Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections : Artifact : Hat [2017.18.2]

Back

Creative Commons Zero (CC0 1.0)

Download Media

Comments and Tags

Be the first to comment on this item!

Clothing and Accessories
Headwear
Clothing Accessories ➔ Hat

Identifier:

2017.18.2

Description:

This pink knitted hat was made for the Women's Day March on Washington on Saturday, January 21, 2017, in Washington, D.C. It was made and worn by the donor, Grand Rapids resident Leigh Eicke, for her participation in the demonstration. The pink hat referred to as the "pussy hat" and was part of the Pussyhat Project, a virtual campaign to create a collective visual statement for the International Women's Day marchers and also virtually for those who were not physically marching to support the efforts. The mission of the project was to help women's rights activists be better seen and heard. The square-shaped hat pattern made of knitted pink wool that formed subtle cat-like ears was freely available online. The design references the discontent around the derogatory reference used by President Trump so is anti- Donald Trump. Both women and men could be seen wearing these hats as a symbol of solidarity in women's rights surrounding the United States 2016 Presidential Election. The collecting of this hat from Grand Rapids helps to visually and culturally document women's activism in the 21st century.

The Women's Day March took place the day after the Presidential Inauguration of President Donald Trump. It was a peaceful international protest that advocated for women's rights as well as legislation and policies for healthcare and immigration reform, LGBTQ rights and worker's rights among others. It was estimated that there were about 500,000 who attended the march in D.C. and about 5 million at other marches worldwide.