headwear play in creating their looks (such as pictured above). “The
project celebrates the valuable contribution that LGBTQ+ performers and makers have made to the world of millinery, something which was underrepresented in our Gallery of Hats.” Indeed, Bronwen aims to ensure a diverse range of stories and backgrounds are captured in the museum’s collection: “I want every single visitor to feel a connection to something in the museum and believe that visitors should feel their experience is reflected somewhere in Hat Works. Hats have huge potential to do this as hat wearing is something that people from all over the world do!” The museum itself is in
the process of undergoing refurbishment and is currently closed to the public. However, a selection of the collection is available online at
www.hatworks.org and Hat Works is looking forward to welcoming visitors again soon.
The hats and headpieces in the collection nearly all date from the last 150 years. When it comes to acquiring new items, museum educator Dr Larissa Düchting says: “We look for pieces from well-known people or from foreign countries, or for hats which are really old. One time we were asked by a
Exhibits at the German Hat Museum
collector in Munich if we wanted to buy around 50 hats that had belonged to various prominent people in Germany, which we then did.” The museum provides an immersive experience which includes offering visitors a collection of hats they can also try on. Being based
in a large hat factory, the museum celebrates the history of the space it occupies with a tribute piece, an installation known as the ‘Hat Tornado’. This popular artwork features different types of hats that were made in the very factory which is now the home of the museum.
february 2022 | 45
Photo: Josh Cadogan
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