What a thrill it was to open my mail this morning and find this, sent by Kathy Grumbine Miller, a great-niece of the Grumbine sisters who used to make ladies’ hats in our building many years ago. (See this post for more about them.) It’s a strip of silk ribbon labels, found in a forgotten drawer. They would have been sewn into the finished hats. They look brand new! I am particularly pleased that they say “west philadelphia”.
We have boxes, bags and now labels from the old millinery – but no hats! We have googled them to no avail. So next time you see a vintage ladies’ hat in a shop or flea market, please check the label! Snap a photo and send it to us if you get lucky. One must be out there somewhere…
