Woman's Hat
PeriodCirca 1925
Place MadeLong Branch, New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumVelvet, buckram, wire, silk
Dimensions5 × 11 × 11 in. (12.7 × 27.9 × 27.9 cm)
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineGift of Dorothy Mauk, 1989
Object number1989.15.4
DescriptionA woman's cloche style hat made to fit closely atop the wearer's head. The hat is constructed of rich brown cotton velvet draped and tacked (sewn) to a wire and buckram frame, allowing the brim to be adjusted as desired. The brim is relatively narrow at the nape of the neck, widening slightly towards the front. A rectangular decorative panel, measuring approximately 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches, made of woven brown/gold/green geometric fabric with golden metallic highlights, is sewn to the brim edge at front. The underside of the brim is faced with an irridescent gold/tan silk.The hat's lining is of lightweight plain woven black silk and includes a black grosgrain label printed with the maker's name and location, "Nana Joyce / Long Branch."Curatorial RemarksThis simple yet stylish cloche hat was made by Long Branch resident Nana Joyce. Joyce was born in 1894, with conflicting birthplaces listed in federal censuses as Brooklyn, New York; Maryland; and Ohio. Nana Joyce was the oldest of three children of Patrick Joyce, a ship's carpenter, and Mary Joyce. There may have been some marital trouble between Patrick and Mary. The 1910 and 1920 federal census records list Mary as head of household and a widow, as does the 1915 New Jersey state census. Patrick appears in the 1930 federal census along with Mary, listed as a married couple. Nana learned her millinery skills at the Young Women's Christian Association of Brooklyn. Founded in 1887, the Brooklyn YWCA offered a wide range of classes and instruction to area girls. Courses included practical nursing, stenography, typing, dressmaking, English, and millinery. Nana relied on her education here to provide for herself, her mother, and other family members. Sometime after completing her hatmaking training, Nana and her family moved to Long Branch, where around 1911 Joyce opened a millinery and children's clothing shop at 143 Broadway. Joce offered hats she made herself as well as purchased stock from New York City suppliers. She traveled regularly to New York City to purchased fabrics, forms, wire, and trimmings to create her headwear and was able to keep up with seasonal fashions. In the summer of 1929, Joyce offered her property for sale. In early August, she placed a notice in the Long Branch papers alerting customers that she would be closing down her shop "for a short time" because of health issues. The following year, Nana Joyce announced in the local newspaper that she was returning to "business activity in Long Branch" located in her home at 213 Chelsea Avenue. Health issues combined with the Great Depression may have directly influenced Joyce's decision to operate her millinery business out of her private residence. However, by April of 1932, things apparently took a turn for the better, and Joyce once again advertised that she was moving her business to a storefront at 420 Broadway in Long Branch. Joyce apparently moved at least one final time in about 1944, this time to 9 North Fifth Avenue in Long Branch. She appeared to be a well-respected and liked businesswoman. Her advertisements appeared frequently in the Long Branch papers, and she furnished hats for many local brides and bridesmaids. Joyce also provided her millinery creations for local charity events, particularly the Elks Club fashion shows..Joyce was Catholic and was an active parishoner of Our Lady Star of the Sea. A 1945 newspaper article noted that "For 26 years, Miss Joye has topped milady's costume with many creations of her own making. Much equipment used in her former shops here have been utilized in making her new place of business attractive." Nana Joyce's health declined. In early August of 1967, she submitted a letter to the Daily Record regarding her challenges. She wrote "My work has been a great pleasure as I started in business here very young...I had to close my store to business...My doctor said that if I take things easy she hopes I will have the pleasure of serving my ladies for many years to come." Nana Joyce died three months later in Long Branch on November 13, 1967.NotesThis stylish cloche hat was owned and worn by Long Branch resident Esther Silva Keller. Esther was born in 1901 in Matawan. Her family later moved to Long Branch, where she graduated from Chattle High School in 1919. She married twice, first to William G. Britton, Jr. who died in 1931at the age of 29. The couple had a daughter named Dorothy. Esther remarried, this time to W. Thomas Keller. Esther worked at the Broadway School in Long Branch as assistant to the principal. According to her obituary, she "learned Spanish at the age of 60 to help translate school memos for Spanish-speaking parents." Esther Silva Keller was active in the Long Branch community and was a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, singing in the choir for many years. She was a member of the local Women's Club. After the death of her second husband in 1988, Esther moved to Littleton, Colorado where she died at the age of 92.
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