2-832-525 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

A plaster form of a female head and neck covered with metallic gold paint. The facial features are detailed and realistic, including lines in the pulled back hairstyle to create the appearance of hair. The woman has her head turned over her proper left shoulder. At the back of the neck, text is engraved into the plaster that reads: "(c) P W / 63". The form has a large circular opening on the bottom. Mae Reeves (1912-2016) was a pioneering African-American milliner who was famous for her custom-made hats. Her business, Mae's Millinery Shop in downtown Philadelphia, was one of the first shops in the city to be owned by a woman of African American heritage.