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Hatpins and hatpin holders go hand in hand. Hatpin holders were made out of necessity to hold the hatpins.
The hatpin was used to secure a hat to the hair and head of the wearer. They varied in length from 4" to 12". They were used approximately from 1850-1920. During the Art Deco period (1925), they were used more for decorative purposes than for utilitarian. Just prior to World War I, a radical change occured in women's headdress fashion. Women began to wear the larger hats as a symbol of their equality, rather than the bonnet.
The hatpin was made from every natural or manufactured element and designs. They were made to serve every fashion need and to compliment the art of the milliner. Usually, it took three to six pins, depending on the size of the hat. The pin ends were decorated with china, crystal, gem stones, precious metals, and even shells. In the 1890's there were newspaper stories of several accidents and one shopper being blinded in a buying frenzy at a store sale. During that period, because of their expense, it was a hanging offense for theft of a handmade hatpin. In some States hatpins were considered to be lethal weapons and were banned.
Hatpin holders were made from 1860 - 1920. They were usually made from porcelain and decorated with florals or scenics. Some were even figurals. They were either handpainted or by transfer. There were taller holders that were used for the taller hatpins which were worn to secure the larger hats that were in style from 1890-1914. Some of the rarer types of hatpin holders were those made of glass, slag, or carnival glass. These are especially valuable. The holders were made by some of the major manufacturers of porcelain: Meissen, Nippon, R. S. Germany, R.S. Prussia, and Wedgwood.
To view some examples of Antique Hatpins:
Antique Hatpins
American Hatpin Society
RESOURCES:
Antique Shoppe
Warman's Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide - 8th Edition
Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide-18th edition
The Next Monthly Newsletter will feature Sandwich Glass.
