Hat Pins
Hat pins were used to keep the incredibly large hats secured to the hair – and big hats needed big hat pins, which could be as much as 14 inches long.
Pins were decorated at the head, featuring designs from the simple to ornate. Silver, glass and jewels were often used.
The ends were very sharp and, therefore, potentially dangerous. Women were not allowed to wear unprotected hat pins on buses, and suffragettes had to remove hat pins while attending court, in case they stabbed someone!
Hair pin collections would be stored on a padded pin cushion with a series of loops to hold the pins.