The Hat That Killed a Billion Birds: The Decimation of World Avian Populations for Women's Fashion

Milliners used to decorate women's hats with birds' feathers and plumes, leading to the extinction of some species and the endangerment of others. Lawmakers and bird aficionados were slow to react, but eventually, naturalists like George Bird Grinnell, William T. Hornaday, and President Theodore Roosevelt passed legislation to protect birds and curb the production of murderous millinery. This book explores the troubled history of millinery and its complicated relationship to birds and conservation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 29 February 2024
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was common practice for milliners to decorate women's hats with birds' feathers and plumes, and sometimes even with the birds themselves. This fashionable enterprise resulted in the killing of up to 300 million birds per year, leading to the extinction of some species and the endangerment of others. Lawmakers and bird aficionados were slow to react to the effects of this practice, which continued for nearly a quarter of a century. However, notable naturalists like George Bird Grinnell, William T. Hornaday, and President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the economic benefits that birds provided and banded together to pass meaningful legislation to protect them and curb the production of murderous millinery. This book explores the troubled history of millinery and its complicated relationship to birds and conservation, examining why it took so long for the slaughter to end and how the efforts of individuals and groups brought about change.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476693286