Sepia Saturday Theme - Hats

My friend Liz Stratton at Attics and Old Lace was excited to see that the suggested theme for Sepia Saturday was hats.  After reading her post, which incorporated music, I recalled that I had some pretty unique hats in my collection, too.  My grandmother, Virginia Vonderheide Ryan, was a  milliner or hatmaker before she married.  It was one of a few occupations including seamstress that was acceptable for young women to have.

I do not know, but cannot help but believe that my grandmother assisted in the design of her wedding finery and that of her bridesmaid.

Roy Ryan, Virginia VDH Ryan, Val Vonderheide and Florence Ryan

My maternal Great-Grandmother, Anna Moser Vonderheide, was pictured with this beautiful hat. I imagine that this picture was taken around 1898 when she married. Although I have no reference point for the one at the right, I imagine it was about the same time period. Pictured below is a fabulous hat worn by my paternal grandmother, Norine Jones.

Norine Jones, Paternal Grandmother

Fast forward to the 1960s and my mother is pictured with other members of the P.T.A. promoting a variety of hats.  I imagine that this was in conjunction with a fashion-show fund-raising event.  My mother, Virginia (Ginny) Jones, is pictured in the upper left.

One of my favorite pictures is one picturing my Great-Uncle, James Ryan.  He died aboard the U.S.S. Virginia of diphtheria while the ship was docked in Boston.  I'm sure his parents cherished this picture of their eldest son who died at such a young age.

James Ryan

Thanks Sepia Saturday for such a wonderful prompt.