Hats off to Greenwood
Hats off to Greenwood! It’s been 22 years since Phoebe Hyde bequeathed to the Canadian Heritage of Quebec her family
home with instructions that all buildings and grounds, including contents, be preserved and shared with the community in Hudson.
Hats off to Greenwood’s founding planning committee for overseeing the estate’s ordered transition from private residence to today’s thriving Greenwood Centre for Living History.
Hats off to Greenwood’s gifted staff and volunteers for imbuing this special place with life and joy, always in keeping with Phoebe’s wishes.
And, this year, a special Hats off to Greenwood for its season-long exhibition entitled — Hats Off to Greenwood.
Curated by Greenwood’s conservation committee headed by volunteers Andrea Johnson, Jeanna McClintock, Donna Seaman and Margaret Waller, the display features a stunning array of more than 20 period hats, all drawn from Phoebe Hyde’s personal collection, all directly connected to former residents of Greenwood. A special celebration of the hat is planned for a cinq à sept, Thursday, July 19, to raise funds to conserve the wedding bonnet worn by Mary Cecilia Delesdernier at her marriage to Robert Ward Shepherd in 1847.
Guests are invited wear a “favourite hat above elegant attire,” enjoy light refreshments in Greenwood’s lakeside gardens, and explore the hats displayed throughout the house. Posh doesn’t even begin to describe how this event may turn out. Among the hats on display, there are top hats of the 19th century. Designed for sophisticated men, these hats of burnished felt drawn from the inner coat of the Canadian beaver were treated with highly toxic mercury to give them a silky sheen.
For the wearer of the hat, the payoff was panache enhanced but for the young lads working with mercury, the result was a slow descent into madness. “Mad as a hatter” was more than just a catchphrase. There was the slightly less impressive silk top hat, most often equipped with a spring mechanism that enabled the wearer to collapse it down to its rim when required — such as in the theatre. To restore the hat to its original form, one would hold it firmly by the rim and give it a shake. Poof ! A fully extended top hat, good as new. There is a sophisticated lady’s hat made entirely of ostrich feathers, a particular favourite of Phoebe’s and an original Elsa Schiaparelli dating back to the early 20th century. Remember to book July 19 and the Hats Off to Greenwood extravaganza. There is much to see and experience and so much more to learn about milliners back in the day. Margaret Atwood once wrote: “I myself have 12 hats, and each one represents a different personality. Why just be yourself.” Tickets at $25 are available from PureArt in Hudson or at Greenwood. Please note sales are limited. For information, contact Greenwood at 450-458-5396 or history@greenwoodcentre.org.