"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Birds Of A Feather



Blame it on Marie Antoinette.  When the vain queen wore feathers in her hat, one woman's whim became a trend that lasted more than a century and practically decimated avian populations.  According to a 1913 study by the director of the New York Zoological Park; in 1911, the feathers of 129,186 egrets, 13,598 herons, 20,698 birds of paradise, 41,090 hummingbirds, 9,464 eagles, condors and other birds of prey, and 9,472 other birds were sold at auction in London for the millinery trade.  And that's 11 years after the first American animal protection law -  the Lacey Act of 1900 - was passed.  And, those numbers were for one year.  Unimaginable.

For those of you that watch the wonderful Downton Abbey, you'll notice the feathered hats worn by the manor born.

5 comments:

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Sad...all in the name of fashion and vanity :(
~Jo

I_am_Tulsa said...

Oh my goodness....t This reminds me about he other day...when I was at a store and was asked to sign for my credit card (no pin number for that card), the pen I got handed from the clerk was this huuuuuge feather (I have no idea from what kind of feathery friend) pen.
I nearly passed out...LOL I just hoped it was a feather that naturally dropped of the lovely bird it came from...

It's Just Dottie said...

Oh! Thats so sad. People can be so self centered. All that lost in the name of foolish beauty.
Dottie

jerilanders said...

I don't know what's worse, killing a bird to wear on your head, or killing a mink to wear around your neck, (head included). I am glad that "fashion" is OUT of fashion. Luckily for me, I just walk around my yard and find feathers everywhere.

Cobalt Violet said...

I love birds ... so hard to imagine. I always see ostrich feathers around and supposed they just come out of the bird ... I hope so. My dad finds beautiful hawk feathers in his yard in Ojai, which my nephew collects but I just can't imagine killing those birds to get them. i have seen photos of hats with the entire bird stuffed. I just can't believe women though that was a good idea!