Hats on to the ladies

SPRINGFIELD - Guests are invited to recall a time when ladies always wore a hat and gloves to afternoon tea during "Topping It Off: 170 Years of Women's Hats in America," a historical program, exhibit and tea scheduled for Saturday, April 5 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site, 603 S. Fifth Street, Springfield.

Reservations for this limited seating event are $10 each and must be made by April 2 by calling (217) 524-0901. The event is part of the "Stitches in Time" historical clothing special events series being held in the Springfield area during the 2008 tourism season.

The afternoon will begin with a formal tea in the historic rooms of the Lindsay Home. Then, textile expert Nancy Torgerson of Forsyth, Illinois will make a presentation about women's hat styles using historic hats from her own collection. A historic hat collection assembled by Ednita Murdock of Springfield, including some with the original hat boxes, will be displayed throughout the Lindsay Home through the end of April and may be viewed that day.

The Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.Illinois-History.gov), is the birthplace and longtime residence Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, 1879 - 1931. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. for free public tours.