- The term "millinery" refers to the profession of making hats, which dates back to the 1600s.
- Coco Chanel is noted as a famous real-life milliner who founded the Chanel brand after World War I.
- The Mad Hatter from "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" is the most famous fictional milliner, first appearing in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel.
- The phrase “as mad as a hatter” originated in 1829 and was linked to mental illness caused by mercury exposure among hat makers.
- Mercury was used in the felting process to stabilize animal fur, leading to mercury poisoning known as erethism or “mad hatter disease.”
- Symptoms of mercury poisoning include uncontrollable shaking, personality changes, memory loss, and hallucinations.
- Danbury, Connecticut, was known as “Hat City,” with up to 75% of American-made hats produced there in the 1800s and 1900s.
- Workers in Danbury suffered from “Danbury shakes” due to mercury poisoning, even though its hazards were known since the 1860s.
- Safer felting methods using acid were developed in 1874 and 1888, but the American hat industry continued using mercury for another 60 years.
- Mercury use in hat-making ended during World War II because it was needed for war-related detonators, not due to health concerns.
- Connecticut banned mercury in hat-making in 1941, and mercury waste still contaminates the Still River in Danbury today.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of nonfiction reading comprehension worksheet.
