Collection Highlight - The Hats of Ida and Lois Long
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| Women of taste and fashion, Ida Long and her daughter Lois would rarely be seen in public without a beautiful hat. The Nepean Museum is the proud custodian of this unique collection of hats from two well respected Nepean women. Here are the hats of Ida and Lois Long. |
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Lois purchased this red feather hat in Ottawa at Murphy Gamble's in the spring of 1958. To complete the ensemble, she wore a three quarter length lamb coat. Lois wore this hat on a trip to New York that Easter and went with two photography friends, a brother and sister team. The brother, who drove a jaguar, took one look at that hat and howled with laughter. Lois laughed too and continued to wear her red hat.
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| 986.23.39 |
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Five minutes before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth arrived at the 1967 centennial celebrations on Parliament Hill, a woman was told she’d be introduced to the Queen if she could find a hat and gloves. The gloves were no problem but on such a beautiful day, no one was wearing hats. Finally she spotted a lady (who turned out to be Ida Long of Nepean) with a black straw hat in the middle of the crowd. “Can you lend me your hat so I can meet the Queen?” she shouted. Mrs. Long smiled, nodded and unpinned her hat. The crowd passed it along and it reached the woman just seconds before her Majesty arrived. This hat enabled a woman to meet the Queen.
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2000.2.1a
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Lois wore this to weddings and other formal occasions in the 1960s and 1970s. Lois calls this style "the skull crackers" although she says they were quite comfortable to wear.
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| 986.23.176 |
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This hat was one of Ida’s favorites. From the 1950s, Ida wore this hat on many occasions.
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| 986.23.174 |
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Ida attended a hat making seminar with the Woman’s Institute in the early 1950s and learned to make hats. This purple hat was a favorite of Ida’s and was consequently worn on many occasions.
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| 986.23.172a |
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Lois can recall her mother, an accomplished seamstress, making dresses and using the leftover material to make matching hats. This is one such example. Ida made this hat for Lois in the 1950s.
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| 986.23.170 |
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Lois purchased this hat to wear in the fall. Circa 1950.
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| 2001.20.2a |
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Lois wore this fur hat in the winters of the 1940s. She had a similar hat she would wear while skiing.
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| 2001.20.6 |
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Ida wore this blue velvet hat for her wedding to Howard Kemp in 1950.
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| 2001.7.1 |
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This hat is made from a closely woven pink fabric. Lois would wear this hat to church in the 1960s.
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| 986.23.159a |
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Ida made this hat for Lois in the 1950s. Lois would wear this hat to church and to work.
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| 2001.20.3 |
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Collection Highlight - The Hats of Ida and Lois Long