Brim Full of History Exhibit Now Open at Anderson County Museum

If you love hats, you don’t want to miss the temporary exhibit Brim Full of History now open at the Anderson County Museum (ACM.) Showcasing a delightful accumulation of hats from different eras of history, the collection owned by the museum is representative of many styles and types. Until recently, hats for both men and women were worn as part of everyday dress but are now seen only for special occasions. 

Hats often represent a bold statement of the wearer’s personality which can be practical, whimsical or even outrageous. Hat boxes and trunks were a part of every high society woman’s trousseau. Displayed is the circa 1890s canvas, wood and metal hat trunk of Mamie Emily Maxwell.

A highlight of the exhibit is the wedding bonnet, satin shoes with wooden heels and kid leather gloves worn by the bride of General William Wirt Humphries. Humphries was an officer in the Palmetto Riflemen during the War Between the States. His wife Anna Josephine McCulley Humphries was a prominent socialite in upstate South Carolina. They were married in Anderson on February 27, 1869 by Rev. John W. Carlisle at St. John’s Methodist Episcopal Church. Later the church became known as St. John’s United Methodist Church.

This exhibit will offer the visitor a chance to see fashion and practicality come together in a unique statement of the hat. Brim Full of History will be on display through June 1, 2013.

The Anderson County Museum is at 202 East Greenville Street, in downtown Anderson. The Fred Whitten Gallery and Museum Store hours are Tuesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Reading and Research Room is open 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and by appointment. ACM is handicap accessible and admission is free. Donations are always welcome. For more information, contact the Anderson County Museum at (864) 260-4737.