This week, I’m doing a material culture deep dive into the hatpin and its role in the women’s rights movement during the Progressive Era in the United States! For women, it was an accessory to their fight to safely occupy public space, and for detractors, it was a dangerous weapon, the star of ‘hatpin peril’. I definitely did not expect this small accessory to have such a fascinating story amongst the societal shifts of the late 19th-early 20th centuries, and I’m really excited to share its story with all of you! Take a listen on Anchor, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!
Content warning for discussion of sexual harassment and assault, sexism, and self-defense in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Learn more and bibliography at https://docs.google.com/document/d/18j4abExCSVciSrVobMqI09ik34LwN_rGSfDWbs7yhOw/edit?usp=sharing
