Hats were an essential accessory for women in the 19th and early 20th century. While hats were used as sun protection, they were also an important part of social etiquette. A woman going outside with an uncovered head in 19th and early 20th century Western culture was considered scandalous. Feathers were a highly desirable element in women’s fashions for hats in the 19th and early 20th century. Wild birds were the most sought after source of plumage for trimming stylish hats.
The indispensability of hats posed a problem for vegetarians and vegans in this era. Vegetarians were opposed to decorating hats with feathers on the grounds of animal cruelty. Vegetarian advocate, writer and philosopher Henry Stephens Salt condemned the practice of using bird feathers for millinery in Animals’ Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress, originally published in 1892: