Martha Fifield's woven cotton bonnet, Newry, ca. 1842
Item 110540 info
Maine Historical Society
Despite the basket weave appearance, a milliner wove this light brown bonnet from cotton, not straw. The ties are trimmed with cotton lace and silk ribbon. The piece is associated with Martha Abbott Russell (1810-1894) who reportedly wore the bonnet at her marriage to Alonzo Fifield in 1842.
Originally from Newry along the Maine - New Hampshire boarder, the new couple lived at Riley Plantation, a rural township adjacent to Newry, where they operated a family farm. The bonnet’s sophisticated style and quality craftsmanship is a testament to rural Maine’s appreciation for fashion.
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