Edith Barry's Chinese Headdress, c. 1920, China.

This Chinese headdress was purchased by Edith Barry, the Museum’s founder, during her 1920 trip to what was then known as “The Orient.” On her trip, she visited Japan, China, the Philippines, and Korea. Her photographs portray the cultures that she encountered on her trip and show us today what these Asian countries looked like in the early 20th Century. In her letters that she wrote home to her brother and sisters, she detailed much of what she experienced.

This headdress is one of many hats that Barry brought back with her from this Oriental trip. Her trip marked the first time she had visited Asia, and the amount of souvenirs that she purchased shows that she had quite an interest in Asian culture. Aside from hats, her souvenirs range from four pairs of Japanese sandals (called geta); books about China; wooden and silver models of Chinese junks; and even a pair of tiny slippers worn by a woman with bound feet.

This headdress is made of satin, metal, and cardboard. At the base of the headdress is real human hair used as a decorative addition.

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