featheredhats

"Dame Nellie Melba GBE (19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931), born Helen Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century. She was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, her home town." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Melba

she was in New York to perform at the Brooklyn Academy in January, 1918. query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E02EFDD1E3BE0...

Women's hats. . .there's just no explaining them.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Hawley "Wanda Hawley (July 30, 1895 – March 18, 1963) was a veteran American actress of the silent film era. She entered the theatrical profession with an amateur group in Seattle, and later toured the U.S. and Canada as a singer. She co-starred with Rudolph Valentino in the 1922 The Young Rajah, and rose to stardom in a number of Cecil B. DeMille's and director Sam Wood's films." www.imdb.com/name/nm0370351/ silentstanzas.blogspot.com/2013/05/five-facts-about-wanda...

The hat is amazing, rivalling

Bain got her last name wrong in this caption. See

Judith Carrington (1865 - 1938), wife of Edward Riley Stettinius

Amazing portrait And amazing fashion, with nearly the whole of a bird on her hat

swanq and Chris C: thanks for the connection with the other image of her and for the fuller information about her name. Zinaida Beaumont: It is an unusual hat!

Zinaida Beaumont : My favorite amazing hat is the right-hand one in