Hat Museum

In the early 1900’s Mrs. Rebecca Reingold, a trained milliner from Russia, moved into the largest house on Ladd Avenue in Portland’s newest development: Ladd’s Addition. Nearly 100 years later the Reingold family still seems very much in evidence here along with their photographs and over 900 hats.

Ladd’s Addition was the first attempt at city planning on the west coast...and the design of William S. Ladd, early Portland businessman who platted the neighborhood in 1897. Built in 1910, the Ladd-Reingold House has its share of quirks: doors hung backwards, secret hiding place, pocket doors, a dumb waiter and the only furnace damper still attached to the library wall. A lifesized mermaid is painted on the coved ceiling in the dining room.

The last Reingold left the house over 60 years ago. Since then the property has had its share of strange times including complete abandonment for five years in the early 70’s. Through a series of coincidences, a hat fancier (unaware of Mrs. Reingold’s history with hats) bought the house which is now on the National Historic Registry. The unusual connections between the original homeowner and the current homeowner warranted a feature on´ HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk.” Evidently these walls speak fluent hat.

“I called it the Monster House when I first saw it,” said Alyce Cornyn-Selby who began the extensive restoration. This author/adventurer (and milliner--named the “Mad Hatter” by the Oregonian) lived in the house for over 30 years, kept her vintage cars here and filled the house with eccentric collections of mermaids, dice, hands and, of course, hats. Other bizarre items include: a couch made from a 1966 Cadillac, a British phone booth, a rare “Soundie” machine, John Steinbeck’s door stop and a 1940 Ford coupe that ran on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

There are five different collections in The Hat Museum--vintage hats, men’s hats, novelty hats, hundreds of retro “today” hats and international hats. The rooms of this 1910 Craftsman-style home have become display venues for each of these collections. Hats range from the common (souvenir hats) to the rare (a London straw top hat) to the very funny (a Thanksgiving table hat that “sings”). Nurse’s cap, Sherlock Holmes’ deerstalker, elaborate Victorian creations, vintage Stetsons are all here in this dramatic cross section of favorite headgear. There is something here for everyone. For the serious hat collector there are designer hats: Otto Lucas, Eric Javits, Kokin and Lilly Dache and Schiaparelli.

You’ll see the evolution of hats, learn why they were originally not a fashion statement and you can discover how the importance of hats permeated the language. “To throw your hat in the ring.” “My hat’s off to you.” “I’ll eat my hat.” “With hat in hand.”