In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women’s fashion faced sharp criticism for its lavish use of bird feathers, plumes, and even entire bodies on hats and clothing. While this critique targeted the female wearers of these elaborate creations, the culprits of avian exploitation included the male-dominated feather trade. This industry’s appetite for exotic birds was unparalleled in its cruelty. Yet, it was women–bold, resilient, and visionary– who spearheaded the movement to end the feather trade, culminating in the historic passage of the Migratory Bird Act in 1918. Here are a few names that stand out.
Florence Merriam Bailey: The Birder’s Champion
Florence Merriam Bailey (1863-1948), widely regarded as the founder of amateur birding, began her advocacy as a special student at Smith College. While at Smith, she co-founded a chapter of the Audubon Society and quickly became known as an early opponent of the use of bird plumages on women’s hats. Later in life, she authored a series of article on ornithology, taught birdwatching classes at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and continued to spur others to think of birding as the respectful pursuit of living creatures in their own environments, rather than as subjects to examine under glass. Her work altered the public perception of birds as objects of ornamentation.
Boston’s Bird Defenders
In 1896, cousins Harriet Lawrence Hemenway (1858-1960) and Minna Hall (1860-1951) invited their socialite friends to a series of tea parties with a pointed agenda: to encourage them to reject feathered hats. Their grassroots effort gained momentum, recruiting more than 900 women and forming the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Other states took note of their leadership and created chapters of their own, ultimately leading to the founding of the National Audubon Society.
Lilli Lehmann: Featherless Diva
A celebrated German opera star, Lilli Lehmann (1848-1929) extended her influence off-stage as an energetic vivisectionist and tremendous advocate for birds. Known for autographing programs only for women who did not display birds in their attire, Lehmann earned headlines for more than her dramatic soprano voice. As the New York Times noted in its coverage of an 1899 event at the American Museum of Natural History, Lilli Lehmann assured the audience that “every person could do something toward protecting the birds. The could tech themselves and their children what humanity meant, and how much of human interest and loveliness there is in bird life.”
A Legacy to Preen About
These women fought tirelessly against a destructive industry, redefining both fashion and ethics in their own time. Their victories remind us that activism is not limited to grand gestures or crowded streets; sometimes it begins with a quiet tea party among friends or a pair of binoculars pointed at the sky. So, next time you admire a bird in flight, remember the women who dared to imagine a world where their beauty was celebrated, not worn.