Edited by Jennifer Nelson
Upon entering the Hat Museum, you can’t help but feel slightly anxious at what is about to be seen. Will you be entering some haunted house filled with old hats, or will you be viewing a prim and proper historical museum where hats are encased in glass boxes? Well, thankfully, the scene is a little bit of both worlds. Kitschy, yet historical, the Hat Museum is an experience unlike any other. The museum, which is nestled in the historic Ladd’s Addition of Southeast Portland, houses a collection of over nine hundred hats, the largest collection of hats in North America (the only other museum that contains a comparable number of hats is located in the United Kingdom).Tiaras, fedoras, berets, homburgs, caps, and any other hat you can think of in every imaginable shape, color, and design are placed on mannequins, in glass cases, and on various antique tables and other furniture through out the house. The tour is a ninety-minute long adventure where guests are trotted through various rooms of the house to see hats from movies such as Chicago and Gangs of New York. What makes it special from other museums’ in the Portland area is its extensive collection of rare hats and its founder, Alyce Cornyn-Selby.
Cornyn-Selby, the curator and founder, is an integral part of how the museum came to fruition. Cornyn-Selby greets guests and gives the tour dressed in a long, black velvet skirt and jacket, with a ruffled shirt peeking out. She, of course, wears a big flowered hat on top of her head, positioning herself as the official mascot of the museum. Cornyn-Selby, a motivational speaker and author of eight books, including Hit the Road, Procrastinator’s Success Kit, and Why Winner’s Win, lived in the house for more than thirty years, beginning in the mid-1970s. She spent extensive time renovating and trying to keep the original house intact.
She also began filling the house with collectibles she loved, including most notably hats, along with mermaid figurines, antique furniture, shoes, and purses. Cornyn-Selby began collecting hats, she says, because she felt that they were the ultimate fashion accessory and a necessity to her everyday life. “I love hats,” she states affectionately, adding that a hat is a perfect accessory to any outfit. Her core belief in the power and greatness of hats even extends to her motto on the Hat Museum’s website, which says that one can find love with the help of a hat: “Wear a hat that you love and love will find you. Wearing the right hat will get more attention than a personal ad.”
The love of hats and the love of the home is a predominant theme that is echoed throughout the museum. Cornyn-Selby maneuvers guests through a web of rooms filled with hats, antique furniture, and other treasures beginning in the would-be living room which houses hats from as early as 1860. Classic pictures of Diane Keaton, Queen Elizabeth, and Jackie Kennedy wearing hats are scattered throughout the museum, along with adages such as clothing designer Christian Dior’s famous comment, “Without hats, we would have no civilization.” Cornyn-Selby struts through the museum pointing out the beauty and necessity of all the hats, even as you silently question the practical need for an automated Thanksgiving table hat (with music and all). Zebra, flowered, leopard, velvet, manly, and dainty hats fill the rooms and hallways of the three-story residence where picture-taking isn’t allowed (the flash can bleach out the hats) but questions are welcomed.
Cornyn-Selby’s affection has even extended to keeping the original structure of the house intact. The historic Ladd-Reingold house was originally owned by William Reingold, a local businessman, and his wife, Rebecca. The lavender colored house surrounded by trees and bushes sits near the edge of the historic Ladd’s Addition roundabout that is the centerpiece of the area. The Reingolds first built the house in 1910, where Rebecca Reingold, a trained milliner, made hats and raised their children. Rebecca’s milliner training is an integral part of what the house has become today. Pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Reingold still inhabit the house, and Cornyn-Selby has worked hard to keep the family’s history and the original construction a part of the museum.
The former home-now-museum, Cornyn-Selby points out, still has its embedded quirks, like the doors that are hung backwards and the secret hiding places. The rickety floorboards and staircase are kept to remind guests that this place was once a home. The house and the tour is set up like a hall of mirrors, but instead of seeing yourself, you’re seeing a home stuffed with amazing and colorful hats. It is clear during the tour of the museum that Cornyn-Selby takes pleasure in what the house has become. The eclectic atmosphere of the museum is as much of a testament to her as it is to hats.
In addition to seeing the nine hundred-plus hats, visitors are also given an array of interesting facts by Cornyn-Selby. People initially wore hats to keep their hair clean because shampoo had not yet been invented. The Edwardians believed that if they went to bed with wet hair, they would die. Hats, however, have more recently developed into more than a necessity, but a fashion accessory as well. The hat industry continues to thrive today, with hats still being used by top fashion designers as well as the masses, which is emphasized in the museum tour. So next time you put on your crocheted beret or your worn baseball cap, remember that seemingly useless fashion accessory could save you from the elements while simultaneously making you look stunning. One way to really learn this is to visit the only place in the U.S. that actually shows it.
The museum is a literal celebration (and bombardment) of all the things that can be situated atop one’s head. The odd, automated hat with a rabbit popping out of its top is just as cherished as the vintage, Victorian era hat encased in a glass box. The tour, which needs to be arranged in advance and costs ten dollars, gives its guests not only a chance to view the extensive assortment of hats but also teaches the necessity and history of hats in general. Its oddball premise and its fervent cheerleader, Cornyn-Selby, make it a must-see, not only for visitors to the area but also for residents of Portland.
-Address: 1928 SE Ladd Ave. Portland, OR 97214; for reservations call (503) 232-0433
Angie Frank is a self-proclaimed genius on all things cinematic and carbonated. She hopes to use this knowledge to pursue a career in journalism.
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