Child's Sunbonnet, 1870-1900

Throughout the mid-to-late-19th century, women and girls wore sunbonnets with deep brim and chin curtains to protect themselves from the elements. The bonnets also helped some maintain a fair complexion, which was a beauty standard at the time. The style went out of fashion by the early 20th century but has remained emblematic American westward expansion thanks, in part, to mass media.