 CVGC First Vice President Diane Smith with author Elizabeth Leah Read PROGRAM: Meet Mrs. Musterman: Milliner and Entrepreneur At today’s program, members enjoyed a glimpse into Annapolis history through the story of Mrs. Lillian Musterman, a talented milliner who became a well-known figure on Main Street. Trained as an apprentice in Baltimore, Lillian later worked with Julia Higgins Strange in Annapolis. After Strange passed away in 1919, Lillian took a bold step by opening her own hat shop at 195 Main Street and moving her family into the apartment upstairs. After her husband’s passing in 1924, she supported her three children through the business, creating designs that reflected the changing fashions of her time. Her granddaughter, Elizabeth Leah Read, author of Mrs. Musterman, Milliner of Main Street: A Biography, brought this history to life as today’s presenter. She shared family memories along with a display of vintage hats, and discussed historic styles including the sweeping Gainsborough “picture hats” of the Edwardian era, often trimmed with feathers and flowers and worn for elegant outings, as well as the sleek, bell-shaped cloche hats of the 1920s that paired perfectly with the short bobbed hairstyles of the day. Elizabeth also showed a wooden hat block milliners used to steam and shape felt or straw, and even touched on the “hatpin peril,” when laws had to be passed to limit the length of hatpins after too many unfortunate pokes in public places. Many of our members joined in the spirit of the day by wearing hats of their own choosing, some vintage and some more contemporary, making the program both a tribute to Mrs. Musterman’s legacy and a celebration of timeless style. A special thank you to our hostesses for providing the delicious food at today’s meeting. Everything was beautifully presented with a festive Halloween theme that added an extra touch of fun to the day!  Hostesses Carol Buhr, Jessica Kruse (lead), Nancy Durose, and C.J. Salisbury Comments are closed.
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